Dryer Vent Wizard of the Greater Twin Cities

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Showing posts from October, 2010

Clothes Dryer Fires - Fire is Quite Likely Without a Simple and an Affordable Solution

Unless a home owner is focused on being "green" or frugal most households have a clothes dryer . Most individuals know that in order to have the dryer work, all that is needed is to turn a selector knob or switch and push the start button. There is cause for large concern when the dryer does not properly function. There are over 5 specific types of dryers from microwave dryers to mechanical steam compression dryers which operate differently from one another, but the most common type found in the large majority of homes today is the tumble dryer. An oversimplified explanation of how a tumble dryer works is a fan blows air over a heating element and passing it into the spinning drum, through the lint filter and out to an external vent. Every dryer will have at least one built-in thermostat. Should the main thermostat fail or malfunction a secondary thermostat, if present, should serve as a backup. Regardless of whether the dryer is fuel by electric or gas, ...

8 Warning Signs That You Need to Check Your Dryer Vent

No one wants to deal with the aftermath of fire. After all, replacing household items, loss of photos and special keepsakes and the stack of paperwork involved is emotionally and physically exhausting. However, each year there are more than 25,000 home fires as a result of d ryer vents which, in turn, cost homeowners/insurance companies more than $60 million in property damage. In fact, reports show that dryer vent related fires are responsible for over 90% of all appliance fires, over a dozen deaths and more than 300 injuries. Furthermore, studies have shown that the leading cause of home clothes dryer fires was lack of maintenance (30%), followed by unidentified or unknown-type mechanical failure (11%) and part failure, leak or break (10%). So, what can you do to prevent a household fire as a result of your dryer? Here are 8 warning signs to watch for: Clothes that take an excessive amount of time to dry, e.g. more than one cycle especially when drying jeans and to...

Fire Waiting to Happen...

Why Dryers are a Major Risk and What to do to Save Your House and Family Dryer fires are almost always caused by a build up of lint. Even though the lint screen is cleared away a large amount of lint gets pushed into the exhaust duct behind the dryer. The dangerous problem of lint build up occurs within this ductwork. Not until the late 1980s into the 1990s did appliance retailers make a big push to educate the consumer of the risks of ductwork and fires. Until that time a large number of homes, apartment complexes and town homes relied on the use of the white vinyl flexible corrugated ducting. The silver mylar "foil" duct was a better choice due to its slightly better ability to withstand heat. Today that vinyl and mylar duct is no longer universally sold in home improvement store, hardware stores or appliance retailers. If a consumer is looking to replace an existing exhaust duct, these two exhaust ducts should not be used. Instead a semi-rigid or solid metal d...

How to Get the Most From Your Clothes Dryer

Let's face it, home appliances are not cheap. In fact, they can range in price from a few hundred dollars to well over $1,000. So, once you have made the investment in your home's appliances you want them to last as long as possible which means you are going to spend the time necessary to keep them in the best working order. For some appliances, it may be a thorough cleaning on a regular basis, changing the filters, or perhaps, calling in a maintenance provider. Of the many jobs you need to do around the house, one of the most important, yet often unmentioned, is that of maintaining your clothes dryer. Each year, there are over 15,000 home fires caused by dryer vents. To avoid becoming one of these statistics, there are several steps you can take. Simple preventive maintenance includes: Read the instruction manual so you know how best to maintain your particular dryer. Always clean the lint filter before or after every load. Do not dry clothing or fabric on wh...