Your clothes dryer is likely one of the best conveniences in your home, and most homeowners consider it a major purchase. Your laundry units may cost a lot upfront, but it continues to give back for years. In order to get you your money’s worth, it’s important to use and maintain your clothes washer and dryer properly. If you fail to use your dryer properly and service it annually, it may end up costing you more money in the long run.
A dirty clothes dryer can cost you extra energy, can cost you your home, and even cost you your life and the lives of your loved ones. A dirty dryer vent is very dangerous, and you should most definitely get it cleaned by the professional regularly! At West Texas Chimney and Venting Solutions, we can take care of this maintenance for you!
Dirty Dryer Vents are Dangerous Dryer Vents
Your dryer vents should be cleaned annually to avoid malfunction, energy loss, and devastating fires. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, 2,900 clothes dryer fires are reported each year, accounting for 5 deaths, 100 injuries, and $35 million in property loss. The fact is that these fires are preventable. In fact, 34 percent of these fires are directly caused by failure to clean the unit. Dryer vent fires most often occur in the fall and winter, peaking in January, so we encourage our customers to get this valuable service done during the summer. With the busyness of fall and the holidays with family events, work and school, and budget, you should invest in a professional dryer vent cleaning today!
How Your Dirty Dryer Vents Are Costing You
When your dryer runs, excess heat, moisture, and lint are vented out of the tubing behind your unit. The moisture and lint can cling to the walls of the dryer vent, eventually packing very tightly with the help of the moisture and heat. This clog will become bigger and dangerous with each use of your unit. Once the vent becomes clogged, the dryer will fail to work properly, costing you extra time and money each time you use it.
- Running more than one cycle
When your clothes are still wet and you have to run the cycle two to three times, you’re using more energy than necessary. This practice also shortens the life of the dryer unit by two to three times, so that a dryer that should last ten years ends up lasting only three to five years! - Heating the rest of the house
When your dryer vents are clogged, the heat from the drying process has nowhere to go except inside your home. You may find that running your dryer raises the temperature in the home, so you run it at night (which puts your family at risk for smoke inhalation and death in the event of a fire!). A sign of this occurring is when your dryer is hot to the touch and your clothes are excessively hot after the cycle is complete. Your dryer may be making it more difficult to cool your home, costing you in cooling bills all summer long.
If you have signs of a clogged dryer vent, if you haven’t had your vent cleaned in the last year, or if your vents were not professionally installed, call West Texas at 806-358-0817 and schedule your dryer vent cleaning today.
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