Spring Fire Safety - Part 2: Dryer Vent Cleaning

When was the last time you had your dryer vent professionally cleaned out?

Did you know according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission over 15,000 home fires a year are attributed to dirty dryer vents?

Dryer Vent Cleaning is one the most overlooked home maintenance tasks. Dryer Vents are seldom seen and rarely worried about, but they are a very important part of keeping a healthy and safe home. Your lint trap does catch a lot of the lint , but it does not catch everything. Some estimates say that the lint trap only catches as little as around 25% of the lint expelled by each load of laundry. This means around 75% of the lint from each load could be making its way into your dryer vent from everytime you run your dryer. In about a year (sometimes less) this lint build up can create a blockages or restrictions in your vent. This will block the hot air from your dryer from your exhausting properly, and mixing hot air with very flammable lint can have your laundry room up in flames in a matter of moments. Not only that, but these blockages will also cause your dryer to work harder and take up more energy. This can cause a spike in your energy bill as well as damage to your dryer’s motor.

This is why the Fire Department recommends having your dryer vent cleaned and inspected at least once per year. Having this done, ideally by a local pro, will help keep your dryer working efficiently, and prevent a fire.

Do you have any crazy dryer vent stories? We’d love to hear them! Let us know in the comments.