Learn the Facts About Dryer Vent Safety Here!

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Jeremy Leake

With so much confusing information out there about dryer vent safety we thought it would be important to provide clear information that’s easy to understand.

We found this article that we feel will do just that. Check it out!

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SPONSOR FOCUS: If you need Denham Springs townhomes vent cleaning services, then Dryer Vents Plus is your #1 choice! Call Jeremy Leake today at 225-612-7752 to schedule your 100% Free, No Obligation Quote!
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From the article:

The Facts About Dryer Vent Fires

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a consumer product safety alert. According to the CPSC, annually there are 15,500 household fires due to dryer exhaust duct fires.

Annual property damage is approximately $88,000,000

There are approximately 400 injuries and 15 deaths each year due to dryer vent fires

Failure to clean the dryer vent is THE leading factor contributing to clothes dryer fires in residences

80% of clothes dryers fires occur in residences

Why it is Critical to Keep Dryer Vents Clean

Moisture- one gallon or more of water must be disposed of for every typical load of laundry. Because of the moisture, exhausting the dryer to the outside is a must. Lack of cleaning can contribute to the growth of mold and retention of lint within the system.

Carbon Monoxide- Proper exhausting is of particular importance with gas dryers. In addition to moisture and lint, gas dryer ducts carry the by-products of combustion, including carbon monoxide.

Clogging- A lot of lint is produced in the drying process, and lint can restrict or block dryer ducts. A poorly exhausting dryer is not only less efficient, it can also be a fire hazard due to extreme flammability of lint.

Who Should Have Their Dryer Vent Cleaned?

Anyone who uses their dryer regularly each week and has not had it cleaned in 2 years.

Anyone who washes several loads of laundry every day should have the dryer vent cleaned annually.

Anyone who can see lint buildup in the exterior duct vent or lint preventing the closure of the exterior flapper.

Anyone who has dryer duct work running up through the roof or out a second story wall should have the dryer duct work cleaned annually.

Anyone noticing that it is taking the dryer longer and longer to dry their clothes.

Everyone who owns and uses a dryer!

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Looking for more tips on dryer vent safety? Checkout this article and learn more important fire safety tips that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.mikesexteriorhomecare.com/dryer-vent-cleaning/

Learn Important Dryer Vent Safety Here!

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Jeremy Leake

A dryer is something that almost every home in America has and it’s important to know how to be safe around them.

Most people are probably not aware of how dangerous they can be and we hope you’ll learn how to stay safe with this article we found!

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SPONSOR FOCUS: If you need Denham Springs homeowners associations vent cleaning services, then Dryer Vents Plus is your #1 choice! Call Jeremy Leake today at 225-612-7752 to schedule your 100% Free, No Obligation Quote!
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From the article:

Clothes dryers evaporate the water from wet clothing by blowing hot air past them while they tumble inside a spinning drum. Heat is provided by an electrical heating element or gas burner. Some heavy garment loads can contain more than a gallon of water which, during the drying process, will become airborne water vapor and leave the dryer and home through an exhaust duct (more commonly known as a dryer vent).

A vent that exhausts moist air to the home’s exterior has a number of requirements:

It should be connected. The connection is usually behind the dryer but may be beneath it. Look carefully to make sure it’s actually connected.

It should not be restricted. Dryer vents are often made from flexible plastic or metal duct, which may be easily kinked or crushed where they exit the dryer and enter the wall or floor. This is often a problem since dryers tend to be tucked away into small areas with little room to work. Vent hardware is available which is designed to turn 90?? in a limited space without restricting the flow of exhaust air. Restrictions should be noted in the inspector’s report. Airflow restrictions are a potential fire hazard.

One of the reasons that restrictions are a potential fire hazard is that, along with water vapor evaporated out of wet clothes, the exhaust stream carries lint highly flammable particles of clothing made of cotton and polyester. Lint can accumulate in an exhaust duct, reducing the dryer’s ability to expel heated water vapor, which then accumulates as heat energy within the machine. As the dryer overheats, mechanical failures can trigger sparks, which can cause lint trapped in the dryer vent to burst into flames. This condition can cause the whole house to burst into flames. Fires generally originate within the dryer but spread by escaping through the ventilation duct, incinerating trapped lint, and following its path into the building wall.

InterNACHI believes that house fires caused by dryers are far more common than are generally believed, a fact that can be appreciated upon reviewing statistics from the National Fire Protection Agency. Fires caused by dryers in 2005 were responsible for approximately 13,775 house fires, 418 injuries, 15 deaths, and $196 million in property damage. Most of these incidents occur in residences and are the result of improper lint cleanup and maintenance. Fortunately, these fires are very easy to prevent.

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Looking for more tips on dryer vent safety? Checkout this article and learn more important fire safety tips that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.nachi.org/dryer-vent-safety.htm

Dryer Safety Tips from the National Fire Protection Association

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Jeremy Leake

Everyone knows to clean the lint trap out before starting a new load of laundry but there are other things that you can do to protect yourself and increase the life of your dryer. We found this article with tips that we think should help you a lot.

From the article:

Doing laundry is most likely part of your every day routine. But did you know how important taking care of your clothes dryer is to the safety of your home? With a few simple safety tips you can help prevent a clothes dryer fire…

Have your dryer installed and serviced by a professional.

Do not use the dryer without a lint filter.

Make sure you clean the lint filter before or after each load of laundry. Remove lint that has collected around the drum.

Rigid or flexible metal venting material should be used to sustain proper air flow and drying time.

Make sure the air exhaust vent pipe is not restricted and the outdoor vent flap will open when the dryer is operating. Once a year, or more often if you notice that it is taking longer than normal for your clothes to dry, clean lint out of the vent pipe or have a dryer lint removal service do it for you.

Keep dryers in good working order. Gas dryers should be inspected by a professional to make sure that the gas line and connection are intact and free of leaks.

Make sure the right plug and outlet are used and that the machine is connected properly.

Follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions and don’t overload your dryer.

Turn the dryer off if you leave home or go to bed.

If you have additional questions about our Baton Rouge dryer vent cleaning services, call us today!

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To view the entire article click here: http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files/PDF/Research/DryerWasherSafetyTips.pdf