My relatively new Maytag dryer is taking longer and longer to dry a load of clothes. I strongly suspect a clogged vent, and called a dryer vent cleaner that I found in the yellow pages. The service isn't cheap, but can you really put a price on peace of mind?
FEMA keeps statistics on clothes dryer fires. There are about 15,600 of these fires each year in the US (42.7 every day) with an average loss of $8,900 each.
Most dryer fires can be prevented by cleaning the lint from the duct and the bottom of the dryer.
If you are a "do it yourselfer," at least once a year, pull out the dryer, disconnect the duct, remove as much lint as you can easily from the duct and the duct connector on the back of the dryer, and vacuum out the rest. Do this on the other end of the duct (at the register to the outside) as well. In some dryers, lint accumulates in the bottom of the dryer, too. To remove lint from this space, remove the bottom kick plate, clean it out, then vacuum.
It's a small task that can make a huge difference.
1 comment:
Thank you for this great post about dryer vent safety. As a dryer vent cleaning professional in Connecticut, I don't think that enough people are aware of the risk you're talking about.
Especially poignant is the fact that a new dryer won't necessarily solve the problem. The problem is often with the dryer vent system, not with the dryer (although dryers can be clogged, too).
Having up-to-date dryer vent service should be as important to home buyers as furnace service and other home system concerns.
Keith Brainard
Dryer Ventilator LLC
Mystic, CT
860.324.5213
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