Why Clean Your Dryer Vent?

Clothes dryers may pose a hazard in your home. If you don’t properly maintain it, your dryer can overheat and cause a devastating fire. In fact, dryers cause thousands of fires each year, but they can be prevented. Having your dryer cleaned once a year to clear lint build-up will not only help prevent fires, but will also save on energy costs.

Fire Prevention

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that clothes dryers are associated with approximately 15,600 fires annually, causing 15 deaths and over 100 million dollars in damages. Lint built up is the most common cause; and it’s not just in the lint filter. Dangerous amounts of lint can build up behind the dryer and inside the vent system, clogging the vent hose.

Fires can occur when lint builds up in the dryer or in the exhaust duct. Lint can block the flow of air, cause excessive heat build-up, and result in a fire in some dryers. Because lint is easily combustible, fires can start quickly. Flexible plastic hosing is the next thing to catch on fire and then it spreads quickly.

Safety is the main reason to have your dryer vent professionally cleaned at least once a year.

Energy Savings

According to recent industry studies, an excessively clogged dryer vent may add an additional $18-$24 to your home’s monthly energy bill. That translates to almost $300 a year in unnecessary fees. Also, clearing the lint build-up will reduce the strain of a clogged vent on your dryer and therefore prolong the life of the appliance.

In addition to fire prevention, saving money on your energy bill as well as prolonging the life of your dryer, is another great reason to clean your dryer vent.

What is a Dryer Vent? How is it cleaned?

Your dryer vent is the vent found behind the dryer, which carries moisture and lint through its length and expels these materials out of the home. (All gas dryer vents should vent to the outside of the home according to U.S. and Canadian law. This ensures that any potential carbon dioxide produced is vented away from the home).

Each company will vary in cleaning methods, but be sure that the company you choose utilizes an agitation tool with a long reach (40 feet or more) and is flexible in design. If they have airflow measurement tools, all the better.

Does a Dryer Vent Cleaning improve efficiency?

Yes! When a dryer vent is clogged with lint, air flow is greatly restricted, which causes your dryer to run longer. This uses unnecessary energy, which drives up your utility bills and puts your appliance at great risk for a break down. Appliance repairs are not only expensive; they are avoidable. Calling a professional dryer vent cleaner to clean out your dryer vent will ensure that your vent is clear of the debris that causes high energy costs for homes and businesses.

How does a Dryer Vent Cleaning prevent fires?

Failure to clean the dryer vent is the cause of most of these fires. In fact, your clothes dryer is more likely to cause a fire than your furnace, stove, and chimney combined. Prolonged drying cycles can overheat the lint trapped in the dryer vent. This built-up lint can ignite within the dryer cabinet, causing a dryer fire in your home. Recently, the National Fire Protection Association estimated that 14,500 residential fires were caused by clothes dryer vents, causing over 440 injures, including 14 deaths, and over $207 million in property damage. In fact, clothes dryer fires was the most reoccurring cause for home fires, beating out those furnaces and water heaters that are checked annually.

What building types can NJ Air Quality provide service?

We have the capability to service many types of homes. Call one of our expert representatives today to get you property set-up with New Jersey’s number one expert in dryer vent cleaning services!

Building Types We Service:

• Commercial Laundries
• Town home
• Condominiums
• Apartments
• Duplexes
• Single-Family Homes

We also do vent repair and replacement

Safeguarding your family and assets is probably cheaper than you think! Contact us online or by phone today to schedule an appointment.