Homeowners don’t always consider the amount of upkeep involved in homeownership. We all get so wrapped up in trying to create a balance between work and home life that we don’t realize how much time passes between regular home maintenance steps. We recommend creating a specific maintenance schedule for your chimney and dryer vent. These two home maintenance projects should never be overlooked. Why should you worry about cleaning the dryer hose and vent? Let’s continue.

Fire Prevention

The dryer is responsible for an estimated 15,000 house fires each year. Take a moment to really consider that number. Fifteen thousand homes are damaged or destroyed each year because of an appliance that is designed to make life easier by drying our clothing more quickly than hanging it on a clothes line in the back yard.

The dryer itself won’t likely feel hot to the touch, but the clothing inside it may feel hotter than normal when the hose or vent are beginning to become blocked with lint. The lint screen inside the dryer only captures a fraction of the lint that leaves your laundry during the drying cycle. The lint that does not get captured by the lint screen often becomes lodged in the hose or in the vent.

Dryer lint is very flammable and may burst into flames if it becomes too hot. It is extremely important to keep the dryer hose and vent clear of lint. Add dryer vent cleaning to your regular home maintenance list so it isn’t overlooked.

Save Time

How many times have you had to restart the dryer because it didn’t finish drying your laundry within a reasonable amount of time? This is a sure sign that the hose or vent needs cleaning. Air cannot effectively escape the dryer if the hose or vent is blocked, so the moist air remains within the dryer. Cleaning the dryer vent will open it up so air can flow more freely and the dryer can work correctly once again.

Save Money

You’re using more energy and more money each time you have to restart the dryer. Dryers create heat, so they automatically use more power than the washing machine for example. Each time you turn the dryer on, it costs money. You will see a decrease in your energy bill after cleaning the dryer vent and hose.

Regular Home Maintenance

Let’s face it, not all homeowners look forward to regular home maintenance projects. Some projects are very messy and difficult, and others require a trained eye to catch little things that we may miss. The chimney and dryer vent are two such places. They’re messy and require a specific set of tools to properly clean. We have two very capable CSIA certified chimney sweeps and C-DET certified dryer exhaust technicians here at Lou Curley’s Chimney Service.

We recommend scheduling your chimney maintenance and dryer vent maintenance on the same day each year so you don’t forget them. They’re both very important to the health and safety of your home and family.