The Importance of Cleaning Dryer Vents

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 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 fires cause $97 million in damages and lost property every year. Having your dryer vent cleaned is very good preventive maintenance. It will prevent a dryer vent fire and also help your dryer work more effectively.

Dryer vent cleaning is essential to 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% gets into your dryer vent pipe. This lint accumulates over time, which results in restricted air flow. The restricted airflow may cause lint to accumulate faster, and the restricted airflow may cause overheating, which increases the risk of a dryer vent fire. The fine nature of dryer lint is highly 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.

If you have any questions or would like to talk with us about cleaning your air handling system, then call

(888) 316-0233.