Trapped Lint!

8/14/2020 (Permalink)

It is well known that a vital part of drying clothing is cleaning out the lint trap. However, cleaning it from the lint trap is not the only area the dryer needs to be cleaned to prevent dryer fires. Though you are reducing the risk of a fire, the lint trap only catches about 25% of the lint. The remaining 75% goes into the dryer vent and sticks to the crevices of the dryer hose. The U.S. Fire Administration (part of FEMA) cites that there are 2,900 dryer fires every year, resulting in an estimated five deaths, 100 injuries, and $35 million in property loss. The leading cause has been the failure to clean the lint out of a dryer thoroughly. To ensure your dryer ventilation system remains safe and efficient, you need to know the hose’s length and whether there are any curves in the hose. You will also want to make sure that you are not using a foil or plastic hose. 

You want to know the length of the hose because the shorter the hose, the better. There are town requirements for dryer hose length. You also have to acknowledge that every bend in the dryer hose practically adds two and a half more feet or more to the hose length. Plastic and foil hoses sag and catch much more lint making it more difficult to clean. Using metal dryer ducts is a safer and more efficient material. It is also important to clean the duct regularly and clean the lint screen with every laundry load. It would be best if you also wiped inside, behind, and underneath the dryer because lint also builds up there. 

Warning signs that your dryer vent needs to be cleaned include:

• Drying times are taking longer.
• Your dryer is getting hot when you’re using it, and your clothes are being damaged.
• You can’t see any steam or hear any noise outside your house at the wall vent when you run the dryer.