A late December Central Indiana apartment fire has been ruled accidental by the Avon fire department. The fire began in a dryer vent. Clothes dryers in residential, condominiums, apartments and commercial applications are susceptible to dryer vent fires.
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that 15,500 fires associated with clothes dryers occur annually. These fires account for an average of 10 deaths and 310 injuries and more than $100 million in property damage each year.
With all we know about the importance of appliance maintenance, for example, furnace cleaning, few think about their clothes dryer maintenance, beyond the obvious need to keep the lint filter clean. Ask yourself the following questions regarding your clothes dryer:
Have you noticed your clothes dryer working less efficiently lately? Has it been taking an hour or more to dry a load of laundry? Do clothes have a moldy smell when you remove them? Is your laundry hot to the touch when you remove it from the dryer? Do you see lint build-up behind and around the dryer?
If you have answered yes to any of these questions, it is time to have your dryer vent system inspected for airflow problems that eventually lead to a dryer fire.
A well-maintained dryer vent system will eliminate a fire hazard, use less energy and help reduce maintenance costs while extending the life of the clothes dryer.
Proper installation of dryer vent systems and using the right materials is also critical for dryer safety.
“All clothes dryers should be vented outside, not into the basement, attic, crawlspace or garage,” said Glen Mayfield, owner of Dryer Vent Wizard of Central Indiana. “The dryer ducts need to be made of rigid metal, not the flexible foil or vinyl type that homeowners often install. The entire dryer vent tube leading to the vent outside should be as short and straight as possible; excessively long ducts with several turns will slow down the air flow.”
Dryer vent maintenance companies recommend professional dryer vent cleaning every year to keep a dryer running efficiently and safely. Lint clogged dryer vents restrict the necessary airflow needed by dryers to remove lint and moisture from clothing and send it outside through your dryer vent.
Dryer Vent Wizard has lunched a national marketing campaign for the year and wants to make one million clothes dryers safer and greener by 2011.
For more information about dryer safety, call (317) 417-3490 or visit www.indydryerventguys.com.
