Hey, guess what? Dryer fires are bad. (We see you rolling your eyes there and saying, “You've told us this a hundred million times already!!” Well, we're going to tell you a hundred million and one.) First the stats. In July of 2017, the Consumer Product Safety Commission came out with a report on 2012-2014 Residential Fire Loss Estimates. According to their data, in the years 2012, 2013, and 2014, the CPSC estimated there were 5100 dryer fires a YEAR. That's a lot! These 5100 dryer fires resulted in approximately 10 deaths and 160 injuries a year. Yearly estimated propery loss? $72.9 MILLION. There are ways to prevent all this which is why we consistently talk to you guys about it. Today, let's talk about the hidden plastic danger that may be lurking in your laundry room...
Almost all of us remember the flexible white plastic dryer vent hose kit sold in hardware stores, right? Well, guess what? These combustible white plastic hose kits are deadly when improperly used as dryer venting, and are the reason for many dryer vent fires. Yet, they were still commonly sold as dryer venting until recently! In fact, you might STILL be using one. And if you are, you need to make a switch ASAP. Why's that?
Take a look at those dryer vents and tell us which looks the safest and less likely to potentially cause a fire. Go on, we'll wait. Did you choose the non-plastic one with barely any lint? Congratulations, you chose correctly, Indy! That's ONE reason plastic vents are dangerous.
Another? Clothes dryer exhaust is incredibly hot, right? Imagine paper-thin plastic being subjected to that incredible heat over and over and over...what do you think might eventually happen? That right there is a significant fire hazard. Dryer vent ducts should be made of non-combustible material.
All that repeated heat exposure also causes plastic to become brittle over the years, making it crack and start to fall apart. Yikes. If you're not venting outside like you should, that means all your dryer exhaust is going inside somewhere and depositing lint there. Eventually the lint will build up and not only becomes a fire hazard risk but ALSO becomes a mold risk due to condensation exposure. Doesn't sound like fun times, huh?
The solution is, of course, smooth aluminum ducts that vent outside that are installed by your local, friendly Dryer Vent technician. We'll have your dryer vents switched out to safe ones in no time! So give us a call today to keep your home dryer fireproof!
We're the experts for professional Northern NJ Dryer Vent Cleaning & repair! Give us a call, so Northern NJ Metro Dryer Vent Wizard can help you save energy, time, and money. Some of the towns we service include: Parsippany, Livingston, Fairfield, Bloomfield, Nutley, Paramus, Passaic!