Is an appliance you use every day a major fire hazard?
“dryer venting fires cause an estimated 5 deaths, 100 injuries, and $35 million in property loss. Failure to clean the dryer (34 percent) is the leading ca use of home clothes dryer fires.”- FEMA.GOV
The U.S. Fire Administration reports that every year more than 2,900 fires in the home are started by clothing dryers and the leading cause of these fires is a build up of lint in the dryer and in the household venting.
If you think that the removable lint filter in your dryer catches all this, think again. The problem is that not all of the lint is caught by the removable lint filter, but the lint that passes beyond the filter and is trapped in crevices deep inside the lint filter trap and all along the dryer vent hose or duct as it makes its way to the outside vent opening.
The most dangerous portion of your dryer venting is inside your wall framing!
Warning Signs:
- Clothes take longer to dry or don’t fully dry
- Clothes are hotter then normal at the end of drying cycle
- Outside of dryer gets hot
- Outdoor dryer vent louvers do not open fully indicating low air velocity
- Burning smell
How to prevent venting fires:
- Dryer venting should be cleaned at least once a year under normal use
- Some portions of the dryer vent can be accessed by the homeowner and can be easily cleaned
- the venting in the wall structure, and through the attic must be cleaned professionally!
Professional vent cleaning:
- Using a professional vent cleaning system the entire system is scrubbed and vacuumed at point of contact
- damaged venting is replaced
- outside/roof vent cap is removed and cleaned
- following the cleaning the system is tested using a vane anemometer to verify correct airflow
- The dryer is disassembled and entirely vacuumed