Techniques for Proper Dryer Venting
- Interior dryer installation compounds fire danger.Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
Clothes dryers offer quick and easy laundry assistance. While most dryer fires occur due to clogged filters, another common link between dryers and fires rests with the dryer's venting system. The U.S. Fire Administration reported that, in 2007, improperly installed dryers and improper dryer use account annually for nearly 16,000 structure fires, 400 injuries and 15 deaths. Modern construction trends is critical to home safety, to install dryers in home laundry areas, proper venting. - Rigid metal dryer venting is the preferred material of the U.S Fire Administration, Consumer Reports magazine and the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission. The rigid construction avoids vent pockets that collect lint and dust. Smooth rigid metal venting also avoids small ridges that collect lint. Proper dryer venting includes limiting bends, 90 degree angles and curves in the air exhaust line where excess lint can accumulate.
- Although the ridges in flexible plastic and foil vents accumulate dust and lint, flexible metal venting avoids the common fire hazard, according to Consumer Reports. Other advantages of flexible metal venting include easy installation and containment of flames, if a fire ignites due to excess lint or dust. The flexible metal must not be allowed to sag and form pockets or be installed so that the metal bends. These pockets collect lint.
- Dryer ducts should be cleaned at least yearly, and proper installation gives easy access to the dryer vent to clean accumulated lint and dust. The U.S. Fire Administration claims that lint from wet clothing fills the small internal dryer screen, but also lines the venting system creating a highly flammable fuel source. The entire length of the vent must be vacuumed and cleaned to remove combustible lint, according to Consumer Reports.
- Exhaust caps cover the exterior portion of the dryer vent that is exposed to the exterior of the structure. Caps prevent rodents or small animals and yard debris from entering the vent. The cap includes an exhaust duct that allows air to exit, but prohibits anything from the outside from entering the vent. Proper installation of the exhaust duct allows outside access to clean accumulated lint and dust from both the cap and duct. Designs that fail to allow easy cleaning access increase the risk of fires, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
- Clothes dryer vents should measure at least 4 inches in diameter to allow the air to quickly exit the dryer. Each dryer manufacturer makes specific recommendations for dryers and specific models, and these recommendations should be also met in vent installation. Larger dryer capacity requires larger diameter venting. Proper dryer vent length should not total more than 14 feet in combined length and height.
