Proper air flow is all important with any heating or cooling. Most every home owner will forget that this also applies to not just a home's HVAC equipment, but to other appliances like the dryer as well. Most home owners, landlords or property managers never think about the clothes dryer even though it receives heavy use every month.
Many home owners or landlords consider a dryer to be the type of item to be plugged in and forgotten about. The clothes dryer requires proper maintenance in order to prevent an increased chance of fire. A build up of lint is a primary cause of fires originating with the dryer, but not at the lint screen.
The ductwork winding from the back of the dryer is where lint accumulates over time. Depending upon the type of ductwork that is present will determine how frequently the duct will need to be cleaned out. There are primarily three types of ducting used. Fortunately, one is not as common due to the increased fire risk that it presents.
The best type of ducting to be used to vent the heat generated by the drying cycle is straight rigid aluminum ductwork. Sometimes due to the orientation of the dryer and vent opening at the wall, a straight shot to the outside may not be possible. In this case it is acceptable and recommended to have a couple of 90 degree bends or to use a flexible corrugated aluminum duct.
In the past corrugated vinyl ductwork was available and may still be found in some areas. Vinyl or any plastic ductwork is absolutely insufficient for handling the heat output of a dryer and allows lint to become trapped within the folds of the snake-like duct. Trapped lint prevents the heat from passing to the outside. Even after a relatively short period of a few months, massive amounts of lint can block the passage of heat.
The build up of lint will very likely contribute to a fire. According to the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates, over 15,500 fires were able to be directly connected to dryers. 20 deaths resulted from these fires and over 350 injuries, excluding household pets and other animals. While these numbers are not extremely high, they do not take into account the vast amount of property damage and loss as a result of these severe fires.
The simple alternative is to inspect the ductwork and have it cleaned out on a regular basis. Should the existing duct be made of the corrugated vinyl, which is usually white in color, immediately replace this older type with an aluminum duct. Many homes and lives can be spared with these simple precautions.
For further details on clothes dryer vents and fires or fire prevention, please visit www.twincitiesdryerguy.com or call 651-792-5626.
Article independently authored by Dan Elliott. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of The Dryer Vent Wizard.
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