Lou Curley's Chimney Service in red letters with man sitting on chimney in white on the righthand side
Request An Appointment
CALL 610-626-2439

5 Reasons to Clean and Inspect Your Dryer Vent

by | Jan 24, 2017 | Chimney Inspection

 

You use your dryer multiple times a week as you are doing laundry, but we can almost guarantee that you haven’t looked at your dryer vent in months. You are not alone; many people do not even give that vent a second glance or thought once everything has been installed. That oversight could end up being dangerous for you and your family though.

Here are 5 reasons why you should clean and inspect your dryer vent:

  1. The U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Center states that eighty percent of all the structure fires in the country occur from clogged dryer vents. By simply cleaning out the vent, you can prevent your home from catching on fire.
  2. Clogged dryer vents can cause carbon monoxide to back up into your home, because it cannot travel through the vent to the outdoors. Carbon monoxide can cause headaches, illness, and even death.
  3. A clean dryer vent will allow your clothes to dry much faster, so you will end up saving money on your energy bills every month.
  4. Sometimes there can be so much lint inside the vent that the flap on the outside will not close. If this flap does not close, then you are inviting little critters inside your vent. Birds, mice, squirrels, and other little creatures will find the warm vent inviting and they will build a little nest in there. This will block your vent even more than the lint will.
  5. Cleaning the dryer vent regularly will actually prolong the life of your dryer. Since your clothes will dry faster, the dryer will not overheat and the heating element will not wear out.

These five reasons should be plenty for you to run to your laundry room and pull your dryer out from the wall to check the vent. If you are not sure what you need to do, then give us a call. We will clean the vent out and make sure that your dryer is safe for you to use. Both of our chimney sweeps are CSIA certified and C-DET technicians in addition to holding other certifications.

Give us a call at 610-626-2439 if Lou Curley’s Chimney Service can assist you with your chimney or dryer vent needs this year. Make sure to schedule your post-winter chimney inspection and cleaning by spring so we can get you on the schedule. Don’t wait until the end of summer, because that’s when our rush starts. Plan early and get it over with early.