Dryer fires are not fun. They can be dangerous, scary, and expensive! The best way to prevent dryer fires is by doing regular maintenance.
This includes making sure that you clear all the lint out of your dryer’s venting system every six months or so.
Preventative maintenance will save you time and money in the long run, which is why it’s always a good idea to invest in this habit for your home.
Always Clean Out the Lint Trap
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Dryer fires can be caused by lint that gets stuck in the vents. If you have a front-load dryer, then it’s important to check your lint trap before every load of laundry.
However, if you have a top-loading dryer, then this dryer vent cleaning ob becomes slightly more complicated as many people forget about their lint traps altogether.
To avoid making this mistake and causing additional damages to your home or personal property, make sure that you clear out all of the built-up gunk from around where the venting pipe attaches to the back of your machine at least once per month.
Doing so will reduce wear and tear on both parts while also preventing blockages from occurring due to excess build-up.
Install Your Vent Pipe with Care
A dryer vent is a critical part of your home’s heating system.
That means that it should be treated with just as much care and attention to detail when installing or repairing this piece of equipment as you would any other appliance in the house.
Using sheet metal screws instead of nails, for example, can help prevent both blockages and dangerous fires from occurring due to debris falling inside the pipe while it’s attached to the wall behind your machine.
Get Rid of any Combustibles
Excess lint and other debris can cause dryer fires as well.
If you happen to have a lot of flammable objects such as paper towels or tissue boxes in your laundry room, then it’s important that you either move them away from the machine completely or at least keep these items contained on top of some sort of counter space where they will be out of the way and unable to catch fire.
By keeping your appliances clean and doing regular maintenance on all parts, you’ll greatly reduce the chances of something like this ever happening again.
Choose a Solid Metal Dryer Duct
If you need to replace the metal dryer venting system in your house, make sure that you always choose a solid piece of galvanized steel piping.
This material will prevent dangerous fires from happening due to poorly made pipes rusting or corroding over time and causing damage to the surrounding area as well as anything else inside of them (i.e., lint).
Galvanized steel is also less prone to blockages than other types since it doesn’t easily bend over time like aluminum does when hot air rushes through its passageways at high speeds.
For this reason alone, investing in a quality pipe complete with locking flanges on all sides for an easier installation process should be considered mandatory if not just standard practice overall.
Read the Tags and Manuals
Next, it’s important to note that all dryers come with a set of manuals and safety tags.
Following these guidelines can help prevent many potential fire hazards from ever happening in the first place.
All you need is one small mistake or oversight for an accident like this to occur so always double-check your work before restarting any machine after performing maintenance on its parts.
Be Careful of Flammable Liquids
Never try to dry out wet clothes in the machine if you happen to spill something flammable like gasoline or paint thinner near your appliance.
Not only will this cause damage over time but it can also lead to extremely dangerous situations that could end up causing injury or death due to an accidental fire starting inside either one of these two substances catching on fire and spreading quickly throughout the room.
As always, remember that prevention is key when it comes to maintaining any sort of home heating system (and not just dryers).
This means being proactive about making sure all parts are clean, clear from debris buildup over time, and following safety guidelines provided by both manufacturers as well as state laws for added protection against fires caused by negligence.
Investigate Your Dryer if Your Clothes Aren’t Hot Enough
If you notice that your clothes are taking way longer to dry than usual or aren’t even drying at all, then it’s important to check the vent on the back of your machine.
This is because lint build-up can also cause heat transfer problems inside a unit.
This will result in an appliance that either runs too hot or is not nearly hot enough compared to how it should be working if new parts were installed correctly.
So don’t hesitate when investigating this possibility and always call for professional help whenever you need any type of repair work done on appliances like these.
Therefore, they’ll continue running smoothly over time instead of causing more damage by trying to fix them yourself at home without proper training or experience with certain tools needed for some repairs.
Check the Outdoor Vent
There’s also the possibility that something might be wrong with your outdoor venting system.
This is because lint, dirt, and other debris can clog up these delicate passageways over time if not cleaned properly, to begin with.
Therefore, it’s important to check them out regularly so you stay safe from fires starting inside of them or at least know what needs to be done about any problems before they get worse (and cause more damage).
Don’t Use Harsh Chemicals for Cleaning Lint Buildup
Although using dryer sheets can help reduce static cling in clothes as well as cut down on allergens like pet dander found in fabrics used throughout homes today, avoid their use when cleaning off lint around the lint trap or in the machine itself.
This is because these substances can also cause damage to your dryer over time.
This is since they’re not meant for this type of cleaning process and are full of harsh chemicals that could easily break down any flammable parts inside, which will only lead to more problems occurring later on.
Ready to Prevent More Dryer Fires?
As you can see, it’s not too difficult to prevent dryer fires. To learn more about this subject, continue reading this blog for more helpful articles.
