Clean Your Dryer Filter And Avoid Becoming A House Fire Statistic
November 7, 2018
source: CleanAir Solutions / iStock
Did you know that dryer fires account for about 20,000 house fires in the Unites States each year? This is quite an alarming statistic, and the saddest part about it is that dryer fires can be easily avoided. When you neglect to clean the lint from your dryer’s filter, it blocks your dryer’s vents. When this happen, the lint can catch on fire extremely easily — even after just one or two times of not emptying the filter.
So, how can you avoid a dryer fire? The preventative measures are pretty simple. You should thoroughly empty out your dryer’s lint filter after each and every time you run the dryer. You should also be aware of your dryer’s ventilation system. At least once a year, you should carefully disconnect your dryer from its power source (or shut the gas off if you have a gas dryer) and check the vent or exhaust duct, which is usually located towards the back of the dryer.
You can disconnect the duct and then carefully vacuum out all of the sections. Unfortunately, the lint filter isn’t the only place where lint can build up, so it’s important that you check the ventilation system at least annually, too. Another extremely important thing to do is ensuring that during the winter, no snow pile is blocking the exterior dryer vent.
If you take into account these simple preventative measures, your dryer will operate how it’s meant to — and that’s by not causing a house fire.