Safety measures for large appliances have been modified over the last several years to prevent fires and other accidents. The dryer is an appliance that people have come to rely on for everyday life. It’s also one of the most dangerous appliances in the home. The dryer vent is responsible for more than 15,000 per year. Safety parameters for dryer ventilation are as follows:
- The ducting should be at least four inches in diameter.
- Hoses should be aluminum, not plastic. Older dryer hoses were white plastic, if you still have a white plastic dryer hose, call us and we’ll replace it for you with an aluminum hose.
- Duct joints should be secured with metal tape, not duct tape.
- Do not use screws or anything similar to hold the hose in place. They collect lint and increase the likelihood of a blockage.
- The vent should vent to the outside of the home and not connect with other ventilation systems.
- The vent should have a cap or hood over the exterior to prevent small animals from seeking refuge inside the nice warm dryer vent with the soft, fluffy interior.
- Have the vent professionally cleaned at least once a year to ensure an unobstructed air flow.
Dryer vent cleaning isn’t a difficult process, but it is a messy one. You may, of course, attempt it on your own, but most homeowners would rather call us because we have the experience to make it a quick and painless project. We’ll clean the dryer hose and vent, inspect them for potential problems, and be out of your hair as quickly as possible.
The dryer is one of the most-used appliances in the home. As homeowners, we become very familiar with the way our washer and dryer work and discover little nuances with their performance over time. We know all too well when we’ve had to lengthen the amount of time clothes stay in the dryer and the effect that has on our power bill.
A clean dryer hose allows air to flow freely from the dryer, through the hose, and out the vent. The process goes very smoothly when everything is clean and functioning properly. The lint screen captures most of the large pieces of lint from our laundry so we can easily throw them away. Smaller pieces of lint escape through the small holes in the screen and often become trapped in the hose or vent. This is where things become scary. Those small pieces of lint become obstructions that prevent heat from exiting through the vent. Excessive heat plus a fuel source plus oxygen equals a fire.
Keeping the dryer hose and vent clean ensures that the air flows correctly from beginning to end. This greatly reduces the chance of a dryer vent fire because it removes the fuel source. Give us a call and we’ll schedule a consultation, inspection, and cleaning if you’d like to make your dryer run like new again and reduce the chances of a dryer vent fire.