Midwest Chimney Safety CouncilDryer Vent Info
Avoid Dryer Vent Fires!
Before After
- Did you know that dryer vent fires are more common than chimney fires? Flammable lint, and dirt and dust accumulate quite rapidly inside the dryer vent (the lint screen does not catch all of it).
- It is recommended that dryer vents and the dryer chassis be cleaned out every 3 - 6 months depending on the extent of the use of your dryer. Commercial dryers need to be cleaned more often.
- Symptoms of a clogged dryer vent include excessive moisture in the laundry room and clothes take a long time to dry or won't dry at all. Sometimes birds build flammable nests at the top of dryer vents (we pulled a 2' nest out of our own vent this year!) which can also be a big problem. Cleaning the dryer vent will improve drying time.
- Your local professional chimney sweep will have the expertise and equipment necessary to clean your dryer and dryer vent. Some are even C-DET Certified Dryer Vent Technicians. Find a professional on our member list.
Who needs their dryer vent cleaned?
Commercial laundries
Townhomes and Condominiums
Apartments
Duplexes
Single-family homes
Good times to have this done is in the Spring for Spring cleaning
and again in the fall.
The best person to do this job is a professional chimney sweep!
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From Ann Landers:
Check Those Clothes-Dryer Vents!
Dear Ann Landers:
I'm writing about your recent column regarding clothes-dryer vents and fires. Ann, my husband and I have a company that specializes in cleaning dryer vents, so I am more than familiar with the dangers. Clothes dryers start more residential fires than any other appliance. The Consumer Products Safety Commission estimates that there are more than 24000 dryer fires each year in the United States, causing more than 96 million in property damage. Lack of vent maintenance is leading cause of dryer fires, and lent which is a hidden fire hazard is the material most likely to ignite. Even a cleaned lint screen traps only 75% of the lint. When lint builds up in dryer vents, the dryer motor has to labor harder and can overheat, igniting the lint. It isn't just clothes-dryer vent hoses that need to be checked, Ann. Clogged lint-screen compartments, disconnected or ripped dryer-vent hoses, smashed hoses behind the clothes dryer, bird nests in dryer vents, poor dryer-vent design, screens placed over the exhaust point, use of white plastic vent hoses instead of aluminum foil ones-all produce the same blockage, and all cause dryer fires. All these fires are preventable. Please get the word out.
S.S in Oceanside, California
Dear Oceanside: The word is out, thanks to you. Because I don't know much about clothes dryers, I was unaware of this hazard. I now know a lot more than I did. Read on:
From Green Bay WI:
Recently you had an article from a reader about how the lint from clothes dryers could start a fire. When I read that I asked my husband to check the vent hoses. He reluctantly said, "I'll get to it tomorrow." Thank God that I was home because the lint in the dryer caught fire before my husband every got to it. Waiting an extra day was almost too late for us. Please tell your readers to get the lint out of their dryers and vent hoses today.
From Independence MO:
My husband and I are very thankful to the reader who shared her problem about clogged dryer vents. When my husband read that column to me, I decided to check our dryer, I pulled out the hose and much to my surprise, found it was ripped and brimming with lint. We were wondering why it took three cycles before our clothes were even partially dry.
Orlando FL:
Bless you for printing that information about dryer vents. For months, my clothes had been taking longer and longer to dry. After reading that column, I decided to check the vent. Not only was it clogged with lint, but also the flap at the end was stuck in an almost-closed position. I am grateful to that reader not only for helping me avoid a fire but also for helping me avoid a fire but also for a lower electric bill.
