The Danger of Not Cleaning a Dryer Vent & Air Duct Cleaning in NJ

FREEHOLD, N.J. - Sept. 27, 2017 - PRLog -- Dryer Vent Cleaning to Prevent Dangerous Fires

Dryer vents are built with an approximately four inch diameter exhaust duct that allows dryer air to exhaust through the connection to the outdoors. There are four basic reasons a dryer must exhaust to the outdoors. These are:

1. To remove moisture from the room in which the dryer is located.
2. To remove excess heat from the dryer's location
3. To meet codes requirements like National Fuel Gas Code, UL 2158 Electric Clothes Dryer Standard for venting, ANSI Z21.5.1 for gas clothes dryers and International Mechanical Code: 2009 version, sections 504 and 913.
4. To avoid lint accumulation in dryer and laundry area.

There are also other sections of these codes that also apply to commercial and multi-dryer venting systems.

Dryer vents handle up to 230 cubic feet per minute of air flow. Top laundry manufacturers provide warnings for the proper installation of dryers by professionals to avoid the possibility of fire. However, these warnings also include the warning that even though dryers are equipped with lint screens, fine particles of lint can still pass through the lint screen and be exhausted out of the dryer. This shows how important proper dryer venting is and the danger of not cleaning a dryer vent.

With the narrow diameter of four inch vents, over time and with heavy dryer use, lint build up in dryer vents is inevitable. Manufacturers of dryers all provide instructions on the proper maintenance of dryer vents. They recommend that every dryer vent system be inspected and cleaned periodically to insure that there are no defects from wear and is free of lint accumulation. Air Duct cleaning  & Dryer vent cleaning frequencies may vary according to the size of the dryer, the dryer vent system size and average use. Most manufacturers recommend annual inspections for single family dryers and annual dryer vent cleaning. For commercial dryers, more frequent inspections and cleanings are necessary to avoid a hazardous fire.

Signs of Danger of Not Cleaning a Dryer Vent

There are several early warning signs that your dryer vent is due for an inspection and cleaning. The first sign is usually laundry that takes a longer drying time or isn't thoroughly dry. The other sign of a potential danger is that the dryer requires higher temperatures for the drying process. This is usually where the danger begins. When the dryer requires more energy and higher temperatures, this indicates that the dryer vent may already be compromised by a build up of lint. Since most homeowners and commercial laundry businesses don't have the type of equipment to thoroughly remove build up, it is suggested by dryer manufacturers that an annual inspection and cleaning be performed by professionals.