Dryer vents are an absolutely important part of the clothes dryer. When heated air runs through the wet clothes that tumble around in a rotating drum, the evaporated moisture that results from this process has to go somewhere, right?
Well, that’s essentially what the vents are for. They send the moist air out of the dryer – right outside the house through a flexible tube.
However, it’s not the air we’re concerned with here, but the lint and other small debris that may pass through and get stuck in the vent. They are the reason dryer vents have to be cleaned.
Dryer Vent Cleaning For Efficiency and Energy Costs
To be more specific, dryer vent cleaning is really a matter of efficiency. Yup, you heard that right – cleaning your appliances makes them work better.
Let’s picture a scenario we can all relate to. It’s a source of frustration for clothes dryer users to choose the highest setting, and later find the clothing still slightly damp, prompting the need for a second cycle.
This hassle isn’t necessary at all! It doesn’t mean you have to grumble and bear with it, or shell out cash to replace the faulty appliance. It just means time for maintenance, especially when it hasn’t been cleaned for over a year.
In fact, if a clothes dryer is clearly having a hard time doing its job, you’ll notice that it also heats up very easily. This little side effect can cause damage to delicate clothing.
Add the heat output to the fact that you have multiple loads to go through. You may just find yourself facing rising energy costs at the end of the month, all thanks to the dirty dryer vents.
Cleaning Your Dryer Vents Can Prevent Home Fires
Efficiency and cost aside, another huge argument we have for cleaning dryer vents is that it could actually save your life.
The US Fire Administration reports that 2,900 home fires are caused by clothes dryers each year. It is estimated that these have resulted in 5 deaths, 100 injuries, and $35 million in property loss overall.
The main reason for clothes dryer fires? Failure to clean the dryer. It tops as the leading cause, claiming 33 percent of all washing and drying appliance-related incidents. This is according to a report by the National Fire Protection Association conducted from 2010 to 2014.
This brings us to what is certainly the most serious takeaway you should get from this whole article: cleaning dryer vents regularly will keep you and your family out of danger.
And yes, it has to be a regular thing. Even if you have a lint filter to prevent debris from clogging up the vents, it doesn’t mean you can rest easy because this filter also has to be checked and cleaned.
Yes, we know; it’s a pain to do so, but it’s really better safe than sorry.
Guard Against Molds and Microbes By Utilizing A Dryer Vent Cleaning Service
Although not as big a threat as a home fire, the build-up of mold amidst lint and debris trapped in the vent is still an issue. The nature of mold is to grow rapidly in damp, enclosed spaces, which is basically what a dryer vent is.
If enough of these microbes multiply and spread to the clothes that the appliance is drying, then that could lead to respiratory and health issues. People prone to allergies or even those who just have sensitive airways or skin could suffer needlessly.
Again, in this matter, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
To conclude, you really stand to gain more doing regular check-ups of your clothes dryer. Annual maintenance at the very least might just save effort, time, money, and lives.
Of course, it’s a daunting job to delve into the nooks and crannies of a dryer vent, especially for those who aren’t natural handymen. This is where cleaning services enter the picture.
The best services are those qualified to deal with your appliances, and one such company that provides these services is Air Quality Express.
If you’d like to be hands-on about maintenance (whether you choose our services or not), you can learn more about dryer vent cleaning here.
Air Quality Express
Tel: (832) 781-0105
https://www.airqualitytech.com/