Dryer Vent Cleaning

There are 15,500 fires, 310 injuries, and 10 deaths annually due to dryer vent fires. They also result in millions of dollars in property loss. However, all of this can easily be avoided. Dryer vent ducts are usually a 4 inch diameter, so even small amounts of lint can cause excessive drying times and risk of fire. Dryer vents in most homes are on average 10-15 feet long and have about two turns. The longer the vent, the less pressure your dryer can build up to expel the lint created from the drying process and the more lint build-up occurs. More turns in your dryer vent line also reduce the pressure of dryer's exhaust, however, turns also pose a second problem, which is having the lint build up on the turns and corners of your vent line. Eventually, these become blocked and can cause a fire. Another common problem is having bird nests in your dryer vent. The pine needles and leaves the birds bring into your dryer vent can block exhaust, increasing drying times as well as creating risk of fire.