Protect Your Home! The Winter time is Dryer Fire season!

There are 40 Clothes Dryers that start a fire every day in the US and winter time is the peak season! There were 14,600 fires, 99 million in damage, 400 injuries, 15 deaths, in the U.S. this year!

The first step in Dryer safety is the task you do every time you dry a load of clothes. Clean that lint trap in the dryer. You probably think of this as a thing you do for cleanliness, which is true. But it's also the first step in Dryer safety. If your Lint trap filter is damaged, has holes in the screen, is bent, or missing, replace it asap and before using the dryer. Use your dryer lint brush to remove any lint build-up around the seat of the Lint trap. Along with your weekly carpet vacuuming, use your crevice tool to suck up any lint or dust balls in the area where the lint rap is seated, and around the dryer's exterior itself.

Before pulling the dryer out of it's normal location, get in a position so you see over the backside of the dryer and view what the flexible vent ducting looks like when the dryer is in it's normal operating position. It should have enough room so it is not smashed or dented, and it facilitates the unrestricted flow of air to the outside. Now pull that dryer out so you can remove the duct. Use your eyes and hands to check for, and remove any build up of lint that you can see and reach. For any duct work located inside the homes structure we recommend you hire a pro as they do this everyday and have seen every type of system and have all the tools to combat any debris and clogs that may be found inside those lines, without damaging them.

We recommend that your dryer vent system with normal family use, be cleaned every 2 years. Prices will normally start at $125.00 with additional charges for going on the roof, if your systems vent outlet is located there. It may be less if combined with a full Cleaning of all your homes Hvac ducts.

Note:

Check and ensure you have the recommended "rigid flex" vent ducting material! Do Not use the Vinyl Flex or the Aluminum Foil Flex types, what we in the business refer to as slinky ducts, as they are actually flammable themselves. Not to mention they are flimsy, ill fitting, and easy to compress and collapse causing accelerated vent blockages. We recommend either the all metal aluminum duct with rotating 90 degree ends, or the All Aluminum Flex Duct made by Dryer Flex, rated up to 660 degrees (Rigid flex).

This is the final step in ensuring your home is kept safe from Dryer fires! Installing a Dryer Vent Alert Monitor can help prevent dryer fires by letting you monitor and detect lint build-up in your dryer duct system. It is a air pressure sensor system that is installed in a clean duct. It's notification display system is a line of LED lights progressing from Green, to Yellow, and finally Red. At high pressures an alarm also sounds. The Lint Alert device also has a built in electrical outlet as most laundry rooms are short of electrical outlets. At around $40.00 to $50.00 installed it is worth the price for your piece of mind.

• Have your Dryer's Vent System cleaned by a Professional!
• Do not use a dryer with a missing or damaged lint filter!
• Clean the lint filter after and before each load of clothes!
• Check and ensure you have the recommended rigid flex vent ducting material!
• Never, under any condition, leave your Drying running when no one is home.
• Do not turn the dryer on and then go to bed.
• Verify you outdoor vent flap is operational (opens with air flow and closes with no air flow).
• Follow the manufactures directions and do not overload the machine.
• Always use Foil Tape, or Clamps to secure your flexible vent ducting to the Dryer air exhaust vent fitting and the house's air exhaust vent fitting. Never use screws that will penetrate to the inside of the duct venting as they are magnets for lint and become collection points for buildup.