We have many wonderful appliances around our home that make our lives easier. Your clothes dryer helps save you the time and hassle of having to hang your clothes out to dry. However, convenience oftentimes comes with responsibility. If you have a clothes dryer in your home, you need to be sure that it is in safe working condition. If your dryer is not ventilating properly, you could be putting your family at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. At Hale’s Chimney & Fireplace Solutions, we prioritize home safety above anything else. That’s why we want to help you understand what can lead up to your dryer becoming a potential carbon monoxide hazard as well as some simple precautionary actions that you can implement at home to avoid this hazard.
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas byproduct created when fuel is burned and it cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted. In smaller doses, carbon monoxide can cause nausea, headaches, fatigue, and dizziness. Often called the “silent killer,” larger doses of carbon monoxide can lead to confusion, unconsciousness, and ultimately death. Your dryer produces carbon monoxide, but there are systems in place to prevent carbon monoxide from entering your home.
Your Dryer Ventilation System
Dryers have ventilation systems in place to vent hot air and gases from your home. This system protects homeowners from toxic gas and fire hazards. Most dryers have a four-inch ventilation duct in the back. This vent is connected to a four-inch duct which either leads outside your home or to your home’s main ventilation duct. These ventilation components are critical to your dryer system and any clogs in your ventilation system could lead to carbon monoxide entering your home.
Dangers Caused by Ventilation Clogs
Although most of the lint in your dryer is caught by your dryer’s lint trap, some lint is able to make it past and get caught in your ventilation system. Over time, lint builds up in your ventilation duct, restricting airflow. Partially restricted airflow causes lint to build up faster until it totally restricts airflow. Totally restricted airflow pushes carbon monoxide out of the dryer through small gaps in the door. Carbon monoxide has the potential to harm anything living in your home.
How to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
The best way to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning is to eliminate the potential for dryer ventilation clogs. One way to help prevent lint clogs is to make sure you clean your lint trap after every dryer use. Also, The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) suggests that you have your dryer vent inspected at least annually. Our ventilation technicians at Hale’s Chimney & Fireplace Solutions are CSIA certified, meaning they have the knowledge and training to keep your family safe. During a ventilation inspection, our ventilation technicians will make sure your vents are working correctly and may even give you suggestions on which ventilation ducts work the best as well as advice on safe clothes drying. If you haven’t had your dryer vents checked in the past year, you’re overdue for an inspection. Don’t hesitate, have one of our expert ventilation technicians come for an inspection today by calling Hale’s Chimney & Fireplace Solutions at 972-562-6851 or by scheduling an appointment online today.