Clothes Dryer Not Drying?
Is your clothes dryer not drying? Do your clothes smell musty or feel damp after a complete cycle? Are your clothes or dryer hot to the touch? If you answered yes to any question it is likely you need a dryer vent cleaning.
When your clothes dryer is not drying, one often overlooked but important message your dryer is trying to tell you is, that you’re at a greater risk for a house fire.
If a fire was to start in your home tonight, how quickly would you need to get outside before it’s too late? You may be surprised by the answer, but many fire experts agree that the answer can be “as little as 2 minutes.” That’s right; in about the same amount of time that it takes you to microwave a bowl of oatmeal, you and your family can become trapped inside a burning house, with no way out!
How Dryer Fires Start:
The idea behind dryers is to heat up clothing to evaporate moisture, and the hot air is then carried outside through the dryer vent. Lint naturally builds up in the dryer duct over time, so If your dryer vent duct is not regularly cleaned it can lead to a fire in two ways:
Overheated clothing: If the air vent is clogged by months, or years, of regular dryer use, it will block hot air from escaping; causing the machine and the clothing to overheat. Though most dryers have built-in safety precautions, some clothing is manufactured with dyes and chemicals that have low combustion points. When the temperature inside the dryer becomes hot enough, the clothing can ignite.
An internal spark: Another cause of dryer fires is due to sparks that ignite the dust and lint that build up inside the machine due to a clogged dryer vent. Dryers have many electrical components, and with time, even a small spark can ignite the lint.
The Lint Screen Problem:
Unfortunately, many Americans believe they’re immune to dryer fires because their machine has a lint screen. However, a lint screen won’t catch all the lint exhausted by your dryer. The job of the lint screen is simply to reduce the amount of buildup in your dryer vent, so that you don’t have to clean the vent as often. It’s not a catchall solution (pun intended).
Is Your Dryer in Danger?
If your clothes dryer is not drying and you’ve never cleaned out your dryer duct, chances are that it’s extremely clogged with lint and dust particles. There are several tell-tales signs of this.
Multiple cycles: You may have noticed that you need to run the machine several cycles to fully dry out your clothes. This is because the hot air cannot efficiently carry the evaporated moisture through the blocked vent.
Overheating: Another sign is that your dryer seems to be overheating. This is also caused by hot air staying inside, and not cycling out fast enough; causing the temperature to increase.
High bills: Your power bill may also be higher than usual, which is caused by the machine needing more energy to dry your clothing, because it has to work harder to get the air out through the plugged vent.
Cleaning the Dryer Vent Duct:
To keep your family and your home safe, it’s vital to clean the dryer vent at least once a year. A good rule of thumb is to have your dryer vent cleaned at the same time you schedule an air duct cleaning. Dryer vents ducts can be difficult to clean without specialized equipment, so hiring a certified air duct technician can save you time, money, and significant frustration. Further, a professional will help ensure that no damage occurs to your home or your dryer during the cleaning process.
Benefits of a Clean Dryer Vent:
Keeping the dryer vent clean has a multitude of benefits for your family and your home.
- A clean dryer vent reduces your chances of a dryer fire.
- It lowers your power bill, because the cycles are much more efficient.
- It increases the lifespan of your dryer
Call 800-482-8224 to schedule an appointment with an Amazon Air Duct Cleaning Professional today!
