Clogged Dryer Vent Hose Can Be Dangerous.
Your drier vent hose is often over looked but it will save energy and reduce a fire hazard.
We had a scary situation in the house that we just purchased. After about a month
our drier stopped working. After some testing I figured out that it was the motor.
So, off to buy a new drier. When the new one was installed it ran hot, very hot. Upon
further inspection I decided that it might be the drier vent.
I crawled into a space that is too small for me and discovered that the drier vent
extended 20 feet to the side of the house. I pulled the end of the vent that is closest
to the drier and it was full of lint. So I pulled the entire thing. The morons that lived
here before us had attached two pieces together and attached then with screws. Yes
they screwed screws into the vent. So the screw extended about an inch into the
vent, on all 4 sides. Can you say lint trap? Can you say fire hazard? I replaced the
entire vent pipe and it is working fine. I have not decided if I am scared or just mad.
I think just scared.
Be sure to check your dryer vent, for so many reasons. It will save energy, because
your dryer will not have to work as hard. It will also keep your clothes from being
over adjetated and they will last longer. It will prevent a fire, the dryer is designed to
create great amounts of heat to disipate moisture from the clothes. some of that
heat is sent out the dryer vent. It creates forced air that heat past lint that has be
exposed to moisture and heat and cooling numerous times so it breaks the lint
down to be very flamable. Watch out, protect yourself!
Denton Lesslie is the president of
http://www.greathomeimprovements.com
and a consultant for Department of Energy’s Building America Division for the
last 6 years. There are many articles about your
appliances.