Get In Front of Your Dryer’s Backside

By Adam Overstreet

Dryer vents are one of the most overlooked parts of your home. From the initial build to many years down the road, dryer vents remain out of sight and out of mind. As a result, they are rarely, if ever, maintained.

I am Adam Overstreet, Owner/Operator of PreVent Cleaning Service. We specialize in dryer vent cleaning and repair. I started this company to grow awareness and educate the community on the importance of dryer vent cleaning.

Often, signs of a struggling exhaust system are overlooked until something goes wrong. Some warning signs include long drying times, overheating, shutting off, excessive lint, and even a burning smell. If your dryer vent isn't regularly cleaned, it’s forced to work harder to dry each load. Prolonged drying cycles can overheat the lint trapped in the dryer vent. This build-up of lint can ignite within the dryer cabinet, causing a dryer fire in your home.

Our initial inspection includes a code compliance check to make sure everything is connected properly, and the correct materials are being used. Dryer vent codes were not established until the early-mid 90s, so often in older homes (and some newer builds) we see inadequate materials used. Thin foil hose and vinyl plastic are non-code compliant and unsafe to use anywhere in your system. In the event of a spark, these materials ignite, failing to contain the fire the way a proper exhaust system should. There is a good chance that if your home was constructed prior to 1995, your dryer exhaust system is not up to code and could be a danger to you and your home.

Over 16,000 dryer fires are reported each year. However, this number doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s not uncommon for us to find burnt lint in the vents we are servicing, meaning that a fire sparked at some point but was luckily contained. We love our firefighters and they stay busy enough as it is, so let’s help them by making sure we’ve done all we can do to PreVent a fire! Beyond the dangers of non-compliant systems, there are also energy and financial impacts. Dryer taking too long to dry? We see too often customers buy a brand new dryer attempting to resolve this issue, only to then call us to service the vent. If your dryer is getting hot but taking more than one cycle to dry your clothes, it is more than likely not your dryer but a lack of airflow due to lint build-up in your dryer vent.

If you haven’t had your dryer vent checked within the last year, or don’t know if or when it's ever been checked, we can give you peace of mind knowing that your dryer exhaust system is up to code and running safely and efficiently. Give us a call anytime at (803) 220-3384 or visit our website at www.preventcleaningservice.com for more info. We look forward to serving you and thanks for reading!