When the cold winter months hit here in Utah, air drying our clothes isn’t an option. Plus, our loads of wash are bigger and bulkier, so our clothes dryers have to work harder. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, most dryer fires occur in fall and winter and peak in January. Now is the time to call Red Rock Clean Air for dryer vent cleaning.
How Does Your Clothes Dryer Produce Lint?
Electricity powers the drum in your clothes dryer to turn and tumble your clothes. Either gas or electricity adds heat into the mix to dry the clothes. The process of adding heat to the damp clothes releases steam. The steam must be able to escape for your clothes to dry, and this is what your dryer vent is for.
But as your clothes tumble and dry, lint is released and gets sucked into the dryer vent. The lint is damp and tends to stick to the walls of your dryer vent, regardless of whether they are PVC or aluminum.
Lint Accumulation Causes Dryer Fires
Your lint screen traps some of this lint. But it doesn’t trap all the lint; some goes into the vent. Dryer lint is so notoriously flammable that it is recommended as a tool to start recreational fires.
The lint in your dryer could ignite at any time, but the danger is much greater if your dryer vent is clogged. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 15,000 dryer fires per year are caused by lint buildup.
When Should You Get Dryer Vent Cleaning?
You should get dryer vent cleaning at least once a year — more often if you use your appliance frequently. How do you know if dryer vent cleaning is an emergency for you?
One sign is that it takes noticeably longer to dry a load of laundry. Another sign is an unusual odor when you are operating your appliance.
A dryer fire will ruin your appliance, but it can also damage to your home and even put your family’s lives in danger.
Dryer Vent Specs
Some dryer vents manufactured today are made of smooth metal or plastic, but many are still of the grooved aluminum variety. That’s because these vents are easier to install. However, they also tend to trap more lint. Here at Red Rock Clean Air, we use special brushes when we clean your dryer vent that get all the lint out of the grooves.
We also clean under, behind and inside your dryer, leaving no traces of lint behind.
Don’t risk a dryer fire in your home this winter. Call the professional team at Red Rock Clean Air today to make an appointment for dryer vent cleaning.