Posts Tagged fire

A clothing dryer is obtained in almost every residence, in the United States. This can be a very important home appliance where every single American family makes use of this. It’s a very reliable home appliance as long as it’s put into use accordingly. Appropriate dryer vent cleaning and lint removal have become important things to do in your clothing dryer to avoid injuries and also troubles.

There are lots of fire cases currently being documented in United States of America each year due to home dryers. The number is actually amazingly rising and thus specialists have quite a few suggestions and tips about how to help keep your residence fire free and even not liable to be harmed. In this article, are a few useful tips:
1. Clean the lint screen – It is suggested to completely clean the lint screen before and after just about every wash. This is in order to avoid lint build up that can result in house fire.
2. Thoroughly clean the clothes dryer vent – The lint is accumulating within the vent and even duct with just about every wash. Without normal clothes dryer vent cleaning, it can lead to overheat which can lead to fire.
3. Change the duct with the help of corrugated metallic ducting – Some sort of a metallic duct can be much safer to use compared to plastic, so it is practical to change your dryer vent along with the best suited substance.
4. Clean at the rear of the clothes dryer – The lint still accumulates at the rear of the clothes dryer, so it will be advised to check it.

You can find out it’s already time to carry out clothes dryer vent maintenance in the event the following circumstances are recognized:
1. There’s a extended period in drying the clothes.
2. Clothes are however not completely dry even though the drying period is already completed.
3. The vent flapper outside does not seem to be opening up completely.
4. A burning smell is clear in the laundry washing room or even inside the whole house.
5. The washing rooms get more damp compared to the usual temperatures.
6. The exterior element of the clothes dryer happens to be very hot.

Previously discussed are some of the more common signs that you really need a clothes dryer vent cleaning. It’s encouraged not to wait for these types of circumstances to happen. Usual vent cleaning continues to be practical and secure. The following would be the basic steps about how to own the best clothes dryer vent cleaning:
1. Detach the dryer and also pull it out to extend in about 2 feet.
2. By using a screwdriver, release the vent clam observed at the back of the dryer.
3. Remove the vent from this dryer. Grab all the lint build-up. Carry out the same with the vent tubes.
4. Look at the ends given that it’s the place that the lint accumulates. Look for something long that may be used to have a longer reach.
5. Put every little thing back to their proper position. Now, proceed to the vent situated at the outside the house.
6. Reach inside to remove lint build up. Get a vacuum cleaner tube to utilize to get a longer reach.
7. The moment things are nice and clean, plug the machine back again.
8. Run the clothes dryer on air fluff for about 10 minutes. Double check everything and reattach the external vent.

Dryer vent cleaning is just an easy task, yet still in most cases being ignored by many people. It is a fact that American people are always busy. Ultimately, they tend to forget to do the very small activities which are actually necessary and can place their lives at an increased risk.

Do you think cleaning lint from your dryer means cleaning the lint trap? That’s what most people think. The dryer vents in your dryer and your home also accumulate lint. Lint inside dryer vents can be a fire hazard and can reduce a dryer’s efficiency. Annual cleaning and/or inspection of these vents is recommended. Disconnecting the dryer hose from the dryer is necessary to get to the dryer vents for cleaning and inspection. A professional dryer duct cleaner is commonly needed for this.  A professional may be needed if you cannot reach all of the dryer vents.

Regularly cleaning or at least inspection is recommended however there are some indications that your vents need to be cleaned. If you are unsure you should consult a professional dryer vent cleaner.

Ways to tell your dryer vents need to be cleaned:

• Your clothes begin taking more time than normal to dry
• Your clothes are hotter than usual at the end of a drying cycle
• The flapper on your exterior dryer vent doesn’t open when the dryer is on

It is important to keep your dryer vents clean for various reasons. Lint is quite flammable, particularly if the clothes have been soiled with flammable materials such as gas, motor oil, cooking oil, wood stains, etc. Heat can accumulate in dryer vents if the airflow is restricted which can cause lint to ignite. Lint build up in dryer vents restricts air flow resulting in your dryer to be less efficient. The tumbling action of dryers is hard on clothes so when your dryer runs longer to dry your clothes they are subjected to extra wear and tear.

There are steps you can take to minimize the chance that your dryer ducts become restricted by lint.

• Rigid metal duct work is less prone to lint accumulation so replace plastic or foil duct work with rigid or semi rigid metal duct work.
• Clean or replace the flexible tube between the wall and your dyer regularly
• Always use a lint trap
• Clean the lint trap before every load of laundry.
• Wash your lint trap occasionally with soap and water to remove fabric softener
• The flap on the outside dryer vent should open and shut freely

General dryer maintenance:

• Have your dryer inspected regularly. The gas line and all connections for gas dryers should be checked for leaks
• Make sure your dryer is properly grounded
• Do not over fill your dryer
• Combustible chemicals should not be store near your dryer
• Do not store flammable items such as boxes or clothing near your dryer
• Operate your dryer only when you are home
• Dryer ducts should be at least 4 inches in diameter

Dryer vent cleaning is obviously an essential part of home maintenance and fire safety prevention. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends cleaning dryer vents at least once a year, removing the link that accumulates in the dryer vent pipe. This is because the leading cause of dryer related fires is failure to clean them properly.  An unclean dryer vent pipe filled with lint is a serious fire hazard.  And manual cleaning of lint catcher is not enough.

Did you know that the lint screen in dryer, even when it is cleaned, only catches about 75% of the lint produced inside the dryer? That means 25% of the lint is working its way into the dryer vent pipe, where it can accumulate over time, causing a serious fire risk by restricting airflow and causing overheating that prevents fast drying action and drastically increases the risk of a fire. The dryer vent fills with lint that sneaks by the dryer’s filter. Lint can block the flow of air, cause excessive heat build-up, and result in a fire. Dryer lint is extremely flammable and has the potential to ignite at any time, making the dryer vent a fire hazard that cannot afford to ignore.

The benefits of dryer vent cleaning are the following:

Eliminates fire hazard

Reduces drying time

Saves you money on utility bills

Decreases wear and tear on your dryer

Here are some equipment to be used for dryer vent cleaning:

Steel coil rod with Nylon bristles and a soft tip – Traverse a refrigerator bottom in one swipe. Great for those deep dryer lint chutes. Convenient handle with strap loop for easy storage.

Lint trap brush – Reach way down into the deepest, darkest dryer parts.

Spiral cut Double-wide brush – Designed specifically for lint traps in the door.

Rotating brush with flexible rods – Scours the entire vent wall surface, while traversing the multiple turns that are common in most vent systems. It includes adapters to allow you use the air from your dryer, or a shop vacuum/ blower to completely remove the lint from the vent while rotary brushing. It is basically used for those with vertical-running vents or multi-story applications.

Semi-rigid metal vent – Adaptable to every installation for duct will expand to a distance of 8 feet. It includes specially crimped ends to adapt to every 4″ dryer outlet and wall outlet. Includes 2 steel clamps. Duct can be trimmed with ordinary kitchen shears for a custom fit. Improves drying times and reduces overheating of dryer.

Most vents need cleaning every two to three years. Very short vents attached to full size dryers may never need cleaning.  It’s just because the better a dryer vent blows, the less lint builds up in it. Short vents blow better than long ones. Full size dryers blow better than smaller stack dryers or older dryers. Vents with a lot of turns and elbows blow worse and build up more lint.

The following is lifted from KSL.com:

“Firefighters think a dryer is to blame for a fire that damaged a home in West Jordan Monday. It happened near 5600 West and 7000 South.

A woman says she started the dryer and went on a morning walk. When she returned, the house was filled with smoke.

Fire crews quickly put out the flames and contained them to the laundry room. They estimate the fire caused $5,000 in damage.

Investigators think dryer lint built up in the dryer and ignited from the heat, starting the fire.”

The moral of this story is to never leave your dryer going unattended. But, above all else of course, have your dryer vents cleaned. Vents lined with lint are considered a fire hazard, as the poor woman in West Jordan quickly found out the hard way yesterday.

Call us at 1-877-233-2077 and prevent this from happening to your home.