You could be at risk of an accidental fire in your home if your dryer vent is clogged. The US Fire Administration published a report that found that 2,900 clothes dryer fires are reported every year, and these fires result in approximately five deaths, 100 injuries, and $35 million in property losses. The leading cause for these fires was failure to clean the dryer vent, which means these fires could have been prevented. Weststar Chimney Sweeps can help you prevent an accidental clothes dryer fire in your home with our professional dryer vent cleaning services. Our technicians have the training and experience to remove all of the lint and other debris from your dryer vent, which greatly reduces your risk of a fire. This service is recommended to be done annually, but there are a few warning signs that can alert you to have your dryer vent cleaned as soon as possible. We would like to tell you about these signs so you will know when your vent is clogged.
Your clothes are still damp after a complete dryer cycle.
When the dryer vent is clogged, your clothes dryer cannot work as efficiently as it could. When the hot and damp air is unable to leave the dryer through the vent, it makes it difficult for a load of clothes to dry completely in one cycle. When your clothes are still damp at the end of a drying cycle, you should contact Weststar Chimney Sweeps to schedule an appointment for a dryer vent cleaning. You will notice that your clothes dryer will work better than ever after we have cleaned the vent.
Your dryer is too hot to touch.
A clogged dryer vent causes your dryer to overheat, and the appliance can become too hot to touch. This is a warning sign of a dangerous situation as these high temperatures can easily ignite the lint that is clogged inside the vent. You may even notice a burning smell, and if you do, you should immediately turn your dryer off and contact Weststar Chimney Sweeps to clean the vent.
Your lint screen is only collecting lint on half of the screen.
You should be cleaning off the lint from the lint screen before or after each load of clothes you dry. When your vent is working properly, one side of the entire lint screen should be covered with lint. However, if you notice that the screen is only collecting lint on part of the screen, on both sides of the screen, or not collecting any lint at all, this is a sign that the dryer vent is clogged and unable to work correctly. Weststar Chimney Sweeps can clean the dryer vent so that it will be able to work properly.
If you notice any of these warning signs, your dryer vent is most likely clogged. To prevent this hazard from becoming more dangerous, contact us at Weststar Chimney Sweeps to schedule an appointment for our professional dryer vent cleaning services.