Your dryer vent system is incredibly important to maintain. If you are not taking proper care of it, this could lead to potential dangers for your family and home! When your dryer runs, the excess heat, moisture, and lint are suppose to travel out of the dryer vent until it is terminated to the outdoors. If the dryer vent fails to do its job, the heat, moisture, and lint backs up into the clothes dryer, and back into your house. If the dryer or vent is filled with lint and the heat isn’t venting properly, this could lead to a devastating fire.
Dryer Vent Fires
Homeowners should use their clothes dryer according to the owner’s manual. This means have your dryer vent professionally installed and your appliance regularly serviced. It is super unsafe to run the dryer while sleeping or if you’re out of the house, since this is when most clothes dryer fires occur.
The U.S. Fire Administration reports that nearly 3,000 clothes dryer fires occur each year, and the majority of these are caused by failure to clean the dryer vent system. Don’t put your family at risk! Only run your clothes dryer when someone is in the house, and you should have your dryer vent cleaned regularly so it’s safe and efficient.
Does Yours Need a Professional Cleaning?
If your clothes dryer is working properly, then you may think there are no problem with it. However, a properly functioning clothes dryer is one of the biggest reason to schedule a dryer vent cleaning! The more your dryer works the more the vent works, and it is recommended to be cleaned annually by the professionals. Scheduling an dryer vent cleaning can save you money, make your machine last longer, and cut down on the wear and tear of your clothes.
Signs of An Improper Dryer Vent
Some signs of an improper working dryer are the following. It’s way better to catch these issues before they bring danger to your family and home. You should definitely pay attention to your dryer and call your professionals soon if you encounter any of these issues.
- If your dryer is hot to the touch – A dryer that is hot to the touch or heats the room where it’s installed is not venting properly. Excess heat should be leaving the home by way of the vent, and if it isn’t, there is likely a clog, leak, or termination hood malfunction.
- If your dryer doesn’t work in one cycle – Many homeowners think it’s perfectly normal to run a load for two or three cycles in order to dry them completely. This is an unnecessary waste of electricity, and puts extra strain and wear on your appliance. Don’t assume it’s “just worn out”. When your dryer takes more than one cycle to dry your clothes and it’s less than 5 years old, then it’s likely you have a clogged vent.
- If your laundry room and house are covered in lint and moisture – Lint and water vapors should be vented out of doors. So when your dryer leaves behind a fine layer of condensation or lint on the surfaces of your laundry room and home, then there is either a leak in your dryer vent or it’s clogged and backed up.
You can start saving money now when you schedule your dryer vent cleaning with The Mad Hatter. This will help your dryer to last longer, stop your dryer from heating up your air-conditioned house, and you will also use less electricity. Call 317-596-0200 today.