Don’t put it down to old age if your clothes dryer has been acting up and just isn’t doing it’s job anymore. It may be attempting to communicate with you, for example, “Clean my vents… now!”
Dryer vent cleaning can seem to be a tedious chore, or even one you’ve never really thought about, but if you haven’t done it in a long time (over a year), you should put it on your to-do list right away.
Here’s why and when you should clean your dryer vents, as well as a list of warning signs that your dryer vents need a professional cleaning.
Why Do You Need to Clean Your Dryer Vents?
It’s one of those item on the honey-do list that’s sometimes overlooked, but it’s critical to your family’s safety, not just the efficiency of your dryer on laundry day.
The National Fire Protection Agency estimates that clothes dryers and washing machines caused 16,800 house fires in the United States in 2020. That’s 4.5 percent of all house fires, which is a staggering number. And one, sadly, that could be a lot lower if people maintained their laundry gadgets properly.
Lint is extremely flammable, so it creates a significant fire threat as it collects in your dryer vents. In addition, exhaust fumes become backed up when air flow is blocked, providing the ideal atmosphere for a fire to start… or for poisonous carbon monoxide to be released into your home.
In addition to the risk of fire, clogged dryer vents can cause:
- Higher bills: Your energy cost will be higher as a result of dirty dryer vents, since dryers with excess lint can use up to 30 percent more energy
- Reduced life of your dryer: Because you’ll have to run it more often to get your clothes absolutely dry you’ll shorten your machine’s useful life.
- Unwanted guests: If you allow them to get blocked up you will be inviting pests like mice to make their homes in your vents, as once vents are blocked your duct hood flap may not close properly, thus providing an entrance to pests seeking warmth during the winter.
When Do You Need to Clean Your Dryer Vents?
Are you scared yet? Then you know how important it is to get your dryer vents cleaned on a regular basis.
We mean once a year when we say “regularly.” You should certainly have your dryer vents cleaned at least once a year, and more often if you use your dryer frequently. For example, a family with two or three children may want their dryer vents cleaned twice or three times a year.
The majority of experts advise getting your vents professionally cleaned. There are do-it-yourself solutions, but unless you’re a qualified expert, you’re unlikely to get rid of all the lint; worse, you could compact some of it, making the issue worse. Modern professional dryer cleaning is quick and efficient, and is also far more affordable than many people think.
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