Views: 1000 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2022-07-28 Origin: Site
Energy efficiency. Over time, your dryer vent (which carries away water vapor produced by the clothes drying process) gradually gets clogged with dust, lint, and hair from your laundry.
Obviously, a blocked vent won’t do its job as well, meaning that the dryer spin cycles will become less efficient and drying times will be 2 or 3 times longer than normal. Besides the increased wear and tear, your dryer will require more electricity or gas to operate, raising your fuel bills.
Relative humidity regulation. Another side effect of a clogged dryer vent is higher indoor humidity. The lint buildup insde the venting system acts like a sponge, absorbing and holding moisture from the dryer, rather than channeling it safely outdoors.
This raises the relative humidity above the ideal of 30-50 percent, leading to dampness-related problems such as condensation on your windows. If untreated, the eventual result is likely to be mold damage to your house.
Safety for your home and family. Clogged vents threaten your household’s safety. They increase the likelihood of short circuits and other electrical hazards and in the case of gas dryers, prevent proper exhausting of carbon monoxide.
In addition, they cause the dryer to overheat, a serious fire risk. The US Fire Administration reports an annual 100 injuries, 5 deaths, and $35,000,000 in property loss from residential clothes dryer fires. The leading cause of dryer fires? Quite simply, failure to clean the dryer.
Here are 8 practical tips to help your dryer vent stay clear longer:
Clean the lint screen. Pick lint off after every use. Handwash the screen occasionally to remove fabric softener residue (dry thoroughly before putting it back). Once monthly, use a skinny, long-handled brush to clear the lint trap, the cavity where the screen sits.
(The first time I ever did this, to a 2-year-old dryer, I pulled out a softball-size clump of dust!)
Clear around the dryer. Make sure the area under and behind your dryer is free of dust bunnies, animal hair, etc. Never stack your freshly washed clothes on top of the dryer.
Keep unhemmed or torn fabrics out of the dryer. Raw edges, such as those of quilt pieces or cleaning cloths, fray more easily, producing larger quantities of lint. Hem them first or line dry.
Avoid machine drying rubber or plastic. Bathmats, pet beds, running shoes, and other items containing rubber or plastic may deteriorate when machine dried. Particles can flake off, clogging your dryer vent.
Always air-dry dirty clothing or towels. If you dry, say, a sandy bathing suit, all that sand will end up in your dryer and its vent system. NOT a good idea. Air-dry soiled items instead.
Never cover the vent outlet with a screen. The vent flap should be sufficient to keep out small animals. A screen will trap some of the lint which ought to be going outdoors.
Install a metal duct extender. If you haven’t already, do yourself and your family a favor by installing a smooth metal duct extender (the piece that connects the dryer to the wall vent). Plastic and foil are easily crushed, restricting airflow ... not to mention that they’re both flammable at high temperatures.
Buy a full-size dryer. Is it time to replace your dryer? Unless you’re squeezed for space, purchase a full-size model, rather than a smaller, stackable one, and have it professionally installed. It will do a much better job of blowing air, as well as drying your laundry.