It’s a pretty satisfying thing to clear out your dryer’s lint trap of all that fluffy build up from your laundry. Most people clear it out after every now and again, but best practice is to clean a lint trap before each use. Keeping your lint trap clean is only step one to in your dryer. To keep your appliance in tip-top condition, and more import

antly, your home safe from a dryer fire, you’ll need to take care of your entire dryer vent system.

Keeping your dryer vent clean is important for a number of reasons which include energy savings and safety. The purpose of your dryer vent is to exhaust out hot, moist air so that your clothes can dry. A clogged dryer vent does not allow the heat and moist air to exhaust, which causes the dryer to become extremely hot to touch. With the heat building up, and with lint building up and being extremely flammable, that’s how dryer fires start. The heat has nowhere to go, nowhere to escape. With the moisture, it causes your clothes to not dry in one cycle.

Lint is very flammable, and when it builds up in your dryer’s exhaust vent, lint trap, and drum casing, it can actually ignite. In the U.S., 2,900 dryer fires are reported each year and cause an estimated 5 deaths, 100 injuries, and $35 million in property loss. This statistic can be avoided in most cases with regular dryer maintenance and professional intervention.

The tell-tale signs that it’s time to clean your dryer vents:

• It takes longer to dry clothes. If you have to run an average load of clothes more than once through a dry cycle, it might be time to check out your ventilation. When you have clear dryer vents, doing your laundry becomes much easier on your clothes, dryer, and energy bill.
• Clothing is hot to the touch. Few things are as comforting as clothes or blankets fresh out of the dryer. But if you’re noticing your dryer is leaving behind hot clothing, heat might not be exhausting through the vent properly.
• You smell something burning. It’s the final straw, and it should be taken very seriously. If you smell burning, stop the use of your dryer immediately and completely clear out your dryer vents.

Dryer fires can be prevented by you with regular lint trap clearing and maintaining your ventilation. If you are unsure about how clear your dryer vents are, or think you are at risk of a dryer vent fire, you can get the assistance you need from Air Duct Maintenance, Inc. professional team at 724-444-4550.