Dryer Vent Safety

Dryer Vent Safety  Are you at risk?

Appliance repair pros in El Paso and Las Cruces discuss how your household dryer has the potential to ignite a fire.  In some cases, the installation and venting may put you at high risk.  Higher risk installations include those where:

• the vent is of the vinyl or foil type
• the vent has an accumulation of lint, either from lack of cleaning, excessive length, or poor routing
• the dryer vent trap is not cleaned before each use

Dryers Cause Fires

Dryer vent fire is a terrible results in the U.S. due to the use of poor materials and installation practices.  On average in the U.S., clothes dryer fires account for about 15,600 structure fires, 15 deaths, and 400 injuries annually.

Fires originated most frequently from two places: dryer venting and the lint trap, due to improper vent cleaning and the use of improper dryer venting.

Standards Have Changed

Although metal pipe is now standard, many dryers still use white plastic dryer vent hose kits.  As it turns out, these combustible white plastic hose kits are deadly when improperly used as dryer venting.  These hoses are the reason for many dryer vent fires.  However, until recently they were still commonly sold as dryer venting.

All manufacturers now state in their manuals not to use plastic flexible dryer ducts between the vent exit and the clothes dryer. However, many homes, as well as some new construc­tion homes, continue to use plastic flexible ducts.

It was not until December 2006 that Underwriters Laboratories established UL-2158A “Clothes Dryer Transition Duct” which is an approved standard for flexible high temperature exhaust duct rated to 430°F (220°C), that can also be used on both electric and gas dryers.

When you go to the hardware store you may see flexible duct with a UL listing of UL-181B “Closure Systems for Use with Flexible Air Ducts and Air Connectors” however this standard is for flexible plastic and metal heating and cooling ductwork and vent fans such as in your bathroom. This standard UL-181B and these products are not for use as a dryer vent. Only flexible ductwork meeting UL 2158A can be used as dryer venting.

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SoBellas Appliance Repair El Paso Texas

125 Graphite Dr. Ste. D

El Paso, TX  79932

915-585-2811