There are some jobs best left for the professionals, and cleaning your dryer vent is definitely one of those jobs. The thing is, we usually think we’re doing enough when it comes to keeping the dryer up and running when we clean the lint tray. This is an important thing to remember to do after you dry a load or two of clothes, but it really isn’t enough. In order to keep your family safe and sound and your dryer running efficiently, you need to clean more than just the lint tray. Your entire vent systems needs to be blown clean to make sure that a dangerous dryer fire doesn’t put your house in jeopardy.
What Happens in the Dryer
You know dryers do a great job of getting your clothes dry, but do you really know how they work? You know that when you put your clothes in the washer, it’s water, soap, and the action of the tub of the washer (or the agitator if you have an older machine) that gets the clothes clean. Rinse water is pumped through to get rid of the soap, and then the spin cycle gets most of the water out. Because it can’t get all the water out, you throw the clothes in the dryer and let it do its magic.
Your dryer combines three elements: heat, air movement, and low humidity to dry your clothes. Cold air is drawn into your dryer, directed by a fan through the heating element and blown through the drum of the dryer, which is turning. Your clothes are drawn to the top of the drum as it spins, then fall to the bottom through the hot air that is being pushed through the drum. The air leaves the dryer through the dryer lint screen, and as it passes through it leaves random pieces of lint and fuzz behind in the tray. This is exactly why dryers have lint screens. The problem is, some of that fuzz goes through the screen and travels down the vents and out of the house. Because the air is moist from the clothes, it causes some of the lint to stick to the sides of the vent and attract even more lint. If left unchecked, you can have such a thick buildup that your dryer isn’t running efficiently. Another big problem is that this lint is highly flammable, so one spark and you could have a house fire.
Call Chimney Doctors of Colorado
It’s pretty clear that making sure your dryer vents are properly cleaned is very important. That’s why giving us a call today is such a good idea. At Chimney Doctors of Colorado, we have the proper equipment to make sure your dryer vents are completely cleared out. Give us a call now and you can spend the summer out and about, with no worries of full vents or dryer fires!