Clean Your Dryer Vent, Improve Your Dryer’s Efficiency and Reduce A Potential Fire Hazard to Your Home
Often times, people forget about the dryer venting system. But did you know that it is paramount to keep it clean in order to keep it the dryer running efficiently and safely. Clean your dryer vent! It will help prevent a potential fire hazard in your home. This article will refresh some of the topics that we spoke about in a previous post related to cleaning your dryer vent: Is It Time To Clean My Dryer Vent, I do not know???
Why should we clean our dryer venting system?
In June, 2020, the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) issued a report on this topic. Below is a summary of the report’s findings:
“Report Highlights-
In 2014-2018, local fire departments responded to an estimated average of 13,820 home structure fires per year in which dryers were involved in the ignition. These fires caused an average of seven civilian deaths, 344 civilian injuries, and $233 million in direct property damage annually.
One-third (32 percent) of dryer fires were caused by a failure to clean. This appears to be mainly lint build-up, as 27 percent of dryer fires started when dust, fiber or lint ignited.
Is your Dryer Vented Properly?
Your clothes dryer, whether gas or electric, should be vented outdoors because of the discharge of carbon monoxide and moisture. Not in the attic! Do you know where yours is vented?
Properly Installed Outside Dryer Vent
Tools for cleaning the vent piping
The basic tools required to clean a 4″ vent pipe: drill, a brush tip, and enough flexible extension attachments to clean the length of your pipe.
- Drill, brush and 5 flexible extensions.
- Brush attached to drill with 1 flex-extension.
- Extending brush’s reach with more flex-extensions
- Additional flex-extensions added as needed.
- Keep on extending depending on your duct length
- Expanded brush reach by approximately 10 feet.
Cleaning the lint at the dryer
Here are the brushes needed to clean the lint filter opening:
Many years ago I had trouble with our dryer. I kept adding dryer time, but the clothes kept coming out damp. I cleaned all the vent pipes, the dryer itself, everything I could think of. So I called Sears. The serviceman noticed that the lint screen was clogged with soap. He asked me if we did a lot of our laundry in cold water, yes, we do I replied. He explained to me that the soap, which was not totally dissolved in the cold water clogged the lint screen in the heated dryer. And, that is why our clothes were coming out damp…FYI Guys!!!!!
What does a poorly installed vent pipe look like?
The vent that comes out of your dryer should be vented to the outside of the house. The vent itself can be bent or constricted as you can see form the images below. Restricted airflow is dangerous.
How about a properly installed venting system???
The best venting material is galvanized metal pipe, galvanized metal elbows held together with screws and aluminum tape.
Vent piping materials:
The market offers various type of venting pipes, but we suggest the galvanized steel because it’s smooth and it won’t catch the lint. The next best is the corrugated aluminum pipe. The vinyl isn’t even allowed anymore by code and the tin foil type is thin and is prone to rip and catches a lot of the lint.
See you all soon and don’t forget…clean your dryer vent!
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