Common Causes Of Dryer Fires and How You Can Prevent Them
Cleaning your dryer might not be at the top of most homeowners’ to-do lists, but it should be! Did you know there were 15,970 home fires reported during 2010-2014 each year, and 92% of these fires involved clothes dryers?
These fires caused 13 fatalities annually, with another 444 individuals suffering injuries, and the monetary value placed on losses sustained in the fires approached $250 million. The biggest culprits for these fires were dust and lint, which caused 27% of the fires, followed closely by articles of clothing at 26%.
Certain parts of your dryer, like the lint filter, should be cleaned after every use. A more thorough cleaning should take place once a year. If you haven’t gotten into the habit of cleaning your dryer once a year, then it’s time to add it to your yearly deep-clean list.
If you don’t have time to give your dryer the thorough cleaning it requires, or you’re unsure of how to go about it, then don’t worry because there professionals who can get the job done for you. Applix Appliance Repair provides many repair and cleaning services for appliances around the home, including dryers. Now, let’s get into the specifics of cleaning your dryer.
How To Prevent Dryer Fires
Here are the basic steps necessary to clean your dryer, and prevent any kind of household fire from happening:
- remove lint from the trap before every load of laundry you do – this is the biggest single cause of house fires related to a dryer
- turn off the dryer – this is a safety step to accommodate the actions which follow
- remove residue from dryer drum – residue from clothing can become attached to the drum
- clear out the hose – detach the plastic hose from the dryer and remove all lint that may have become trapped inside
- clean exterior vent – clean out the vent on the outside of your home, because this can get clogged with debris
- reattach the vent and the hose – this will prepare you for drying the next load of wet, clean clothes.
The procedure above will ensure that all lint and other debris get removed from your dryer system so that nothing can catch fire when the unit begins to warm during operation.
Contact Applix Dryer Experts
If you need help cleaning your dryer, or if you just need to improve at do-it-yourself household tasks, by all means, contact us at Applix Appliance Repair so that we can lend our expertise to the situation.
Our dryer technicians are certified, trained, and use only the latest technology. We’ll be happy to make a house call and clean your dryer, or make any repairs you may need.