Two things have to happen in order for a fire to start: fuel has to burn, and something has to keep it burning. Have you Ever received the maintenance talk from a mother or a father? It’s not usually pretty, but it gets the job done.
Installing a dryer vent correctly is kind of like raising a child: it takes a lot of time and energy to do right, but it pays off in the end. Failure to do dryer vent cleaning Vaughan and poor maintenance of the dryers is the leading cause of home fires.
Step 1: Emptying the Lint Screen
You need to do this every time after you have dried a load. If you let a lot of lint accumulate on the screen, it will act as a dam, limiting the amount of air that can flow through the screen and then through the rest of the dryer. With the lint damming up the works, the dryer has to run longer to do its job, which is inefficient and potentially unsafe.
Step 2: Cleaning the Dryer Duct
Despite being very careful when evacuating the lint screen, small fibres and debris will make their way past the screen and into the dryer vent. Lint buildup is bad for your dryer and bad for your home. A dryer vent could very well be the least-thanked part of any person’s comfort in your home.
Doing dryer vent cleaning Vaughan is a straightforward undertaking—assuming you have access to the vent. If not, you might need to call in a professional (provided you don’t want to rip your laundry room apart). And before you do anything, always ensure the dryer is unplugged. The first step in the cleaning process is to detach the vent from the dryer.
Once that’s done, vacuum both sides of the vent with a powerful shop vac. After that, it’s vital to clean the rear side of the appliance and then inspect the duct for any kinks or signs of wear and tear. Also, if your vent shaft runs up into the wall of the house, make sure to clean that, too—it’s equally important. Once the vent and shaft are clean, the final step is to check the outside vent. The cover should open up with no restrictions at all, and you should feel a solid rush of air coming out of your house.
Does your drying cycle take too long? Check to see if the vent is blocked. Most good dryers have vent snarl indicators that will let you know when it’s time to do cleaning of the vent. Don’t use your vacuum cleaner to do this, by the way, it’s too strong, and you might damage the duct or the heater in the process.
Step 3: Cleaning the Sensors
When doing dryer vent cleaning Vaughan, do not forget to clean the sensors that tell the dryer when the load is dry. These are metal rods that live in the front of the dryer, and they’re in the direct line of the load when the door is open. They sense moisture. If they can’t, the dryer can’t either.
To remedy this issue, after a few months—or whenever the automatically set cycles appear to be hitting the wrong target—clean the sensors with a cotton ball and some rubbing alcohol. The sensors are installed in your dryer, just underneath the door. In case you don’t see them there, refer to your owner’s manual.
Step 4: Repeat
Just as you expect to do seasonal preventative maintenance on your HVAC, the average homeowner should clean their dryer vent every six months to a year. But if you have a large household that goes through a lot of laundry, you might consider doing it more often, just to be safe.
Include Dryer Vent Cleaning Vaughan in Your Home Maintenance Checklist
It is easy to forget about the not-so-glamorous clothes dryer, but the dryer vent cleaning Vaughan is a home maintenance task that you should not overlook. Ensuring that the dryer vent is clean and clear is not only about efficiency; it is about safety. A lint-clogged dryer vent can lead to the home becoming a tinderbox. A clean dryer vent can equate to the efficient operation of the dryer, which can save the homeowner some dollars in utility costs.
