How Often Should You Clean a Dryer Vent?

5/9/2018 (Permalink)

How Often Should You Clean a Dryer Vent?

A home clothes dryer that is not regularly cleaned and maintained can cause a fire and result in extensive property damage. Approximately 2,900 clothes dryer fires are reported each year in the United States, and a dryer fire poses a similar risk of severe injuries as any kind of residential fire. The primary cause of home dryer fires is failure to clean lint filters and vent pipes. The best way to prevent a lint fire is to gather and dispose of the lint that collects while drying laundry on a regular basis. Here are a few guidelines on how often to clean dryer filters and vents.

• After every load, you should clean out the lint filter of your dryer.

• A few times a month, you should check the back of the dryer to make sure that lint is not building up.

• Every three months, you should clean lint out of the vent pipe connected to your dryer. Use a snake tool to get lint that has collected further into the pipe than you can reach. Removing excess lint from in and around your dryer is essential for preventing a lint fire.

• Every six months, you should clean the lint filter in your dryer with a nylon brush, or clean the filter more frequently as it becomes clogged.

• Whenever necessary, you should have your dryer cleaned by professionals, particular if the appliance has become less efficient and it takes longer to dry clothes.

Dryer fires are more likely to occur during the fall and winter months, with the month of January seeing the most dryer fires. If you experience a dryer fire, you should call firefighters to make sure that the blaze is extinguished. You may also want to contact a residential damage restoration service Carrollton, TX to repair damage to the area surrounding your laundry machines after a lint fire

For more information, please visit us at http://www.SERVPROcarrolltontx.com/.