Dryer Vents
The Importance of Cleaning Dryer Vents
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends that you have your dryer vents cleaned at least once a year. Lint builds up in a dryer vent with use and you cannot count on the collector that is built into the dryer to prevent lint from building up in your dryer vent. A leading cause of dryer related fires is due to a build up of lint in the dryer vent.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that there are 15,000 dryer vent related fires every year in the United States. Another estimate indicates that these dryer vent fired cause $97 million in damages and lost property very year. It is very good preventive maintenance to have your dryer vent leaned. It will prevent a dryer vent fire and also help your dryer to work more effectively. Dryer vent cleaning is an essential part of home maintenance and fire safety prevention.
The lint screen in your dryer only catches about 75% of the lint produced by operating your dryer. The other 25% of the lint gets into your dryer vent pipe. This lint accumulates over time which results in restricted air flow. The restricted air flow may cause lint to accumulate faster and the restricted air flow may cause overheating and this increases the risk of a dryer vent fire. The fine nature of dryer lint is extremely flammable and the high heat makes it have the potential to ignite. A clean dryer vent reduces or eliminates the risk of a dryer vent fire.