We’ve previously written about the reasons dryer vent cleaning is an important job to schedule for your home. Here, near the end of the summer season, we’d like to provide a friendly reminder about taking care of a task that so often slips people’s minds.
Every time you use the clothes dryer in your home, lint from clothing, towels, bedding, etc. becomes lodged inside the exhaust hose that leads from the dryer to the outdoor vent. Take a close look at the lint catcher in the dryer the next time you remove a load of clothes. That same lint buildup will slowly start to accumulate inside the dryer vent hose. Not only will this mean the dryer will become less energy efficient, but it creates a major fire hazard. Lint is extremely flammable, and approximately 15,000 house fires start each year because of lint in dryer vents igniting from the high heat.
But how do I know it’s time for dryer vent cleaning?
A very good question. If you’ve never scheduled this service before, than you definitely need to have it taken care of as soon as possible. There are some other ways to know that you have a clogged dryer vent:
- The outside of the dryer feels hotter than normal when running a load. You shouldn’t have to draw your hand away from the dryer because of how hot the exterior feels; this could mean that too much heat is trapped inside the dryer rather than being exhausted outside.
- It’s taking longer and longer for clothes to dry. Because the vent exhausts moisture from the clothing to the outside, it will become more difficult to dry out a clothing load when that moisture isn’t escaping.
- Your electrical bills are rising for no reason. Although there are other appliances in your home that could be causing this spike in electrical use, a clogged dryer is one you should have looked into.
If it’s time to schedule your dryer vent cleaning in Fresno, CA or the surrounding areas,
call Purl’s Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning.
