Household appliances make our lives a lot easier, your clothes dryer is no exception. However, the convenience of being able to dry your clothes indoors comes with responsibility. You need to be sure that your dryer is in safe working condition and part of that is making sure that its lint trap is always clean. However, there are other steps that need to be taken to make sure your dryer is not a hazard to your home. If your dryer is not ventilating properly, you could be putting your household at risk of a fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. At Hale’s Chimney & Fireplace Solutions, we prioritize your safety above anything else. That’s why we want to help raise awareness about the dangers of a clogged dryer vent.
Dryer Ventilation
Your dryer has a ventilation system in place that is designed to vent hot air and gases from your dryer to outside of your home. This system is in place to protect homeowners from toxic gas building up inside the home and to keep your dryer from overheating and becoming a fire hazard. Most dryers are designed with a four-inch ventilation exhaust in the back. This exhaust is connected to a four-inch ventilation duct which either leads outside, or to your home’s main ventilation system. Proper ventilation is critical to safe and efficient operation of your dryer.
Most of the lint in your dryer is captured by your dryer’s lint trap, however, usually, some lint is able to make it past and get caught in either your dryer’s exhaust or ventilation system. Although one piece of lint won’t have too much effect on your dryers ability to vent, it can act as a collection point for more lint. If enough lint builds up in your ventilation duct it can restrict airflow. When airflow is restricted, it will cause lint to build up faster and faster until, eventually, airflow is totally restricted. Restricted airflow creates a few issues. First, your clothes may not dry as well as you would like. Second, it can cause gases like carbon monoxide to be pushed out through small gaps in the dryer door and into your home. Finally, with no way to vent excess heat, your dryer can easily overheat.
Potential Hazards
United States Fire Administration (USFA) reports that approximately 2,900 home clothes dryer fires are reported every year causing 100 injuries, 5 deaths, and nearly 35 million dollars in property loss. It also reports that one-third of these fires are caused by not properly cleaning out dryer ventilation.
Carbon Monoxide is a toxic gas byproduct created when fuel is burned. Because it is invisible and has no odor, it is often labeled the “silent killer”. In small doses, carbon monoxide causes headaches, dizziness, nausea, and fatigue. In larger doses, carbon monoxide can lead to confusion, unconsciousness, and, ultimately, death.
Preventing a Hazardous Situation
With so much at stake, it’s pretty easy to see why the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) suggests that you have your dryer vent inspected at least annually. Although cleaning your lint trap helps to prevent most lint from getting into your ventilation, some lint will still accumulate in your dryer vent. Our ventilation technicians at 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 see to it that your vents are working properly and might even give you some suggestions on which type of ventilation ducts work best for your set up.
If you haven’t had your dryer vents checked in the past year, you’re overdue for a dryer vent inspection. You don’t want to wait until it’s too late, so have one of our expert ventilation technicians come for a dryer vent inspection today by calling Hale’s Chimney & Fireplace Solutions at 972-562-6851 or by scheduling an appointment online today.