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22ndCenturyMedia.com active aging Guide
22nd century media | october 19, 2017 | 21
NL-based business
works to make
clothes dryers safer
Hidden buildup in
clothes dryer vent
is fire hazard
Most people know they
need to clean out their
dryer lint tray between
each cycle, but what lurks
behind the wall is just as
important for safety and
avoiding fire traps, as well
as fully efficient dryer performance.
Joe Enzenberger, owner
of Dryer Vent Wizard,
opened his New Lenoxbased
business in 2009.
Lint is the villain. Lint
that has been allowed to
build up and linger too
long in the dryer exhaust
vent.
It is estimated by the
U.S. Consumer Product
Safety Commission and
the U.S. Fire Administration
that 15,500 fires associated
with clothes dryers
occur annually. These fires
account for an average of
20 deaths, 370 injuries and
more than $88 million in
property damage. “Failure
to clean the dryer vent”
was the leading factor, according
to U.S. Fire Administration
reports.
“It is something very few
people know about or think
about,” said Enzenberger,
whose company specializes
in dryer vent cleaning,
repair, alteration and installation.
“It is the leading
cause of dryer fires.”
Lint accumulation also
can cause dryers to stop
working or to work inefficiently.
A dryer vent
clogged with lint can add
as much as $18 to $24 per
month to energy costs.
“Improper venting
causes problems, as
well,” he said. “The dryer
exhaust duct and connections
should be made of
rigid metal or semi-rigid
metal and secured with
metal heat-resistant tape,
rather than duct tape. I
often find plastic or foil
accordion-type material,
which can easily trap lint
and is more susceptible to
kinks and crushing.”
Warning signs include:
• Clothes are taking more
than one cycle to dry, especially
jeans & towels.
• No lint visible on lint
screen.
• Dryer repeatedly stops
during a cycle.
• Clothes have moldy
smell after dry cycle.
• Clothes are very hot after
a dry cycle.
• The top of your dryer hot
to the touch while running.
• There’s excess lint left on
your clothing.
“This has been a consumer
education process,
but it’s hard to get the
word out,” Enzenberger
said. “Most don’t call until
they have a serious problem
with their dryer.”
He suggests people treat
clothes dryers as a household
item in need of regular
maintenance. Consumers
can protect dryer performance
and promote safety
by cleaning the lint screen
between each use, ensuring
the connection between the
dryer and wall is made of
compliant material and remains
unkinked, and having
the dryer exhaust duct
cleaned regularly. Dryer
manufacturers recommend
inspection and cleaning at
least annually.
October is National Fire
Prevention Month and is
the perfect time to have an
inspection and cleaning of
clothes dryers and dryer
vent systems.
Another important tip
– never let your clothes
dryer run when you are out
of the house or asleep.
Submitted by Dryer Vent
Wizard, 1505 Cherry Wood
Lane in New Lenox. For
more information, visit www.
dryerventwizard.com or call
(815) 215-2090.