THE DANGER OF HOUSE FIRE

The most common — and most frightening danger of not cleaning your dryer vents is the risk of house fire.

When lint collects in your dryer vents, it restricts the air flow, causing exhaust gases to get backed up — and creating the perfect environment for a fire to form.

Here are a few shocking facts from the National Fire Protection Association on how clothes dryers contribute to house fires:

Around 15,970 clothes dryer fires are reported each year, resulting in an estimated 13 civilian deaths, 444 civilian injuries, and $238 million in property loss.

Clothes dryers and washing machines are involved in one out of every 22 home fires, with dryers accounting for 92% of those fires.

The leading cause of clothes dryer fires (at 32%) is failure to clean the dryer.

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THE DANGER OF PEST INVASION

If a home fire doesn’t scare you, how about a pest invasion?

When you have a buildup of lint in your dryer vents,

your duct hood flap may not close properly

thus providing a small entrance for pests seeking shelter

and warmth during the winter.

The most popular dryer vent pests include birds, mice, bees and more..

you need to check and repair your duct exits.

 

High electricity bill costs

Why does not cleaning your clothes dryer mean you’ll have less money?

 

Well, first off all, dryers with excess lint use more energy, meaning you’re paying an average of $45 more per month on your energy bill. Once your dryer vent is cleaned, you’ll enjoy quicker and more efficient drying cycles.

Plus, when you’ve got a clogged dryer vent, you’ll need to run it more often in order to fully dry your clothes.

 

So how do you know if your clothes dryer needs cleaning?

Well, if you don’t remember the last time you cleaned your dryer vent, it’s probably time.

You should schedule a dryer cleaning service about once a year — more often if you run your dryer frequently. A family with four children, for instance, may want to have their dryer vents cleaned three times a year.