Inspection and Cleaning Dryer Vents

Dryer Vents - Cleaning and Inspection

A dryer fire can damage your property and result in significant costs to your business. Although a common appliance, improper installation and/or maintenance of a dryer can pose a serious fire risk. 

 

Lint from dryer vents, traps and surrounding areas are a major cause of fires. When lint is trapped, the machine’s venting capacity is reduced. Over time, the vent could become completely blocked posing a fire risk. 

 

 

There are several types of dryer vent materials, and some are better than others: 

 

  • Preferred materials include semi-rigid or rigid aluminum (smooth interior surface without screws) and galvanized steel.

  • Unacceptable vent materials include flexible thin foil and flexible plastic accordion. These vents can sag and accumulate lint creating a fire hazard.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take steps now to reduce the risk of a fire and its resulting cost of damage to your property. Here's some tips on how to clean your dryer vents: 

 

  • Click here for dryer safety tips.
  • Click here for a dryer fact sheet.
  • Remove lint from the filter after each load.
  • Vacuum behind and underneath the dryer often.
  • Inspect the filter for tears. Wash with soap and water to remove waxy residue from dryer sheets.
  • Inspect and clean the outside wall dampers.
  • Hire a professional to inspect and clean your dryer’s ducts and venting system annually. Inspect more often if your dryer is used at a high frequency, such as in a commercial unit. 

Proper maintenance of your dryer also helps reduce wear-and-tear and may reduce your energy costs.  

 

 

This material is informational only. It is not intended to be, and is not in fact, a statement, in whole or in part, of GNY’s underwriting guidelines. Nothing said here amends or affects the interpretation, application, or both, of the coverage provisions in any GNY insurance policy; nor do the statements made here constitute a representation that insurance coverage exists for any loss under any GNY policy. Coverage depends on facts and circumstances of each individual claim or loss, the applicable laws, and the policy provisions in the GNY insurance policy.