All households need access to a reliable washer and dryer. Without these appliances, it would be downright impossible to keep your clothing neat and tidy. While some will prefer a visit to the laundromat, this can actually be more expensive than purchasing a washer and dryer. Just remember that your dryer is equipped with a dryer vent. This component can easily transform into an enormous risk and could result in your house going up in flames. A clogged dryer vent will be unable to extract the hot air and this can lead to a big problem.
Below, you will learn the importance of having a clean dryer vent pipe. You’ll also discover why it is pertinent to use the dryer vent cleaning services provided by Pure Airways.
Table of Contents
What Is The Dryer Vent?
Whether or not you know it, your home’s dryer is equipped with a vent. The vent is generally hidden behind the dryer, but there should be one in place. Not having a dryer vent is just as dangerous as having a clogged dryer vent. It is the dryer vent’s job to transport the exhaust from the dryer to a safe location outside of your home. Therefore, the vent will extend from your dryer to an outside exit. Generally, the vent will exit from the side of an exterior wall.
Maintaining a clean dryer duct is pertinent for safety reasons, as well as to protect your appliance. Our professional dryer vent cleaner will be able clean the duct from the start to the exit point to ensure it is totally spotless.
Some Statistics
Many people are simply unaware of the risks associated with a dirty dryer vent. This is truly a major problem. Each and every year, thousands of homeowners experience a fire, which is directly linked to their dryer vent. The United States Fire Administration suggests that dryers cause approximately 15,600 structure fires each year. An estimated eighty percent of those fires are caused by the dryer vent. Even worse is the fact that these fires result in 15 deaths and 400 injuries. If you’re not careful, your home could be next.
By having your vent cleaned on a regular basis, you will be able to avoid become a statistic. Even if the vent has not become clogged, you should still have your vent cleaned regularly. This will help to diminish the risks while ensuring the problem does not escalate and spiral out of control. Annual cleanings should be sufficient for the majority of consumers. However, some homeowners may feel more comfortable for more frequent cleanings.
How It Works
Now, you should familiarize yourself the basic functionality of the dryer vent. Each and every time you utilize your dryer, the appliance will collect a large amount of dirt, debris and fuzz. Anything on your clothing will accumulate inside of the dryer and then this debris will sometimes be pushed through the dryer vent. Over a period of time, the amount of debris inside of the vent will become problematic to the point that you’ll find yourself dealing with a clogged dryer vent.
When this happens, you will need to invest in a dryer duct cleaning service. Due to the location and length of the dryer vent, cleaning dryer vent will be much more difficult than you might imagine. This is why it is generally best to hire a professional for the task.
Cleaning Dryer Vent On Your Own
In order to clean dryer duct, you will need to make a choice. It is possible to clean dryer vent pipe on your own, but this process will be very difficult, time-consuming and messy. First and foremost, you’ll need to pull your dryer away from the wall, in order to expose the vent. Then, you’ll need to disconnect the flex duct from the dryer. Finally, you’ll need to take steps to clean the vent and extract the dirt and debris. The truth of the matter is that dryer duct cleaning is very difficult. While you might be able to get the job done on your own, it is generally best to hire a professional.
Pure Airways offers cost-effective dryer vent cleaning to all consumers. A professional will be able to clean dryer duct to perfection and eliminate the risk for a house fire.
How Often Is Dryer Vent Cleaning Required?
If you have not had your vent cleaned in many months or years, you will want to do so immediately. Cleaning dryer vent is absolutely essential and is something that cannot be neglected. Ignoring your dryer vent for many years will greatly increase the risks involved. If things go wrong, the dryer vent could cause a house fire and you could essential lose all of your valuable assets, due to your negligence. With this in mind, it is pertinent to have your dryer vent cleaned at least once or twice a year.
If you’ve noticed that your dryer isn’t worked efficiently, it is highly likely that the vent has become clogged. When this happens, you will want to contact a professional immediately! Do not let this problem linger, as it could worsen and you could wake up to a nightmare.
Signs Of A Dirty Dryer Vent
As you already know, a dirty dryer vent can be extremely dangerous. Once the vent becomes so filled up with fuzz, it will push the content back up into the dryer. If the fuzz comes into content with the onboard heater, which gets extremely hot, it could cause a fire. The fire could get out of control before the homeowner even realizes there is a fire. Instead of taking these risks, you should consider dryer vent cleaning services, along with learning the signs of a dirty dryer vent.
The signs of a dirty dryer vent include:
- After a full drying cycle, the clothes will still be damp
- The clothes will take longer and longer to completely dry
- When you open the dryer door, the clothes will be damp, with a musty or moldy odor
- Clothes may be extremely hot to touch
- The laundry room or dryer will be excessively hot
While all of these signs may not appear simultaneously, it is crucial to be on the lookout for all of them. You may notice that the clothes are not dry after a full drying cycle, but nothing else. All of the above signs point to a dirty dryer vent that may be impacted with loads of lint.
Dryer Vent Inspection
Once the homeowner becomes suspicious about their dryer vent, they should immediately contact our professional dryer vent cleaner. You will be scheduled for an in-home estimate, which will take place at your earliest convenience. On this date, the technician will inspect the dryer vent. The dryer will need to be moved out from the wall and the dryer vent disconnected to be able to complete the inspection. The dryer vent cleaning can be completed on the day of the in-home estimate or scheduled for a later date.
It is important to note that about 95 to 98 percent of the dryer vent cannot be seen. A lint trap is capable of trapping only about 50 to 60 percent of the lint, while the remainder is allowed to pass through the dryer vent system to the outside. A clogged dryer vent is a safety hazard and the longer the problem is allowed to continue, the higher the risk.
Decreases Dryer Energy Efficiency
A clogged dryer vent will cause the dryer’s onboard motor to work harder. It will also call for longer drying times, which decreases the unit’s energy efficiency rating. According to a recent study, a full drying cycle can increase your electric bill by about $0.80. So, when the dryer is forced to undergo another drying cycle, $0.80 will be tacked on your bill. Over time, your energy bill will skyrocket and the only solution is dryer duct cleaning. Once the process is completed, the clean dryer vent pipe will allow the air to flow freely, so the dryer will begin operating efficiently again.
To keep the dryer operating efficiently and your electric bill to a minimum, you will need to hire our technicians to maintain the system. The dryer vent cleaner will clean out the entire vent, utilizing small rotary brushes, flex rod and a vacuum. The flex rod will be pushed through the vent, followed by the rotary brushes to break the lint loose from the interior walls of the vent.
Decreases Chore Time
Daily chores can take up have of your day, leaving you little time to enjoy the better things in life. With this said, if it is taking longer and longer for your clothes to dry, your chore time will be extended drastically. You will be forced to reset the dryer, so the clothes will have to go through another full drying cycle. You may even find yourself waiting around for the timer buzzer. This is wasted time that could be spent on exploring the outdoors, shopping or playing with your children. To keep your chore time to a minimum, you will need to maintain the dryer properly. The maintenance process will include vent cleaning, which can be completed in just a few hours.