Dryer Vent Cleaning and Fire Prevention in Chicago, Illinios

Dryer Vent Cleaning: Fire Prevention Tips to be Aware of

Have you ever given any thought as to the service your clothes dryer is providing? Imagine the heat required to dry your clothes. Imagine the heat produced by a fire! Clothes dryers are often placed in confined spaces where fires can build and spread quickly.

Also confined is the lint that builds up in the dryer vent system, no matter how efficiently is it working. Your dryer vent system takes heat, moisture and lint from the clothes dryer to the vent outside, but some of the moist lint will stick to the sides of the dryer ducts, where it forms a paste and dries. As more lint sticks to this dried paste, the system becomes clogged, reducing air flow and eventually igniting. A dryer fire can be most devastating as it burns very hot and spreads quickly.

So, your dryer vent system is clean and free of lint clogs, but the dryer is still taking too long to dry a load of laundry. Clothes feel very hot when you remove them from the dryer. What can be the problem? Something you may not have thought of.

A few days after dryer vent cleaning service was performed, it snowed…a lot! Snow has drifted against the outside of your home and blocked the dryer vent! Unaware of the problem, you continue using the dryer; as heat tries to escape, it melts the snow a little, then as it freezes, your vent is frozen shut, making it even more difficult for heat to escape.

Freak accidents cannot be anticipated; that is why they are called freak accidents! Always check the vent outside to be sure it is not obstructed. Dryer vents should be a few feet off the ground, but drifting snow can block them. When your dryer is running, look outside to be sure you see steam coming out of your dryer vent and that it is opening while the dryer is running and closing when the dryer stops.

Another cause of a clogged vent could be small animals, or birds that are attracted to the warm area. They crawl inside and build a nest. Check your outside vent often to be sure it is functioning properly and not letting unwelcome critters into your home.

Appliance maintenance not only keeps appliances in working order to avoid wear and tear and repair bills, it also helps in keeping appliances running efficiently to reduce energy costs and safely to prevent a fire. Professional dryer vent cleaning is recommended at least once a year, to be sure your dryer vent system is properly maintained and that it meets current safety standards.

Mory Matias is the owner of Dryer Vent Wizard in Chicago, Illinois. Dryer vents are Mory’s specialty; he is an expert who inspects, cleans, repairs and installs dryer vent systems while educating consumers on dryer fire prevention and energy savings. Visit http://www.dryerventwizard.com/ for more information.

Dryer Vent Wizard cleans dryer vents in North Side Chicago and North Shore Suburbs, Cook and Lake Counties, Evanston, Wilmette, Glenview, Deerfield, Gurnee, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Mundelein, Vernon Hills, Lincolnshire and neighboring cities and communities.