Dryer Vent Cleaning: Check for these Warning Signs
Sometimes with the busy schedule, we just forget the basic requirement of keeping our homes clean and free from danger. Puzzled?
The furniture(which includes both the hard and the soft furniture) is a significant threat if not maintained properly and regularly.
Now let us consider the dryer vent, you probably avoid cleaning the dryer vents on a regular basis, thinking that the vents won’t be a problem to you and your house.
But, let me tell you one thing dryer vents are a major factor for the deteriorated air quality and also, loss of property.
A report stated by FEMA drew an approximation that about 2,900 dryer vent fires in residential areas with five deaths, 100 injuries and dollar 35 million loss in property in the US. Now, this data includes fire by both the gas and the electric dryers.
People who use the DIY method for cleaning the dryer vents with the possible tools and techniques consider that cleaning the dryer vents with the conventional methods clears all the dryer and the risk of fire is reduced.
But, it isn’t so because the professionals are trained in a way that they use the best possible technique and the method to clean the dryer and avoid the risk of life.
The homeowners as not being professional trained might increase the problem and can adversely affect the cleaning.
So when is the perfect time to clean the dryer vents?
When this question arises, it is paramount to consider the frequency of use of the dryer vent.
The more you use, the more regular you will have to be in removing the mess.
But, it is advised by the professionals to clean the dryer and the dryer vents at least twice a year and twice means a deep, thorough cleaning.
If you have a large family and dry up to four or five loads you will probably need to increase the number of cleaning the dryer vent; it is always better to be safe than to be sorry!
Read More: Identify the Benefits of Clean Dryer Vents!
Do the dryer show a warning sign for cleaning?
Yes, it does! Surprised? You might have come across but not considered them to be concerned of! Following is a small list of the signs that would probably help you to get warned before the actual danger:
If the time taken to dry your clothes is longer than the usual, it is a sign. The average load takes approximately 45 minutes to dry the clothes.
If smell something fishy, you need to consider this too as one of the factors.
Lack of ventilation might not allow the free flow of air through the dryer and would mark the presence of musty odor in the room and the machine.
The hood does not open properly as designed or as it should then it is a problem.
The outer part of the vent does not open means the air is blocked due to the lint and debris accumulation.
You just found that the clothes outside your dryer are hot, this is the warning sign to consider because this shows the system is blocked, and now it is only wasting the energy, and the vent is not exhausting properly.
Now, this leads to the heating of elements of the dryer only to cause them to wear out fast!
