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, a tumble dryer can normally achieve regular operating temperatures in excess of 150 degrees Fahrenheit. In extreme situations when the dryer begins to become excessively hot, it can prove to be deadly. There can be several causes for this drastic increase in temperature, but the most common cause is easily preventable by the home owner.
As most home owners and users of clothes dryers know, the lint trap needs to be cleaned before each drying cycle begins. When the lint screen becomes packed with fibers and lint, the air flow is greatly restricted. A worse blockage often occurs in the dryer exhaust port or venting ductwork. When this does take place, the temperature can skyrocket which invariably will cause a fire by igniting the lint trapped within the exhaust ductwork, unless the dryer is shut off immediately. The chance that most home owners will notice the dryer reaching excessive heat levels as soon as the problem does surface is quite unlikely.
The best solution is a proactive one. Periodic duct cleaning falls under one of the chores that is a must. Much like changing the oil in a vehicle, regular cleaning of the dryer exhaust ductwork needs to take place. Some home owners may possess the physical prowess to wrestle the dryer away from the wall in order to clean the ductwork, however, those ducts that vent out through the roof are otherwise inaccessible to most home owners and therefore should best be left to the professional duct cleaner for safety reasons.
For additional information on the topic of duct cleaning and fire safety visit Dryer Vent Wizard.
Article independently authored by Daniel P. Elliott. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Dryer Vent Wizard. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.
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