Dryer Vents

One very small but important item that is included in every inspection is the dryer vent. Every year fires are started from a lack of maintenance with this particular item. Some people feel that cleaning the lint screen is sufficient. This is far from correct. The actual vent that leads to the outside is where most blockages occur. This happens when the moist warm air from your dryer escapes with lint from the clothing. The damp lint is in perfect condition to stick to the walls of the vent pipe and eventually itself which deters proper venting. Several industry leaders recommend installing a rigid metal pipe instead of the accordion plastic or foil vents to allow lint to pass more freely. This will help, but a periodic cleaning is recommended. There are numerous companies that will do this service for you; however a dryer cleaning kit is only around $20 and is fairly simple to use.