Your clothes dryer is essential to your household routine. It has to be working properly so you and your family will have clean, dry clothes to wear to work and school. But even more importantly than that, it needs to be operating safely.
Clothes dryers create a lot of heat, and you must make sure that this heat won’t create a fire hazard. Professional dryer vent cleaning is critical. Here’s why.
The Vent Removes Moisture
As your clothes dryer runs, the hot air must be vented out of the appliance and out of your home. It carries the moisture from your laundry with it, creating that steamy cloud that smells of fresh, clean clothes. If the hot air can’t easily get out of the vent, the moisture can’t, either. Your clothes will stay damp!
Laundry Creates Lint
Small amounts of fiber from your clothes are shed every time they go through the dryer. Most of them are caught in the lint filter, which you should be cleaning every time you use the dryer. But not all of them get caught! Over time, more and more of these fibers make their way into your vent pipe, coating and clogging it with lint.
Clogged Vents Cause Problems
As noted above, a clogged vent prevents moisture from escaping, leaving your laundry wet. This means you’ll need to run the dryer longer just to get the same job done, driving your energy bills up. But as frustrating as damp socks and high bills are, they’re nothing compared to a house fire. The dry lint and excessive dryer use will combine to create a dangerous fire hazard. Don’t risk it!
Professional Cleaning Is Necessary
These days, you can find a DIY tutorial on just about anything online! But that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to do everything yourself. Dryer cleaning is one of the things that should really be left to the pros. They have the tools and training to do the job safely and completely, getting the vent thoroughly clean without causing any damage.
Signs of a Dryer in Need of Vent Cleaning
This routine maintenance job should be done regularly. We strongly recommend that it be done every year, so if you haven’t had it done this year, schedule it now. Other signs that dryer vent cleaning is getting to be an urgent concern are the following:
- Rising Bills: If your dryer seems to be requiring more energy to get the job done, it has become inefficient, and a clogged vent is the most likely cause.
- Damp Clothes: An ineffective vent will cause the dryer to do a poor job with your laundry.
- Hot Exterior: Even when your dryer is running, it should not be hot to the touch. If the exterior of your dryer is heating up, the vent needs to be cleaned so that heat can be safely directed out of the appliance.
- Odors: An overheating dryer may smell hot and dry. If you notice an acrid or burning odor, shut the dryer off immediately! Don’t turn it on again until it’s been sorted out by professionals.
Don’t take unnecessary risks! Schedule dryer vent cleaning service in Shallowater, TX.
JD’s Prompt Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning serves the Lubbock area. Contact us for all your dryer vent needs.