Fire Safety: Prevent House Fires with Regular Dryer Vent Cleaning

Published 3/24/2023

Protecting your home from external and internal threats is crucial to living a peaceful and hassle-free life. Some people buy security systems and install door and window locks to prevent intruders from penetrating their residential properties. While this is an excellent approach, you must also focus on fire safety.

The reason is that fire safety is as essential as a security system for your home. Although you may think your clothes dryer is harmless, not cleaning and maintaining its vents can lead to a fire hazard and cause substantial damage to your house.

Therefore, you must clean your dryer vent to reduce or mitigate the risk of fires in your home. Today’s article will discuss signs your dryer needs cleaning and how to do the job efficiently. Read on!

Signs Your Dryer Vent Needs Cleaning

Research shows that not maintaining clothes dryers causes more than 15,500 fires every year in the United States. Fire due to clogged dryer vents causes an average of ten deaths and 310 injuries.

Likewise, dryer-related fires cost homeowners $84.4 million in property damage. Therefore, cleaning your dryer vent is critical, but how do you know it needs cleaning or maintenance? Let us discuss the signs to look for and make an informed decision to protect your family and property from an unpleasant situation

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Sign 1: Dryer Takes a Long Time to Dry Clothes

The dryer vent pushes the hot and moist air to streamline the drying process, but if you notice it takes more time than expected, it means lint has clogged the vent. Because the moist air remains in the dryer for an extended period, drying your clothes takes longer.

Remember that moist air in the dryer can cause overheating, leading to significant damages, including wear and tear, malfunctioning electrical and mechanical components, and increased energy consumption.

So this can lead to reduced overall lifespan and high electricity bills. When you notice something like this, you must contact a professional dryer vent cleaning service like Mr. Duct Cleaning to fix the problem.

Sign 2: Burning Smell and Poor Exhaust Venting

There are numerous causes of the burning smell coming from the dryer. These include overheating elements, thermostat failure, lint escaping the exhaust assembly, jammed clothes, malfunctioning heating elements, and power surges. But do you know a clogged vent can also cause a burning smell?

Dryer lint is the primary cause of the burning smell because it is flammable and can cause a fire. So stop the dryer immediately if you smell a burning odor. In addition, the vent not exhausting air appropriately causes the dryer to be hot to the touch, which is another sign that your dryer needs a thorough cleaning.

Remember, this usually happens at the end of a regular cycle. If you notice poor exhaustion, or a burning smell, or the dryer feels hot to the touch, you must call Mr. Duct Cleaning for proper inspection, diagnosis, and repair/maintenance.

Sign 3: The Lint Flap Does Not Open

The lint flap must remain open to maintain proper air circulation and ensure the dryer functions optimally. On the other hand, a closed flap due to accumulated lint can decrease airflow and prevent the dryer from operating efficiently.

You can clean the lint flap as a DIY project. It requires turning off and unplugging the dryer, locating the exterior flap, and removing debris. You can use a vacuum cleaner or brush to clean the lint.

While a DIY approach is good, we recommend hiring a professional dryer vent cleaning service like Mr. Duct Cleaning to do the job without damaging the dryer. Mr. Duct Cleaning has a team of qualified technicians with years of experience who use extensive knowledge and advanced tools to remove lint and keep the flap open, ensuring the dryer functions accurately.

Final Words

Not cleaning your dryer vent can cause problems such as longer drying times, overheating, burning and moldy smell, humidity, increased energy bills, lint accumulation outside the duct, error codes or lint warnings, debris around the vent, and the machine taking multiple cycles to dry clothes.

However, lint built up in the dryer, vent, or exhaust system can increase the risk of fire hazards. Mr. Duct Cleaning is a reputable company with years of experience, offering client-oriented dryer vent cleaning services at affordable prices.

Our team follows a step-by-step approach to clean the dryer vent and ensure its optimal function for a long time. Contact us today for more information!