Vent Cleaning-Why?

YOUR DRYER VENTS MAY BE CLOGGED IF :

Clothes are taking more than one cycle to dry, especially jeans & towels The top of your dryer hot to the touch  while running Dryer repeatedly stops during a cycle Clothes have moldy smell after dry cycle Clothes are very hot after a dry cycle There’s excess lint left on your clothing. No lint visible on lint screen

DID YOU KNOW? Before you replace your dryer, it's wise to have your dryer vents inspected, cleaned or repaired A full load of wet clothes placed in a dryer contains about  1/2 gallon of water During drying cycle, lint is created from the clothing material as water evaporates Clothes dryers are one of the most expensive appliances in your home to operate The longer the dryer runs, the more money it costs you The lint screen will NOT catch ALL lint produced during drying cycle; up to 30% gets past it! Average vent cleaning and repair should NOT take 20 minutes.  Quality workmanship and a COMPLETE cleaning with professional equipment takes 2-3 hours depending on the condition of the vents and the amount of time since vents were last cleaned  Contractors quoting $60 for a 20 minute cleaning may be cutting corners or may not be insured There are MORE home dryer fires in the U.S. than candle fires every year Resources: FEMA study "Clothes Dryer Fires" 2007                 NFPA Fire Analysis 2006-2010                  U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission              U.S. Fire Admin.-Candle Fire Safety

Click to Request an Appointment through our Corp. Website      Dryer Vent Safety is IMPORTANT to your Family: 1.     According to FEMA, every year over 15,000 structure fires are attributed to clothes dryers.       The leading cause: Failure to clean. Lint located within just two inches of your dryer’s        heater intake can ignite placing your family in the danger zone. The NFPA recommends that       all clothing dryer vents be cleaned and inspected once a year. 2.   What type of transition tube do you have?  Contact a qualified professional to inspect,         clean, repair or install your dryer vent.            The Plastic or foil transition tube is behind dryer, connecting it to the wall vent. Plastic        or foil tubes are a fire hazard and should NOT be in any home.  Dryer Vent Wizard        technicians install material approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. 3.   Dryer Warning label is required on all dryers. This important label is overlooked by        almost all consumers because it is placed on the back of the dryer and out of sight.  It       advises consumers of the transition tubes they should use and warns them that use of a       plastic or metal foil tube attached to the dryer can result in of death or fire. 4.  Extend the life of your dryer and eliminate or reduce costly repair bills. A lint       obstructed dryer vent places enormous stress on your dryer and can significantly reduce the      life of the dryer and its parts. Every extra cycle required to dry a load of laundry reduces the       full life of the dryer. Clogged vents can even cause the heating element to burn out. 5.  Dramatically reduce your energy costs. A lint clogged vent restricts air flow and reduces            the dryer’s ability to exhaust heat and moisture. This can significantly increase your drying times.          At $2-$3 a cycle, your dryer is one of the most expensive appliances used in your home.       Proper airflow is critical to efficient operation and energy costs. 6.  Dryer vents should never be vented into a living space, crawl space or attic. The          moisture moving through the vent can build up and cause mold or water damage. Lint       blown through the vent is combustible and should not be allowed to spread in or near       your home because of the fire hazard lint causes. 7.  Reduce the risk of carbon monoxide build up from gas dryers. If you have a gas dryer      an obstructed, damaged or poorly installed vent can allow unsafe levels of carbon monoxide       to be released into your home.   8.  A dirty or obstructed vent can cause an enormous amount of dust and particles to      escape into your home and living space. Technicians wear a respirator when cleaning       dryer vents due to the risks associated with inhaling this lint and dust. 9.  An airflow analysis can determine if you’re venting properly and safely. Even if the      dryer appears to be operating normally . 10. Many dryer fires originate during a drying cycle.  Embers or flames exit the back of the dryer       through the dryer’s exhaust. Lint accumulated in the dryer vent transition tube and dryer vent      system are ignited when this occurs.  To contain embers or fire exiting the dryer, a rigid metal,      smooth tube is needed.  11.What type of transition tube do you have?  Contact a qualified professional to inspect,      clean or repair your vent. NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION  CLOTHES DRYER RECOMMENDATIONS    NFPA Clothes Dryer Tips Have your dryer installed and serviced by a professional. Do not use the dryer without a lint filter. Clean out the dryer’s lint filter before and after each load of laundry. Remove the lint that has collected around the drum. Clean lint out of the vent pipe quarterly or more often if it takes longer than usual for your clothes to dry, or have a dryer vent service do it for you. Rigid or flexible metal venting material should be used to sustain proper air flow and drying time to reduce the risk of fire or fire spread. Make sure the air exhaust vent pipe is not restricted and the outdoor vent flap will open when the dryer is operating. Make sure the right plug and wall outlet are used and that the machine is connected properly. Keep dryers in good working order.  Gas dryers should be inspected by a professional to make sure that the gas lineand connection are intact and free of leaks. Follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions.  Do not overload the dryer. Turn off the dryer when you leave home or go to bed.