Dryer Fires: Is Your Home Safe?

Dryer fires are a lot more common than most people realize . . . Dryer fires account for over 15,000 structural fires each year, resulting in hundreds of injuries and deaths annually in North America alone. These fires cost homeowners almost 100 million dollars in property damages each year (Based on US CPSC 1998 Report on Dryer Fires).

In CPSC’s 2003 Dryer Safety alert, they recommend using rigid or semi-rigid metal ducting as a way to decrease the likelihood of a dryer fire, citing decreased lint accumulation, and more open duct path as the reason. MagVent makes running a minimum path vent of rigid metal duct a snap! 

In the same 2003 Dryer Safety alert, they recommend routine cleaning of the duct path, inside the dryer itself and, of course, the lint traps after every load. To best clean the inside of your dryer and the vent path, hire a Dryer Vent specialist. MagVent makes maintenance a breeze. 

. . .MagVent and routine dryer maintenance are the solution. 

Better Dryer Efficiency

Understanding Dryer Efficiency is Easy!

Your clothes dryer is made to remove moisture from a load of wet clothes. It does this by heating air from the living space and blowing in through the load of clothes as they are tumbled to increase the surface area exposed to the heated air. Moisture evaporated from the load is then forced through the lint trap, and out the dryer exhaust system which is vented outside the home. Anything that creates a restriction in the duct path lowers the vent port velocity, and decreases the dryer’s ability to remove the moist air from the clothes drum.

Things that lower vent port velocity:

• Clogged lint trap.  (Clean the lint trap after every load.)

• Kinked or crushed transition duct.

• Excessively long duct path.

• Excessive use of bends and turns.

• Rough interior surface of ducting.

• Lint accumulation in vent pipe, transition duct and dryer.

• Vertical vent paths.

MagVent, a properly designed duct system, and routine cleaning are the solution to boost dryer efficiency and save energy!