Our Company Blog

Reasons to Have Your Dryer Vents Cleaned

For most people, laundry is not a major part of the day. Perhaps it goes ignored for several days or a week, sometimes more. Life is filled with many tasks much more interesting, urgent, and exciting than doing laundry, so this mindset is understandable. For safety reasons, however, laundry should not be forgotten about for too long. The clothes dryer, in particular, needs special attention to keep it running safely.

Everyday basic care for the dryer can help lengthen its functional life and keep the home and family safe. One good measure to take is to empty the lint trap before and after every load. Leaving one or more layers of lint in the trap limits the air flow through the machine, increasing the drying time and the risk of fire. In addition, avoid overloading the dryer because this reduces the efficiency. Some items may remain damp while others become extremely hot, even dangerously hot.

Another very important measure to take that can keep the machine safe and functional is to have the dryer vents professionally cleaned at least once every year. The dryer vent is the wide pipe running from the dryer to the outdoor vent flap that expels the hot, damp air from the system. Lint that does not catch in the trap is forced out through the vent, and over time, it can build up in the pipe. The lint can block the vent completely, or it may clog the vent flap, preventing it from opening properly. Schedule an appointment to have this vent cleared of lint, dust, and other debris every year. However, if the clothes seem to be drying more slowly or if the vent flap no longer opens while the dryer is running, stop using the machine and call for a cleaning right away, even if it has been less than a year since the last cleaning.

Having the dryer vents cleaned on a regular basis is important because neglecting to do this can result in devastating fires. The lint that builds up in the vent is continually exposed to very hot air. Since lint is very flammable, this intense heat exposure can result in ignition and a dangerous fire. According to the National Fire Protection Association, an estimated 16,800 home structure fires began in the laundry room across the country in 2010. Ninety-two percent of these fires started with the clothes dryer, and the leading cause was failure to clean the appliance.

Fortunately, you do not have to become one of these frightening statistics. Taking good care of your dryer on a day-to-day basis and having the vents cleaned at least once every year can make all the difference. If you need your dryer vents cleaned and you live in the western or central portion of Suffolk Country, get in touch with Chief Chimney Services, Inc. to schedule the appointment today.

What’s Wrong with My Dryer?

Is It Time To Clean Your Dryer Vents?

At Chief Chimney Services, Inc., we’re known, of course, for chimneys — for more than 30 years, we’ve been sweeping, inspecting, repairing and installing chimneys of all kinds in Western and Central Suffolk County.

But your chimney isn’t the only system in your home that’s working hard to expel heat and dangerous byproducts. Your dryer vents perform a similarly important function, and Chief Chimney Services specializes in servicing dryer vent systems, too.

The lint trap isn’t the only part of your dryer system that must be cleaned out. Your vents need regular maintenance as well.

Pay A Little Mind Now, Avoid A Lot Of Trouble Later

The systems that work behind the scenes in our homes can be something of an out-of-mind part of life for a lot of us, and that makes sense. If we were constantly focused on the inner workings of our electric system, our plumbing, our dryer vents, that’d probably be a fair indicator that those systems weren’t working very well. Ideally, if everything’s working right, we don’t have to spend a lot of time worrying about those systems. It’s when trouble pops up that they jump to the front of our minds.

The best way to avoid trouble with your venting systems is to give them just enough attention by keeping up with regular preventative maintenance. Having your chimney inspected and swept annually allows it to do its job in the safest and most effective way possible. And having your dryer vents regularly cleaned has the same positive effect.

Why Do I Need To Clean My Dryer Vents?

A chimney flue that’s covered in creosote deposits can be a serious fire hazard, and most of us take that very seriously, since fire hazards are a very front-of-mind concern as we’re building a fire inside our home. What you may not know, though, is that clogged or blocked dryer vents can create a serious fire hazard too.

The National Fire Protection Association compiles figures about home structure fires, and their 2010 findings showed nearly 17,000 home fires involving dryers or washing machines, resulting in more than 50 deaths, nearly 400 injuries and millions of dollars in property damage. And among those dryer-related home fires, the leading cause was noted as “failure to clean.”

Over time and with use, lint will build up inside your dryer vents, and if enough of it builds up, it can constrict or block those vents. Blocked vents allow heat to build up in the vents, too, and since lint is extremely flammable, that situation can quickly lead to ignition. Having your dryer vents professionally cleaned on a regular basis keeps that lint build-up to a minimum, and keeps that hot air moving through the vents and out of your home.

Avoiding a fire hazard isn’t the only reason to clean your vents, though. Blocked vents also force your dryer to work harder than it should to dry your laundry, wasting energy and making you waste money. If you’ve found damp clothes after running a normal load through the dryer, there’s a good chance lint build-up is hampering your dryer’s performance — and a good vent cleaning can clear that up!

Give Chief Chimney Services a call to schedule a dryer vent cleaning today!