Dryer Duct Safety & Cleaning

16,000 Fires Each year Are caused by lint Build up in the dryer

A few minutes of preventative maintenance may save your families life!
 
The biggest single appliance cause of fires in the US is the Clothes Dryer, but how many people think about where that lint is going? Lint passes by the filter and gets caught in bends or ridges in the dryer exhaust vent. In many cases the homeowner can remove the lint with their vacuum. Here’s How:

Jon Roswall of Capitol Duct Cleaning, is a local authority on Dryer vent cleaning. Capitol Duct Cleaning regularly removes bird nests, bees nest, rodent nests, compacted lint, plants and even articles of clothing from the dryer vents. Our advice is simple: Unplug the Dryer. Remove the lint filter and vacuum inside the compartment, and all accessible areas. Remove the back of the dryer and vacuum all accessible areas, then vacuum the exhaust vent, if possible.

We also caution: Manufacturers recommend that installers use smooth metal ducting, but often we find plastic ducting and that can catch lint easier. Additionally, if the metal duct is bent, it must be replaced. Often times, the dryer ducting is an afterthought and requires that the installer uses a longer vent than current code allows.
 
Ask yourself the following questions:
  
Does it take more than one cycle to dry your clothes?

If your dryer quits working and needs replacing, could it have been the dryer duct impacted with lint that burned out the appliance before its time?
  
How much air is being exhausted at the outside of the home?
  
How far is the dryer from the outside wall? A long run can be impossible for a homeowner to clean without special tools.