A Clean Dryer Prevents Fires
Did you know that the leading cause of fires stemming from your home’s washer or dryer is failure to clean? Unlike those caused by electrical malfunction and failure, fires traced to failure to clean are totally preventable. Here are some things to consider regarding the likelihood of a dryer fire in your home, what you can do to actively prevent them and how to select the right company to do the job.
Some Statistics Not To Be Taken Lightly
Unfortunately, people lose their homes and even lives from dryer fires every year. Here are some staggering statistics to take into account:
• According to the National Fire Protection Association, 2010 saw 16,800 “non-confined or confined home structure fires involving clothes dryers or washing machines result[ing] in 51 civilian deaths, 380 civilian injuries and $236 million in direct property damage” (NFPA.org)
• Washing machines and washer/dryer combinations combined accounted for just 8% of these fires in 2010 while dryers alone accounted for 92%
• While the cause of these fires is not always conclusive, there were 32% of dryer fires proven to result from failure to clean
Safety Tips to Actively Prevent Dryer Fires
Having your dryer vents professionally cleaned often is a necessity, but there are a lot of things you can do to keep your dryer—and as a result, dryer vents—clean.
• Never use your dryer without its lint filter
• Shake out and clean your lint filter after every load of laundry
• Inspect the outdoor vent flap to ensure that it is opened when your dryer is running
• If you have a gas dryer, get it inspected by professionals to check that the gas connection is intact and without leakage
• Use the right plug, outlet and cord to hook your dryer up to electricity – note that extension cords are designed for temporary use only!
• Don’t overload your dryer
• When you leave home or go to bed, turn your dryer off JUST IN CASE something goes awry
• These steps combined with regular dryer vent cleaning will greatly reduce the chances of you falling victim to a dryer fire.
Trust Induct Air Duct Cleaning to Protect You & Your Home
As you can see, the job of cleaning your dryer vents is a very important one. If your dryer is taking longer and longer on each load, then that’s a tell-tale sign your vents are getting dangerously full of lint and other debris. When this happens, you need a reliable, honest company like Induct Industries to remove the flammable, hazardous material from your vents and your life.
Years of research and practice in the field have lead us to the conclusion that high pressure air is the most effective method to clean a dryer duct. Not only does the air pull the lint right out of the vents, but it also sucks the lint out the seams of the duct, which are known to trap lint. To see for yourself how effective this process truly is, just give us a call to make an appointment!
Thanks for reading!
Induct Air Duct Cleaning
