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Most people have good intentions when it comes to having regular maintenance done on their appliances. The clothes dryer is often neglected as people are not aware of the problems that can be lurking here. It is important that your dryer exhaust and vent system be up to code.

UL Rating

First, you need to know the rating of the products you are using. The UL rating should be printed somewhere on the information about the parts that make up your dryer vent system. While most of the more recent clothes dryers that have been installed are UL approved, there are many people using clothes dryers that have been in place for many years, or they have just changed out the dryer, but not the vent system. That means it’s time to pull your dryer out, or have a professional do it for you, and make sure the parts of the vent system are up to the newer standards.

Shortest Distance

If your dryer is located on an upper floor or in the basement, the dryer duct will be longer as it leads to the vent outside. The dryer duct is the exhaust system that carries hot air, moisture and lint from the dryer drum to the outdoors. A longer exhaust system means your dryer will work harder to do its job. When the moist lint builds up on the sides of the vent tube, it reduces air flow and causes overheating, eventually leading to a fire. This also causes the dryer to work harder, thus, increasing your energy bills.

Bends and Elbows

What does the route of your dryer vent tube look like? Does it make several turns before getting to the vent outside? These turns also restrict air flow and increase the chance of lint being caught up within the exhaust system. This reduces the performance of your clothes dryer, increases drying time, uses more energy and can be a fire hazard.

Duct Material

What does your vent pipe feel like inside? While you may not think it matters, it does. You want the inside to be smooth and free from obstruction, like screws and fasteners, for lint to get caught on and accumulate.

The pieces and parts that make up the exhaust system for your clothes dryer are very important aspects of the entire system that gets your clothes dry at the end of the day. If you don’t know what makes up the rest of the system, it’s time to find out, or call in a professional to inspect and evaluate your dryer vent system.