Do You Have the Best Dryer Exhaust System?
Posted by: Horatio Chiorean in Education, tags: appliance maintenance, appliance repair, clothes dryer exhaust, dryer exhaust ul standards, dryer vent cleaning, dryer vent repair, dryer vent safety, Education, fire safety, home and family, household, household appliancesHow often do you have your appliances professionally inspected for safety? Most people have the furnace checked every year, but how often do you have your clothes dryer inspected? Sadly, most people never even think about this unless they have experienced a dryer fire. Like furnaces, clothes dryers also must be properly maintained. The dryer exhaust system should be inspected to be sure it is up to code.
Underwriters Laboratories
First, you need to know the rating of the products you are using. The UL rating should be printed somewhere on the information about the parts that make up your dryer vent system. While most of the more recent clothes dryers that have been installed are UL approved, there are many people using clothes dryers that have been in place for many years, or they have just changed out the dryer, but not the vent system. That means it’s time to pull your dryer out, or have a professional do it for you, and make sure the parts of the vent system are up to the newer standards.
Shortest Distance
Just like so many other things in life, the shortest distance to the destination is the best plan of action for your clothes dryer. The vent system has to carry hot air and lint out of your home and the more piping it has to work through the harder it has to work. Additionally, the more line there is to make it through the more chance that lint will get caught up in the line and start to clog up the pipes which can cause a fire hazard and reduce the efficiency of your dryer.
Twists and Turns
What does the route of your dryer vent tube look like? Does it make several turns before getting to the vent outside? These turns also restrict air flow and increase the chance of lint being caught up within the exhaust system. This reduces the performance of your clothes dryer, increases drying time, uses more energy and can be a fire hazard.
Rough Inside
Is your dryer exhaust tube smooth on the inside or are there screws for the lint to get caught on? The pipe should be smooth to allow easy air flow and less chance of lint getting caught and clogging the system. A newer vent system will be pieced together so that there are no screws protruding to the inside.
The pieces and parts that make up the exhaust system for your clothes dryer are very important aspects of the entire system that gets your clothes dry at the end of the day. If you don’t know what makes up the rest of the system, it’s time to find out, or call in a professional to inspect and evaluate your dryer vent system.
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