by Mark Hudson | Apr 16, 2019 | Dryer Vent Cleaning, dryer vents
Many homeowners don’t realize all the work that goes into maintaining a home properly. Every appliance, every surface, and every system that keeps the home running smoothly requires routine maintenance to continue doing so. The systems that keep your home cool and warm, keep water out of your living space, clean your air, wash your clothes and dishes, discharge your sewage water, and dry your clothes all require maintenance. Neglecting home maintenance can lead to damage, a decrease in value, and even danger in some circumstances. Neglecting the dryer vent can lead to a clogged dryer vent which can lead to a dryer vent fire that can lead to a devastating house fire. 
Dirty Dryer Vents = Danger
Every year in America, nearly 3000 homes experience a fire that originates in the clothes dryer. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, of these 2,900 fires, there are 5 resulting deaths, 100 injuries, and $35 million in property loss each year. The cause of these fires? The majority of these fires are caused by failure to clean the dryer. This includes the dryer vent, the lint trap, and the unit itself. Over time dangerous, flammable lint collects inside the unit and hinders the dryer from working properly. Like chimneys, a drop in efficiency in the clothes dryer can increase the risk of damage and danger. Don’t put your home at risk. Schedule a dryer vent cleaning with a professional today.
100 Percent Preventable
The majority of clothes dryer fires can be prevented by cleaning the unit and the vent on a regular basis. Even scheduling this service annually will make a significant difference in the function and safety of your dryer. You can prevent a dangerous clothes dryer fire in your home by following these easy guidelines:
- Have the dryer and dryer vent professionally installed
- Clean the back of the dryer regularly
- Self-inspect the dry vent regularly
- Check the outside wall damper for proper function and covering regularly
- Check that the outdoor vent covering opens and closes properly regularly
- Schedule professional services for your clothes dryer vent annually
- Schedule a check-up with your gas company annually (if your dryer is gas-powered)
- Connect the unit only with the proper electrical cord and outlet
- Never run the clothes dryer while you’re out of the home or asleep
Last, but not least: make sure each level of your home has a smoke alarm! Change the batteries quarterly, and check the device monthly. If anything goes wrong with your clothes dryer system (or any other system in your home), a smoke alarm can save your life and the life of your family.
At Hudson Chimney it is our goal and duty to keep families safe by providing necessary services to our friends and neighbors in and around Jacksonville, Florida. Schedule dryer vent cleaning and installation with Hudson Chimney. Call us at 904-282-4159 or contact us online.
by Mark Hudson | Apr 25, 2017 | dryer vents
While planning for home safety and disaster preparedness, families often overlook the clothes dryer. While locating exits and the suspected location of a possible fire, the clothes dryer is also a risk. In fact, according to the U.S. Fire Administration there are 2,900 reported clothes dryer house fires per year. These account for five deaths, 100 injuries, and $35 million in property loss. These fires and this damage can be prevented by maintaining the dryer vent properly. The best way to have a safe and efficient dryer? Have the dryer vent installed correctly and to have it cleaned regularly!
Dangers of a Dryer Vent
If the dryer vent isn’t installed correctly it can welcome lint buildups, create obstructions, allow gases to escape the vent, and lead to dangerous fires. In addition, most cities have municipal codes that specify how the dryer vent should be installed.
- According to most manufacturer’s specifications and local codes, dryer ducts should be 4” in diameter, or less, and as large as the dryer outlet.
- Unless otherwise specified by your dryer’s manufacturer or local code, the length of the dryer duct shouldn’t exceed 25 feet. Every 90º turn adds 5 feet for the actual length.
- The dryer vent should be independent of all other systems. They should terminate outdoors only, not in a chimney, crawl space, or attic.
- Your outdoor exhaust vent’s termination hood should prevent back draft to ensure the exhaust doesn’t come back into the home.
- Metal transition ducts should be used between the dryer and exhaust duct.
- Flexible transition ducts should never be used in an attic, a crawl space, or inside a wall.
- The CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician credential is the only nationally-recognized credential of its kind.
Certified Dryer Exhaust Technicians
So, why opt for a professional installation? You have a better chance of your dryer exhaust vent meeting the standards of your homeowners or renter’s insurance. When you schedule with a Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician, you can rest assured knowing that your technician is experienced and trained in dryer vent safety, installation, and cleaning. Your technician will use the proper materials in the proper proportions. Afterwards, they would be happy to forward-schedule upcoming maintenance appointments. This ensures that your dryer vent hose stays clear of flammable lint that can cause a hazardous fire!
Hudson Chimney has been serving families in Northeast Florida for nearly thirty years and can help you. Have you recently purchased a new clothes dryer? If so, hire a C-DET professional to install your dryer vent hose. It’s the best way to preserve it’s life and your home’s.
Hudson Chimney makes it our priority to keep our customers safe and warm year round, and part of being safe is making sure the dryer vent is in proper working order. If you’re not sure about your dryer vent, you can schedule your annual cleaning and find out more about your system. Call Hudson Chimney at 904-282-4159 or request an appointment online.
by Mark Hudson | Mar 12, 2017 | dryer vents
When your bought and installed your clothes dryer it should have worked great, drying clothes in one cycle, and since then it has declined. Many would attribute this change to age or “wear and tear”, but it’s actually more than that. If your clothes dryer is taking more than one cycle to dry an appropriately sized load of clothes, then there is a problem with your dryer. The most common reasons for a dryer failing to do the job it’s supposed to do is a heat element burning out or a ventilation issue.
Trouble Shooting Your Clothes Dryer
If you think your clothes dryer is working poorly, then you can check it out before calling in a professional.
- First, you should feel the dryer during and after a cycle. If the dryer is warm, then the heat element is working. If the dryer is warming up the area around it, even heating up the room where it’s located, then you most likely have a venting issue. A dryer is designed to vent excess heat. It shouldn’t add heat to the home if the vent hose is working.
- Check the vent flap on the outside of the house to make sure it is venting. Hold a hand in front of it to feel for warm air, make sure it opens as it should and is not clogged with lint or other debris.
- Remove the lint “trap” and wash it with warm, soapy water. Let it air dry, and return it to the dryer. This should be repeated monthly and will mostly help even if it doesn’t resolve the problem completely.
If your clothes continue to dry slower than they should, you can assume the dryer vent is clogged. Clogged dryer vents are a leading cause of house fires in the United States, accounting for 2900 house fires per year. This number is decreasing, but will remain a problem until clothes dryer safety is taken as seriously as chimney safety. Most homeowners don’t even know that local codes regulate how the dryer vent is installed, how many turns it can make, how long it is, and more. Most wouldn’t know there’s a problem with the clothes dryer at all because we assume it’s normal for dryers to take more cycles as they get older. This isn’t the case.
Click here for tips to protect your home from your clothes dryer, and call Hudson Chimney to have it cleaned regularly. Hudson Chimney specializes in dryer vent cleaning as part of a full menu of services designed to keep our customers safe. Find out how we can help you.
by Mark Hudson | Mar 9, 2016 | dryer vents, fire safety
Have you been noticing lately that it is taking longer for your clothes dryer to completely dry one load of clothes? If so, this is a sure sign that your dryer vent is dirty and clogged and needs professional cleaning. When the vent is clogged, hot, moist air is trapped in your clothes dryer which makes it difficult for the clothes to dry in one cycle. Not only does a clogged dryer vent make it harder for your dryer to work correctly, it can also be a dangerous fire hazard. Hudson Chimney is proud to offer professional dryer vent cleaning services, along with our chimney and fireplace maintenance, repair, and installation services. When you think about it, your dryer vent is not unlike your chimney as it is used to remove exhaust from your home, which is why we have included this service. Many national fire safety organizations like the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommend that you should have your dryer vent professionally cleaned every year to keep it from getting clogged. We would like to tell you more about why it is so important to have this service done.
Our professional dryer vent cleaning service will reduce your risk of experiencing a clothes dryer fire.
Your clothes dryer produces a lot of lint, which is so flammable that the Boy Scouts of America recommend that you use it to start campfires. When lint accumulates in your dryer vent, it increases your risk of your clothes dryer catching on fire. You may be surprised at exactly how common clothes dryer fires are. According to the CSIA, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that 5,100 fires caused by dirty clothes dryer vents occurred in 2012. These fires resulted in 10 deaths, 180 injuries, and about $80 million in property damage. These fires and their casualties could have easily been prevented if the homeowners had scheduled a professional dryer vent cleaning. At Hudson Chimney, safety is our top priority, and we work hard to reduce as many fire hazards as we can from your home. Our professional dryer vent cleaning services is just one way we can prevent an accidental fire at your home.
Our professional dryer vent cleaning service will prolong the life of your clothes dryer.
When your dryer vent is clogged, your clothes dryer has to work harder to dry a load of clothes. This not only wastes money on your utility bills as well as energy, but it can also cause parts of your clothes dryer to wear out prematurely. The heating element is one of these parts, and it can be expensive to repair or replace this part. After Hudson Chimney cleans your dryer vent, we guarantee that your clothes dryer will work more efficiently and take less time to dry one load of clothes. You will also notice a reduction in your utility bills because you will not have to run your dryer twice to dry one load of clothes.
If you have noticed your clothes taking longer to dry, contact us at Hudson Chimney. We will be happy to schedule an appointment to professionally clean your dryer vent system.
by Mark Hudson | May 13, 2014 | dryer vents, fire safety
It is very important to keep up with dryer vent cleaning, as the built up lint is a fire hazard that endangers your house and everyone in it. Allow the professionals at Hudson Chimney to help you maintain a safer and more efficient dryer.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please give us a call! We look forward to providing you with a lifetime of high-quality, professional services!
by Mark Hudson | Mar 1, 2014 | dryer vents, fire safety
A dirty dryer vent can cause a house fire. Keep an eye out for signs that tell you your dryer vent needs to be cleaned.
In the chimney industry, we’ve worked hard through the years to spread the word about the importance of annual chimney inspections and regular chimney sweeping. Those simple maintenance appointments are key to keeping your chimney at the levels of safety and performance you expect, want and need.
But the need to regularly maintain dryer vents, by and large, hasn’t gotten as much attention. And that’s unfortunate, because when it comes to fire hazard concerns, dryer vents are just as important to consider as chimneys. We have a lot of sobering clothes dryer fire statistics up on our website (including the fact that the simple failure to clean gets cited in more than a third of annual U.S. dryer fires), because we think it’s important for our clients to know how important it is to regularly clean dryer vents.
How Do I Know When It’s Time To Clean My Vents?
We recommend an annual dryer vent cleaning appointment, to ensure that you’re removing and limiting lint build-up on a regular basis and maximizing your dryer’s efficiency, too. But if you want a few more practical indicators, we can help — your dryer will do a lot to tell you when it needs some attention.
Call Hudson Chimney To Schedule A Dryer Vent Cleaning If:
You’re Finding Wet Laundry After Running A Normal Load
If your vents are packed up with lint, air and byproducts aren’t exhausting properly, and your dryer is struggling to vent moisture and do its job, so you’re usually left with moist towels even after a load runs for the normal amount of time. Worse than spending extra time and money to dry your laundry, though: Heat can build up in those constricted vents, leading to a fire hazard.
You See Lint Build-up On The Dryer Termination
You know the termination that vents all that hot dryer air outside? If you see a lot of lint around the opening or inside, that’s an indication that you have lint built up throughout your vents. It’s time to clean.
Your Dryer and Laundry Room Feel Extra Warm
When your dryer is working too hard because lint build-up is stopping it from venting properly, heat will build up. And your hot dryer will make the room feel warmer too. That extra heat is a good indication that a vent cleaning is overdue.
Those are just a few indicators, and we’d be glad to tell you more about proper dryer vent maintenance. If you have any questions, or want to schedule a cleaning appointment, give Hudson Chimney a call!
