Homeowners today like to have the convenience of laundry equipment in the home. At least half of homeowners and renters have a clothes washer and dryer in the home, and for all its convenience, it may also be a problem. Your clothes dryer may be dirty and it may be costing you money! In order for your dryer to work safely and properly, it needs to be cleaned on a regular basis.
Dangerous Dryers
Your clothes dryer is not dangerous—when the dryer vents are installed and maintained properly. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, it’s the dirty clothes dryers that cause nearly 3,000 reported clothes dryer fires each year. These fires result in 5 deaths, 100 injuries, and $35 million in property loss. The worst part is that these fires are 100 percent preventable. If dirty dryer vents are the problem, cleaning them is the solution!
Dryer Safety
Clothes dryer safety is so important that the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) has developed a certification for professionals to achieve in order to offer the best dryer vent services possible. Only a CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician (C-DET) knows how to correctly install a dryer vent according to fire safety code, and service and maintain it properly. Many homeowners aren’t even aware that your clothes dryer exhaust system is subject to safety codes. If your local code enforcement inspected your clothes dryer unit, would it pass as code compliant? Many can’t say for sure. We want you to know for sure. We don’t want any Brickliners customer questioning safety in their own home.
Reasons to Schedule a Dryer Vent Cleaning
If your clothes dryer unit wasn’t installed by a professional, it’s time to call a professional. A Brickliners certified technician can install your dryer vent properly even if you’ve been using it incorrectly for years. Don’t take chances. Take control. Calling a professional to take care of your clothes dryer will also save you money.
—The dryer adds heat to the house. You may resort to only using the clothes dryer at night (a dangerous time to experience a fire) because the unit heats up the air in the house. This makes your air conditioner work harder than necessary. This extra heat should be removed from the home through the dryer vent, so if the dryer or the clothes in the dryer are excessively hot, the vent is clogged.
—There are moisture and lint on surfaces of the home. As the dryer runs, windows may steam up and moisture and lint may be covering surfaces of the homes. The moisture can damage furniture and wall coverings, and the lint can cause respiratory problems.
—The dryer requires more than one cycle to dry a load. If your dryer doesn’t do its job, it’s time to have the vent cleaned. Running it more than once will use up twice as much electricity and wear out the unit.
If you suspect a problem with your dryer vent, check the vent piping, including the termination hood. Clear it of lint and debris and then call a professional to schedule a cleaning.
Call Brickliners at 802-872-0123 to ask about our vent cleanings now.
