Appliance maintenance is important for safety and efficiency. When neglected, you run the risk of premature break down, increased energy usage, and in some cases, a house fire. Unfortunately, few people think of their clothes dryer as a potential threat. Read on to learn one example of the potential cost of neglected maintenance.
Mom just purchased a new dryer because the old one wasn’t working well. She assumed that it was worn out and couldn’t be fixed. On his way home from work, dad picked up the new dryer from the appliance store and had a neighbor help him bring it into the house and hook it up.
Mom was very happy because she was able to dive in to the mountain of laundry that had been building up for the last couple weeks. At her dismay, the very first load took more than one cycle to dry! “Oh well, maybe the new appliance just needs to be broken-in,” she thought as she started the next load.
After completing just two loads of laundry, she noticed that the laundry room was unusually hot and humid. Dad came in to check the situation out, but he didn’t have a clue as to what the problem was. “We definitely need to open some windows and vent the hot air,” he said.
Dad was partially right; hot air certainly needed to be vented, but not by opening windows. The dryer ducts and dryer vent system are designed to vent the hot air from the clothes dryer.
The problem was caused by lint build-up in the old dryer vent tube, which they failed to notice when they connected it to the new clothes dryer. By coincidence, I was in the neighborhood, cleaning a dryer vent, when the young couple noticed my work van. They called the number on the side of the van and I was sent to their home to check things out.
I replaced their old vinyl dryer duct with an aluminum dryer vent system as I explained that their old system, though commonly used in the past, was no longer considered safe. This type of venting material is really designed for use on a bathroom exhaust fan.
I also took the time to show them how the lint was blocking air flow, causing the dryer vent system to overheat. This is a fire hazard and it causes the clothes dryer to use more energy.
Though they were very relieved to have the problem fixed before they had a fire, they were also heart broken to learn that they probably didn’t need to replace the clothes dryer. This was an expensive lesson to learn, but it could have been much worse!
Webb Dickson owns Dryer Vent Wizard, a dryer vent cleaning, repair and installation company who also educates consumers by providing maintenance tips and information about keeping their dryer running safely and efficiently. Webb Dickson provides professional dryer vent cleaning, dryer vent repair and dryer vent installation for consumers and businesses in New Hampshire, Nashua, Manchester, Concord, Portsmouth, Derry, Bedford, Keene, Milford, Middlesex and Essex County, Massachusetts, Billerica, Burlington, Westford, Concord, Stow, Marlborough, Natick, Hopkinton, Framingham, Gloucester, Middleton, Newburyport, Haverhill, Lawrence, Beverly and neighboring cities and communities.
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Dryer Vent Cleaning Essex County, Massachusetts 978.692.6396 Gloucester, Middleton, Newburyport, Haverhill, Lawrence, Beverly