Our Company Blog

Schedule Your Dryer Vent Cleaning Today

If you haven’t scheduled a dryer vent cleaning in the last twelve months, you should schedule one now. Emptying the lint trap is not enough to prevent a lint buildup in the vent. Plus, a buildup of flammable lint can cause a dangerous fire! According to the United States Fire Administration there are 2900 dryer vent fires annually. Thus resulting in 5 deaths, 100 injuries, and $35 million in property loss. At Chief Chimney Services we believe any dryer vent fire is one too many. That’s why we strive to provide our customers with services to prevent it. Dryer vent cleaning as well as public education is the best way to decrease the number of fires, deaths, injuries, and property loss.

Prevention as Priority

It’s important for homeowners to recognize the signs of a dangerous dryer vent clog. This is especially true if you’ve failed to schedule the necessary cleanings. If you have noticed any of the following, you should call a Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician® (C-DET).

• Your dryer takes more than one cycle to adequately dry a moderately-sized load of laundry. This is your first indicator that there is a clog in the ventilation system. Homeowners often assume the load is too big, the clothes are too heavy, or the dryer is too old, but this isn’t the case. Industry professionals say that a clothes dryer has a clog if it’s less than three years old and takes more than one cycle to dry a load.
• Your dryer heats up your laundry room and feels hot to the touch. Your dryer and vent is designed as a closed unit that vents solely outdoors. The vent should carry the excess heat, lint, and water vapors outside. If the dryer vent is adding heat to your home, or feels hot to the touch, it most likely has a clog preventing proper ventilation.
• You find moisture on surfaces of your dryer, walls, and ceilings in your laundry room. Your dryer vent should vent water vapors outdoors. If your dryer causes this moisture on surfaces in your laundry room or home, there is most likely damage to the vent, which will compromise airflow and cause a dangerous buildup.

Schedule Annual Dryer Vent Cleanings

By scheduling annual dryer vent cleanings, you prevent problems that cost you money, health, and life. Your expensive appliance will become worn out twice as quickly if it takes two cycles to dry a load. Laundry will take twice as long, and you will spend twice as much on utilities and replacing clothes dryers in your lifetime. Instead of your appliance lasting the ten years it should, it will last only 3-5 years.

Have Your Appliance Professionally Installed

A store delivery is not a professional installation. A dryer exhaust technician can install your dryer vent with the appropriate materials, within safety regulations, and correctly sized. When you have the vent professionally installed, you have the information to present to the proper authorities in the event of a fire caused from malfunction or other issue.

Use the Clothes Dryer Properly

Follow clothes dryer safety tips and user manuals in order to further insure your family’s safety, and to safeguard your investments.

Schedule your dryer vent cleaning today by calling 631-863-2460 today!

Avoid Fires With Dryer Vent Cleaning

When Talking about household appliances it’s important to note that low maintenance does not mean no maintenance, and neglecting routine maintenance can lower efficiency, shorten the life of an appliance, and likely cause fires and extensive damage.

Your Dryer Vent and Fire Risk

A clothes dryer is a heat appliance and should be treated as such. Just like a chimney should be cleaned to avoid flue fires, the dryer vent should be cleaned to avoid dryer vent fires. These fires are the leading cause of dryer-related fires. Every year hundreds of people are injured, dozens are killed, and thousands of dollars worth of property is damaged due to dryer vent fires.

You may not think it will happen to you, but if you’re like most Americans you assume cleaning the lint trap is enough maintenance for your dryer. This isn’t true!

If you have a dryer or are thinking of purchasing one, keep these things in mind:

1.  Have it professionally installed.
   A common cause of dryer vent fire is a buildup of lint inside the ventilation hose due to improper installation. If the hose is especially long, has several corners, and is compressed to fit behind furniture or into walls, the risk of fire increases. It is best to have your dryer professionally installed to avoid this risk. Most home improvement stores offer professional installations. An even better option would be to choose a CSIA Certified Exhaust Technicians® who is trained to install, clean, inspect, replace, and repair dryer vents.
2. Schedule semi-annual cleaning.
   If you have your dryer vent cleaned in the fall and winter, you will have the best results. Your certified exhaust technician will be able to remove the lint that builds up inside the vent, as well as any nesting animals and their nests. The way that the vents are designed often allows for small animals to climb inside. In spring animals search for a warm, dry place to nest, and in winter they do the same. Schedule your appointments during these times and your dryer vent will stay clean, and you can avoid the increased risk of fire when an animal and its nesting materials restrict airflow.
3. Do not clean your own dryer vent.
   During a routine dryer vent cleaning your certified exhaust technician will not only clean the ventilation hose with a high-powered vacuum, but will also recognize any risk factors or issues with the dryer vent. It’s important for a professional to see the vent periodically in order to notify you of damage that may cause leaks or other problems. Leaky ducts can cause carbon monoxide poisoning over time, as well as slow the airflow, which can cause hot hair to ignite flammable debris such as lint.
4. Lint passes through the lint trap.
   It is impossible for the lint trap to collect all of the lint. Lint is made up of single fibers that collect on the screen of the lint trap. These fibers slip through and around the screens with every load of clothes that is dried. These fibers collect inside the ventilation system and become the fluff we’re so used to seeing in the lint trap. It is highly flammable and should be removed often.

The dryer vent is an essential element that keeps the dryer functioning, but needs to be maintained and cleaned regularly. Schedule an appointment with Chief Chimney Services today to avoid a fire in your home.

5 Reasons to Have Your Dryer Vent Cleaned

In America 85% of households own a tumble dryer, and neglected dryer vents are the leading cause of heating-appliance house fires. These fires don’t just cause damage, but cause hundreds of injuries and dozens of deaths per year. As a homeowner, it’s better to prevent this damage by scheduling regular maintenance for your dryer vent.

1. Protect your family against carbon monoxide poisoning

Carbon Monoxide is a natural byproduct released when fuel is burned, which is toxic to humans. Carbon monoxide escapes through the dryer vent safely outside the home unless there is a problem. Unfortunately carbon monoxide is odorless and if a leak occurs a homeowner may not know until it’s too late. A professional will check for carbon monoxide leaks in your dryer vent during a regular cleaning and can correct this damage before it harms your family.



2. Nesting animals cause blockage and odors in the dryer vent

Since dryer vents sometimes only have a metal flap to cover the outside vent, this allows easy access for small animals to nest. The animals are drawn to the dryer vent because it’s warm and seemingly safe, but they often end up dying. If this occurs they can not only become trapped and die in the dryer vent, but they also leave behind nesting materials in addition to the lint already present.

3. Leaking ducts can lower efficiency as well as cause carbon monoxide poisoning

As ducts leak heat and vapors from the hose, the flow slows and blockage is more likely. Also a leaky dryer vent causes the dryer to work harder in order to get the job done, costing your family more time, energy, and essentially more money.

4. Let a professional check for correct size and installation of dryer vent.

Oftentimes during a hasty move or after a large purchase, homeowners don’t bother with professional installation. A dryer vent should work efficiently and without leaks if it is installed correctly. However, if the hose is too small for the appliance, it is more likely to experience blockage and low efficiency.

5. Prevention today saves money tomorrow.

A standard dryer vent cleaning is cheaper than the cost of fire damage and injury. It’s cheaper than making a claim to your home owners insurance, and the nuisance of doing without a dryer during repairs. With any household appliance it is best to take steps of prevention to ensure that safety is first.

The reasons to have your dyer vent cleaned regularly far outweigh the cost, and Chief Chimney Services offers an affordable cleaning. It’s important to hire a CSIA Certified Exhaust Technician®  because they are trained in the safe installation of dryer vent ducts and experienced in repairs.

Chief Chimney Services offers only the best professional service and expert technicians to keep your dryer vent clean and efficient. This is the best way to ensure your safety and the safety of your family.

Call Chief Chimney Services today and schedule your dryer vent cleaning.

Spring Cleaning: Fireplace and Dryer Vent Maintenance

While you are jumping into spring cleaning around your home or business, it’s important to remember your fireplace and dryer vents. Proper cleaning and maintenance of your fireplace and dryer vents is essential for efficiency and safety.

Your Fireplace

Spring is a great time to have your fireplace cleaned for a couple reasons. First, warm air in a dirty, moist chimney can cause odors to permeate your home. Second, spring begins the off-season of most chimney sweep companies. Third, spring begins animal nesting season, and animals love to take shelter in the safety of a chimney. Unfortunately animals nesting in a chimney can be quite a nuisance, and can cause damage to and blockage in the chimney system. During a chimney sweep with a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® (CCS) any animals, leaks, or damage will be discovered.

The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) recommends regular chimney cleanings, and annual chimney inspections for safe and efficient use of fireplace and chimney.

Your Dryer Vent

Your dryer vent cleaning and maintenance is just as important as your fireplace, and often overlooked. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) educates and trains professionals and certifies them for safety standards in chimney safety, AND dryer exhaust through the CSIA C-DET certification.

Cleaning your dryer vent is not as simple as just removing the lint from the lint trap. The dryer vent itself needs to have adequate air flow to allow for safe operation. The dryer will also work less efficiently if the dryer vent isn’t cleaned regularly. During these regular cleanings other problems can be discovered and dealt with.

• Animal Nesting
  Animals often seek shelter in the warmth and protection of a dryer vent. They can block the air flow through the vent, as well as leave nesting material in the vent that can be highly flammable.
• Leaking Ducts
  When dryer ducts are stretched through the house they can become damaged and leak. If they are held together with tape, the adhesive can come loose with high temperatures, and also leak. These leaks cause a lack of air flow, and can lower the efficiency of the dryer itself.
• Carbon Monoxide
  Although there may not be a fire in your dryer vent, a blockage may be releasing carbon monoxide into your home. Carbon monoxide is undetectable and can cause brain and organ damage, and even death.

When to Call the Professionals

Don’t wait until there’s a problem with your fireplace or dryer vent to call a professional. Part of home maintenance includes keeping up with regular cleanings and inspections to prevent problems before they happen.

While you are spring cleaning, don’t forget to schedule your cleaning and inspection for your fireplace and dryer vent. Fire safety starts with prevention, and prevention can save your money, damage, and possibly your life. If you’re a homeowner in Suffolk County and are ready to have your fireplace and dryer vent cleaned, call Chief Chimney Services today !

Is Your Dryer Vent Putting Your Home at Risk?

Everyone knows the importance of cleaning the lint trap of your dryer before each load of laundry, but what about the importance of dryer vent cleaning? It’s easy to see the lint and hair that builds up in your lint trap, but what you may not see so easily is the same lint, hair, and debris that builds up inside the dryer vent. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, you should “Have a qualified service person clean the interior of the dryer chassis periodically to minimize the amount of lint accumulation.” Keeping your dryer vent clean and clear of this debris is vitally important for your dryer’s efficiency as well as your home’s safety. Neglecting to do so is not only a threat to your wallet but to your life as well.

Beyond just cleaning your dryer vent, a professional can also help identify and prevent:

Animal Nests

Especially during colder months, some animals will try to seek shelter in your dryer vent system. This causes air flow issues, as animals such as birds leave behind flammable debris that can be ignited by the dryer’s heat. Animal nesting can also damage dryer ducts, which can lead to overheating and inefficiency.

Leaky Ducts

During a dryer vent cleaning and inspection, it’s important to check for damage or leaks in the ducts. Especially if your ducts are only sealed with duct tape, which can easily wear with the presence of heat and moisture.

Carbon Monoxide

According to the CSIA, the Chimney Safety Institute of America, “If a gas clothes dryer is improperly vented or the exhaust duct itself is blocked by lint or debris, carbon monoxide can be forced back into your living space.” If your dryer vent is not clear, then your dryer and home are not receiving proper air ventilation. Carbon monoxide is difficult to detect without equipment, and can cause serious health problems such as brain damage, organ damage, or even death before it is discovered. By annually checking your dryer vent system and installing a carbon monoxide detector nearby, the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in your home is greatly reduced.
Although the issues above are serious, regular cleanings and inspections can help prevent them before becoming fire hazards. Without an annual professional cleaning and inspection, though, these issues can go unnoticed and cause inefficiency and fire risks to your home.
Chief Chimney Services, Inc. technicians use high-quality brushes and an incredibly-high-powered vacuum to clean your dryer vent system from start to finish. Lint and debris is loosened and immediately vacuumed up by a high-intake vacuum cleaner, guaranteeing a dust- and mess-free job. We will also check for any damages, leaks, obstructions, or air flow problems. With a Chief Chimney Services, Inc. technician, you will have a safe and efficient dryer vent system in no time!

To schedule your dryer vent system cleaning, call Chief Chimney Services, Inc. today!