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It’s easy to ignore many parts of your home, especially the dryer and dryer vent. In fact, some homeowners may have gone years without having their dryer vent cleaned or inspected. Clogged vents can pose many issues. If you would like to learn more, check out these four benefits of dryer vent cleaning.
Benefits of Dryer Vent Cleaning
1. Reduces Risk of Dryer Fire
Any appliance that is poorly maintained may pose a danger, such as the risk of fire or electrocution. Dryers are notorious for fires. In fact, 2,900 dryer fires occur each year, resulting in an average of 5 deaths. About 34 percent of the time, the cause is neglecting to clean the dryer, including the vent.
You likely clean the lint from the lint trap, but lint traps are far from perfect and small bits of lint can slip past the trap. Eventually, lint builds up in the vent that releases hot air from the dryer to the outside. Some people try to prevent this by installing a wire screen over the wall damper, but this can worsen the problem by trapping more lint to create a clog.
Regardless of the reason, clogged dryer vents can cause heat to build up in the dryer, increasing the risk of a fire. In addition, lint is incredibly flammable, further increasing the risk of the fire hazard, or for the fire to worsen.
2. Boosts the Dryer’s Efficiency
Your dryer uses a lot of energy to get your clothes nice and dry. Therefore, you want it to be as efficient as possible to save energy and prevent higher energy bills. There are many small things you can do to boost your dryer’s efficiency such as keeping the lint trap cleaned. However, one of the best ways to boost your dryer’s efficiency is to get the dryer exhaust vent cleaned.
For most homes, experts recommend having your vent inspected and cleaned at least once a year, but if you live with lots of people or do a lot of laundry, twice a year may be best. During a good cleaning, an expert can check for anything else that may be causing dryer vent clogs, such as animal nests. You can tell your dryer is losing efficiency if it starts to take multiple cycles to dry your clothes.
Naturally, if you keep the dryer vent clean, it takes less time to dry your clothes, which can save you hours on laundry days. Plus, the faster the system dries clothes, the less energy it uses.
3. Lowers the Risk of Moisture
Dryers generate a lot of heat, but they also are exposed to lots of water. A regular load of wet clothing and laundry can produce two to three gallons of water that needs to be expelled via the vent. If you have a clogged vent that is full of lint, there will be a higher risk of moisture build-up inside the vent. In addition, the clog prevents the moisture from escaping, so it heads back to the dryer.
All of this moisture can lead to many problems. In most cases, it will increase the risk of mold or mildew inside the system, which can damage clothes or cause clothing odors. Plus, the mold and mildew spores can get into the air and cause allergies or breathing problems.
Keeping your vent clean may be the only solution but ask your technician about the length of your vent too. Vents that are too long or have lots of bends are at a higher risk of developing issues like clogs and moisture.
4. Fewer Repairs and Increased Lifespan
Dirty dryer vents cause dryers to work harder to properly perform their job, leading to premature wear and tear and eventually a higher risk of breakdowns. This ultimately leads to costly repairs or even dryer replacement.
A typical dryer lasts about 10 to 12 years. Having the dryer vent professionally cleaned on a regular basis will keep your dryer operating more efficiently, delay having to buy a new unit and save on expensive repairs costs.
Contact Edelman for Professional Dryer Vent Cleaning Services
Even if you clean your lint trap before every load, you may have lint buildup in the dryer vent, which can increase the risk of fire, reduce efficiency, and worsen allergens. If you would like to schedule an appointment or learn more about dryer vent cleaning, contact us at Edelman today.