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Dryer Vent Cleaning and Fire Risk
A critical form of home maintenance that most homeowners overlook is professional dryer vent cleaning. Not only will proper dryer vent cleaning ensure that your dryer is using energy as efficiently as possibly during each dry cycle, eliminating excess dryer lint and checking that your dryer venting is in good working condition also decreases your household fire risk.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, in 2010, an estimated 16,800 reported fires were caused by washers and dryers. They recommend that all homeowners have their dryer vent professionally cleaned at least once a year to decrease this fire risk.
Clean Air Solutions of NC offers discounted dryer vent cleanings as part of our heating and air conditioning preventative maintenance packages, or you can schedule dryer vent cleaning as a separate appointment.
In addition to cleaning your dryer vent, each appointment also includes a run-test of your dryer to ensure it is operating properly and an inspection of your dryer flex and the rigid dryer piping. Dryer flex is the coiled, silver flex that connects your clothes dryer to the wall. Correctly installed dryer vent piping is rigid pipe that extends from the dryer's location to the exterior of your home and ends in an exhaust hood, sometimes called a dryer vent cap or cover.
When to Schedule a Dryer Vent Cleaning
You may also want to consider scheduling a dryer vent cleaning appointment if you notice any of the following issues:
- Your clothes are not fully dried after a normal drying cycle
- Following a dry cycle, you notice a stale or musty odor in your laundry room
- The dryer vent hood (sometimes called a dryer vent cap) is not opening properly while the dryer is operating
- The dryer vent hood/vent cap has visible debris protruding from inside the cover
- Anytime you notice a burning smell coming from your dryer
- Dryer lint begins collecting inside your laundry room
- Far more humidity than you normally notice accumulates inside your laundry room during or immediately after a dry cycle
If an inspection uncovers a problem with the condition or installation of your dryer vent piping, flex, or exhaust hoods, we offer flat-rate repair services to correct the issue. Small issues can often be resolved within the dryer vent cleaning appointment, but if you need an additional appointment for the repair, we do not assess an additional trip charge.
Common residential dryer vent related repairs include:
- Reconnection of rigid dryer piping that has become disconnected inside the crawlspace or attic
- Replacement of a damaged dryer flex with a new length of flex piping
- Installation of rigid dryer vent piping to replace dryer flex that has been incorrectly installed in its place
- Replacement of exterior dryer vent hoods, sometimes called dryer vent caps, covers, or dryer exhaust hoods
- Extension of existing dryer piping, in situations where it falls short of exhausting outside
