Tuesday, 20 August 2013

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What Everyone Should Know About Dryer Vent Cleaning

By Tara Daniels


When a clothes dryer and its venting system are kept clean, the appliance will function more safely and efficiently. An optimal airflow saves energy and extends the life of the dryer, but it can also prevent fires. Regular dryer vent cleaning is a very important task home owners must be sure to perform as needed.

When airflow from the machine is impaired, it is usually due to a build-up of lint, which is more of a problem in those venting systems that are longer and have several bends in them. This reduces efficiency of the appliance, and uses more power in the process. During a drying cycle, only a portion of the lint is caught by the lint trap, the rest can stick to the inside of the machine and the damp, heated venting system.

Failure to clean dryer vents is a common cause of many fires. It's not sufficient to simply clean the venting system alone, as lint can accumulate inside and around the appliance as well. All of these areas need to be cleaned regularly or they can increase the chances of a fire starting.

A proper cleaning should involve a thorough brushing out of the entire interior of the dryer's venting system and also of the inside of its chassis and all working components including the motor, wiring, blower and other elements. The machine will need to be opened up in order to access these areas and clean them effectively. It is also important to pay attention to the floor underneath the appliance and the wall behind it as well.

This frequency for this lint-removal is determined by several factors such as how many loads of clothes are dried each week, how long the vent system and how many bends it has, type of transmission hose, the type of laundry detergent used, if pets live in the home, and whether the vent seams have been fastened with screws or tape. Most vent systems need to be cleaned every year to three years.

Homes which were constructed within the last thirty years are especially prone to developing a build-up of lint in their dryer vents, because the laundry rooms are often centralized, necessitating the use of a longer venting system which will likely have more bends in them. In older houses, it is usually simpler to clean these systems because they are usually situated closer to the outside and have shorter, straighter, venting shafts.

One mistake many homeowners make is to use transition hoses which are made from tin foil or plastic. These pliable, corrugated are not safe for a number of reasons, they can easily lose their shape, don't expand well, and encourage lint accumulation in their corrugated grooves, all of which impede the airflow leaving the appliance. It's recommended that they be replaced with metal vents with a minimal diameter of 4 inches.

Dryer vent cleaning can either be done by a professional service or using a do-it-yourself kit. Those who have longer venting hoses may want to consider hiring a company since it is more difficult to access the entire system and do a thorough job without special equipment. Whereas those who have straightforward, shorter vent systems can usually handle the task themselves efficiently enough.




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