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 Fred Brewer | Jan 13, 2015 | Cleaning Dryer Vents
Many of our customers at Hudson Chimney are surprised to learn that their clothes dryer vent should be professionally cleaned once a year. An easily forgotten maintenance task, neglecting to thoroughly clean your dryer vent annually can lead to a dangerous house fire. As stated by the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), 15,000 fires, 15 deaths, and 400 injuries caused by dirty clothes dryer vents were reported to the US Fire Administration each year between 2002 and 2004. To be sure your dryer is not a fire hazard, an annual professional cleaning of the vent is important for the safety of your house and family. Your clothes dryer will also work much more effectively, which will save you money on electric or gas bills. We would like to share with you some of the reasons behind the importance of this yearly maintenance step.
A Dirty Clothes Dryer Vent Can Decrease the Efficiency of Your Dryer.
When your dryer vent is clogged with lint and debris, your clothes dryer will not work as well as it should. You may notice clothes still being wet or damp after going through a full drying cycle. This is one of the main signs of a dirty vent and should be a clear signal that your venting system needs cleaning. When you must use your dryer at its highest temperature, it decreases the life of the appliance and can also lead to your heating element burning out or a fire igniting. A dirty clothes dryer venting system will also cost you more money as it takes more electricity or gas to dry a load of clothes.
Dirty Dryer Vents Can Also Lead to the Possibility of Carbon Monoxide Leaks.
If you have a gas-powered clothes dryer, you must be sure that it is properly vented and that its exhaust vent is free from blockages from lint and debris. If there are venting problems or blockages, carbon monoxide can be forced back into the home. If you do not have an alarm for carbon monoxide, you could may never realize you are breathing in carbon monoxide until it is too late because this toxic gas is odorless and tasteless. Even if you have an electric dryer, you still have the possibility of carbon monoxide leaks due to a dirty vent.
The Locations of Dryers in Newer Homes Necessitate Annual Dryer Vent Cleaning and Inspecting.
The complex construction of newer homes is placing dryers in bathrooms, kitchens, closets, and other locations with no outside wall. This means a longer venting system must be installed and usually contains bends. This type of venting is harder to access, and its additional length provides more space for lint accumulation as well as a spot for animals and birds to hide. An annual dryer vent cleaning is especially important in these incidents to protect your home from a possible fire.
Just Because You Clean Your Dryer Vent Filter from Lint After Each Load Does Not Mean You Do Not Need an Annual Professional Vent Cleaning.
Although routine removal of lint from the dryer vent can reduce the risk of fire by 90%, you still need to schedule a professional cleaning of the dryer vent every year. Large clogs of lint can be found in the venting ducts as well as in the inner side of the wall. To ensure proper cleaning of your dryer’s venting system, you need to call a dryer exhaust technician from Hudson Chimney to do this task for you.
If you would like to schedule an appointment for your annual dryer vent cleaning, contact Hudson Chimney today. We can send our dryer exhaust vent technicians to your home to be sure your clothes dryer is not a fire hazard.
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!
