How Important Is It?
Many homeowners in Oswego, Yorkville, Naperville, Aurora and Plainfield (IL) recognize that substances can build up in their HVAC ducts, resulting in problems such as poor indoor-air quality and weakened system performance. This can become notably troublesome for people with asthma and other allergies affected by air quality.
The NATE-certified technicians at Air Dynamics often enhance HVAC safety, function and air quality through our professional air-duct cleaning. What we discover while working in the field is that some people may not be aware that having clean dryer vents is just as important as having clean air ducts.
The Risks and Costs of Clogged Dryer Vents
Most homes and many apartments in Oswego, Yorkville, Naperville, Aurora and Plainfield include a clothes dryer. Dryers typically serve us well for long periods, so it’s easy to overlook they need routine maintenance just like any other appliance.
Because dryers heat to high temperatures, they pose a particular threat to fire safety. According to a March 2017 report by the National Fire Protection Association, U.S. fire departments responded to almost 16,000 home fires involving dryers and washing machines each year from 2010 to 2014; dryers accounted for 92% of them. Annually, these fires caused 13 deaths, 440 injuries and $238 million in direct property damage.
The leading factor in home fires involving dryers was that they were not cleaned. Fire ignition usually started with something being dried or a byproduct of drying, especially lint, a highly combustible material.
In the past, many clothes dryers were located in basements. Dryers in today’s homes are often placed away from an outside wall in bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and hall closets. These locations usually require longer vent distances with sharp turns and bends to suit the home’s structure, giving lint greater opportunities to get stuck and gather. The dryer’s lint trap does not capture all the lint from a drying cycle, so moist air from the wet or damp clothes exits through the vent hose and carries lint particles with it.
Beyond being a safety hazard, clogged vents also can:
- use more energy and raise your utility bill by making the dryer run longer and work harder
- attract mold to moist material stuck in the vent and spread it into the home
- prevent carbon monoxide from escaping if the dryer is gas operated; the obstructions force it to seep back into the indoor air
Many homeowners have spotted a bird nest in their dryer vent at some point as well. If birds have made a nest in your dryer vent, this can create problems similar to those caused by lint.
How Often Do You Need to Clean Your Dryer Vent?
The costs and casualties of clogged dryer vents can be avoided with routine dryer vent cleaning. For optimal personal safety and system performance, we recommend dryer vent cleaning at least twice a year. If your household uses the dryer either daily or almost daily, consider scheduling dryer vent cleaning three or four times a year.
Contact Us Today
Call us at (630) 731-1550 to further discuss our dryer vent cleaning for you in Oswego, Yorkville, Naperville, Aurora or Plainfield. Your safety and air quality matter to us, so we’ll be ready to consult you and answer your questions, including about the average cost of a dryer vent cleaning and the cost to remove birds from a vent.
