Keep your family and home safe with a dryer vent cleaning and inspection from Capital Chimney Corp serving Chicago and surrounding areas. Our team will thoroughly clean, sweep, and inspect your dryer ventilation system to identify and fix any safety hazards that could be a potential risk. Neglecting dryer vents can cause damage that can be devastating to you and your family.

13,775 Fires Per Year
418 Injuries Due To Fire
15 Deaths Due To Fire
$196 Million In Property Damage

What Is A Dryer Vent?

A dryer vent is the exhaust system for your appliance that carries moisture and harmful gases like carbon monoxide out of your home. Expelling the hot, humid air prevents your laundry room from sustaining water damage, mold, and mildew growth to give you better air quality in the space.

Why Dry Vent Cleaning Is Essential

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 5,000+ home fires originate from the dryer and cause an estimated 80+ million in property damage and result in hundreds of injuries or deaths. Properly vented air is essential to a safe home, and debris should be checked and removed regularly.

Possible Reason Of A Blocked Vent

Lint
Nests
Rodents
Birds

How Often Is Maintenance Required

You should have your dryer vent cleaned at least once a year to ensure it functions as intended. You should also visually inspect the hose 2 – 3 times a year to check for damage and a tight seal on the dryer exhaust and vent duct leading outside your home.

When To Consider Replacement

Dryer vents are durable and typically don’t need to be replaced for up to 5 years. However, if you find any of the following issues, it is time to replace your vent hose.

Large Holes That Let In Outdoor Air
Mice, Rats & Birds Living In The Vent
Foul Smells
Air Not Traveling Out Of Vent
No Longer Creates A Tight Seal

Dirty Dryer Vents Can Be A Health Risk

Depending on where the appliance is installed, there could be a lot of ductwork with multiple bends and sharp turns that can build up debris, causing an obstruction. If not vented correctly, the exhaust produced will be unable to be removed quickly enough to prevent a backup. The unexhausted fumes can return to the home and create potential health risks.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Although dryers have become more efficient in recent years, removing the backup of air and moisture into your laundry room, clogged vent lines still pose a danger of carbon monoxide poisoning, posing potential health dangers.

Possible Water Damage

When you dry your laundry, large amounts of moisture must be vented out of the room. Signs of a musty, damp laundry room indicate that your vent is not clear of lint and debris. If you continue to run your dryer with a blockage, condensation can build up and lead to water damage and mold growth if it remains unresolved.

Fire Risk

Lint in the system is a significant fire risk and acts as the perfect fire starter. It is such a good fire starter it is often used by campers to get their fires going. Because of the flammability of lint, it doesn’t require a spark to start and can be lit by heat flowing through the system if there is enough lint trapped in the system.

BEFORE: Crushed, kinked, or damaged transitional ducting can lead to dangerous lint accumulation.

AFTER: New ducting installed.

How It Affects Your Dryer

Obstructed ventilation systems also affect the performance of your dryer and can cause you to replace it before you need to. Some common performance issues due to improper ventilation include:

Overheating Damaging Parts
Shortened Life Span
Longer Dry Times Leading To Higher Energy Bills

Regular Cleanings Create More Efficiency

A clean dryer vent can create a more efficient dryer saving you from running multiple cycles. It also helps you with your energy bill. It gives a longer life to your appliance as it is not working harder for extended periods, which can cause additional wear on safety switches that help with overheating. When you put off regular cleanings and replacements, you are unknowingly adding cost to your energy bill every month.

Schedule Your Dryer Vent Cleaning In Chicago

When you get a dryer vent sweep and cleaning through Capital Chimney in Chicago, a certified technician will clean it out and perform a visual inspection. Our tech will ensure you have the right dryer vent installed correctly to ensure no pests can access it. Contact us today and schedule your service.