Nearly 3,000 Fires a Year from Clothes Dryers
In August of 2012, the United States Fire Administration (USFA) published a report on clothes dryer fires in residential buildings. The study found that U.S. fire departments responded to 2,900 clothes dryer fires each year. These fires resulted in multiple deaths and injuries and property loss of approximately $35 million. At Fresh Air, we have the expertise and the tools to clean your dryer ducting and minimize this risk.
How Does it Happen?
The USFA study reported that “failure to clean” was the leading factor contributing to these fires. Destructive fires can occur if clothes dryers are not maintained properly.
Dryer fires are most often caused by lint; it’s highly combustible. You probably know that lint comes from small clothing fibers plus dirt and debris on the clothes. The lint gets knocked off when the clothing is tossed around in the dryer drum. The lint filter traps a lot of it, but thinner particles get past the filter and collect in the dryer vent system. Plus, if there is a tear in your filter, even larger particles pass through.
After some time, so much lint accumulates in the dryer duct that it reduces the airflow. When enough hot air can’t escape, the inside of the duct heats up to a temperature high enough to ignite the lint. Once a flame is started, it can quickly spread throughout the ducting and back into the dryer itself.
Preventing Cloth Dryer Fires
The way to prevent clothes dryer fires is to remove lint and other flammables from the traps, the dryer ducts, and the areas close to the dryer.
- We recommend a metal duct listed by UL or other approved product safety agency instead of the common flexible plastic duct. The plastic itself is a material that easily ignites.
- Clean your lint filter each time you use the dryer.
- If you cannot clean the entire length of ducting from your dryer to the outside air, then hire a professional firm with the necessary equipment to ensure your dryer ducting is clean.
- Be alert for signs and symptoms: If heavy clothes like towels take a long time to dry, or if clothes feel hotter than normal at the end of the cycle, it’s likely that your dryer duct has a lint build up. Have your entire dryer duct – from the dryer to the outside – cleaned immediately.
Contact us for your San Diego and Temecula dryer duct cleaning. We’re a local, family owned company with an A+ rating at the Better Business Bureau.
San Diego Dryer Duct Cleaning | Fresh Air
Fresh Air – Industry Leader in Air Duct and Chimney Cleaning
1-800-980-2777
