Far too many people fail to have their dryer vent cleaned at least annually because they don’t understand the dangers associated with not doing so. Each load of laundry that passes through your washing machine and makes its way to your clothes dryer contains lint—mostly small particles of cloth and fiber that are loosened from clothing by the action of agitating water.
As you know from cleaning out your lint filter, dryers produce very large quantities of lint. Most people assume their lint traps catch all the lint, however, a significant amount of this lint is not caught by the lint trap and builds up inside the dryer-even on the heating element and in other places inside the dryer, causing it to overheat and possibly catch fire.
There are several warning signs that dangerous lint build-up has occurred in your dryer and venting system, indicating that it needs a thorough cleaning:
REDUCE FIRE HAZARD
The longer operating hours lead to the heating of the dryer which is known to cause fires. Regular dryer vent cleaning can improve the efficiency of your dryer and reduce the risk of a fire in your home.
SAVING ENERGY
With a clogged dryer vent, the dryer is unable to perform efficiently and ends up taking longer periods to properly dry clothes, and other textiles. Apart from the extra time lost, this also leads to consumption of more electricity due to the longer operating periods. This raises the your utility bills. Cloths that stay in a dryer longer also wear out faster. You might be able to spend less on energy and clothing with a clean dryer vent.
PREVENTING PROBLEMS
Cleaning your dryer vent regularly keeps your dryer from having to run as long and extends its life. Removing lint also prevents buildup in your dryer’s moving parts and prevents breakdowns. Many people don’t realize that they should have their dryer vent cleaned and instead replace their dryer when it starts to take a long time to dry clothes. This is a waste of money since the new dryer will still be connected to a clogged vent.