A clothes dryer is an important appliance in our homes as it makes the whole laundry process much more simple and less time-consuming. However, we appreciate this appliance, but we do not give it the services and maintenance it deserves. According to the United States Fire Department, 80% of the 15,000 fires that occur annually are directly or indirectly caused by a clogged dryer vent. It is important that you repair dryer vent annually to lower the chances of fire build-ups. To avoid these fires which lead to death and destruction of properties, it is essential that you equip yourself with some dryer vent maintenance and repair tips.
• Remove Lint Regularly
There are small fabric materials that break from our clothes due to friction when we are sitting or wearing our clothes. These materials tend to remain on the dryer when we use the machine. It is recommended that you remove these pieces of garments from your dryer vent as they are known to cause serious problems when they accumulate. You can easily remove these natural fabrics by use of a small brush.
• Check the Dryer Vent Termination Hood or “Cap”
This is where your dryer vent ends–allowing the air, heat, moisture and lint from your clothes dryer to exhaust to the outside of your home or building. Therefore, you should ensure that it has a free flow of air without any restrictions which will ensure that it performs at optimum levels. Even if your dryer vent is squeaky clean, if the termination hood, vent or cap isn’t designed for dryer vents or is blocked it can cause all sorts of problems for your dryer and become a potential fire hazard. Per building code, the dryer’s exhaust duct termination must be equipped with a backdraft damper (a flap the closes when the dryer isn’t running and opens when it is) and it can not have any type of screen or “guard” covering it!
• Consider Drying Time
Some dryer machines that have a clogged venting system tend to take too long to dry the clothes. Lint is known to clog the venting system, and you should ensure that you clean all the lint out after every cycle of loading. Lint alert also helps you to find out whether there is any blockage of your vent system. Cleaning to unblock the vent system is essential as it prevents the buildup of carbon monoxide in your house.
• Clean Interiors of Your Dryer
Although you can be perfect at removing lint from your lint filter or lint screen every time you use your dryer, you should consider cleaning the interior parts of the dryer as well. If your dryer vent was installed improperly Lint can build up inside the actual dryer as well. This can easily be done using a vacuum cleaner. This should be done when dryer vent maintenance is being done because the system is usually disassembled.
• Replace Dryer Lint Filters
Filters do most of the work, and they are likely to be damaged now and then. Therefore, dryer vent repair should be done regularly so that you can replace the worn-out filters while at the same time replacing other broken or ineffective parts. Dryer vent repair should be carried out regularly, especially when you have a feeling that your machine is not performing to its expected levels.
• Don’t Leave Your Dryer in Use
Many people tend to leave their dryer machine in use as they walk out of the house to a distance place. This is not recommended as anything can happen and you are not close enough to troubleshoot the problem.
In case you need repair and maintenance assistance for your dryer, Superior Dryer Vent Cleaning offers services like cleaning, repairing, replacing and rerouting dryer vents across North Texas. Call Superior Dryer Vent Cleaning today or schedule an inspection online for professional dryer vent cleaning!