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7 Reasons to Clean Your Dryer Vents

It’s not uncommon for most people to not give much thought to their dryer ventilation. Typically, if the dryer appears to be doing its job, then there’s no apparent reason to give it any more thought. What you may not know is that over time, even with high-quality dryer vents, lint can make its way into the ventilation system and begin to build up. This build-up of lint in your dryer vent can pose a potentially serious safety hazard if it isn’t addressed on a routine basis.

There are several reasons that you should schedule a dryer vent cleaning to be performed as soon as possible. We’re going to explore seven of these reasons in today’s post, and by the end, we believe that you’ll be convinced of the importance of taking care of your dryer vent system.

Reduce Your Laundry Run Times

If it takes longer than a single run cycle to get your laundry loads dry, it could be an indication that your dryer vent system is not performing to its full potential. In fact, this could be a sign that your dryer vents are becoming clogged, which among other things, is a fire hazard. With dryer vent cleaning services, Bailey’s Appliance Repair can dislodge and remove any clogs, which will result in a much more efficiently operating dryer. There’s no reason why you should have to devote more time than necessary to taking care of your laundry by running multiple drying cycles. After getting your dryer vents professionally cleaned, you will immediately see an improvement in your dryer’s performance and effectiveness.

Prolong Your Clothing’s Lifespan

When your dryer is operating with a clogged or partially obstructed vent, it can cause laundry loads to become much hotter than they are designed to be. Because the ventilation is compromised, the heat that could otherwise escape is trapped in the machine and can expose your clothing to much higher temperatures than intended. This heat can cause damage to your clothing and cause the fibers in them to begin to deteriorate. Higher heat combined with longer running times as the result of clogged dryer vents means that you could be doing some serious damage to your clothing over time.

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Drastically Extend the Life of Your Dryer

If your dryer takes more than one run cycle to dry your clothing, it’s easy to assume that the problem is with the machine itself. In actuality, it’s very likely that your machine is functioning as it should, but a compromised ventilation system is causing it to run less efficiently, and may actually be causing unnecessary damage to your dryer. When you stay on top of your dryer vent maintenance, you’re allowing your dryer to continue to operate under optimal circumstances and achieve its peak performance capabilities, which in turn extends the life of your dryer. In the big picture of things, you’ll be saving a lot of money by not needing to purchase a new dryer as a result of improper maintenance.

Lower Your Energy Bill

What do you suppose will happen to your energy bill when you need to run more than a single cycle to fully dry your clothing? With clogged vents, your dryer will need to run more often and for longer cycles to get its job done, and each of those run cycles costs you money. It’s not uncommon for compromised ventilation systems to cause dryers to completely stop functioning for no apparent reason. Even if your dryer is brand new, a vent system that hasn’t received the maintenance it needs to function properly can affect your energy consumption. In order to minimize energy consumption and optimize efficiency, we recommend scheduling a vent cleaning on an annual basis.

Reduce Airborne Allergens

Anytime that there is a build-up of dust, lint, or other materials in your ventilation system, it can contribute to the flourishing of allergens. When allergens are allowed to accumulate, you can begin to see adverse effects on the health of your family members and other occupants of your home, especially if they suffer from respiratory ailments like asthma.

At the end of a dryer cycle, your clothing is supposed to be completely dried. When this is not the case, and your clothing is still even slightly damp, it can be a contributing factor to the formation of irritating allergens. If your clothing is still damp at the end of a cycle, it’s likely that the lack of free ventilation is both being caused by moisture and causing moisture to accumulate. It’s like a damaging moisture loop that compounds on itself until the problem is addressed, and is the perfect spawning ground for allergens and other irritants.

Reduce Risk of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

If your dryer is gas-powered, improper ventilation can begin to cause some serious problems. Carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless, and highly toxic, and when it isn’t allowed to be properly ventilated through your duct system, it can be vented right back into your living area, causing flu-like symptoms or even worse. If your dryer is gas-powered, it is absolutely vital that you maintain your ventilation system, as a failure to do so can put yourself and your family’s health in jeopardy.

Optimize Your Fire Safety Measures

Dryer fires are among the most common causes of residential fires in the United States. In fact, there are over 18,000 dryer-related fires in the USA every year, so they are far from isolated incidents. Many of these fires could have been avoided with some simple ventilation maintenance by licensed professionals. Dryer lint is very flammable, and when it is allowed to build up and be exposed to high levels of heat for long periods of time, it’s a recipe for disaster. While older machines and vents are more susceptible to fires, even the most recent and advanced machines are not immune, so it’s important that you stay vigilant and proactive by scheduling routine dryer vent maintenance on at least an annual basis.

Fast & Friendly Dryer Vent Cleaning in NYC

Bailey’s Appliance Repair & Installation is a small business in New York that is committed to providing quality, licensed services to our customers. As a smaller business, we’re able to provide each of our customers with the attention to detail that they deserve. When you schedule dryer ventilation services with us, you’ll receive a fast response and friendly service that fits into your busy schedule. Contact us in New York, Queens, the Bronx, Jamaica, and Brooklyn today!