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22ndCenturyMedia.com HOLIDAY GUIDE
22ND CENTURY MEDIA | November 21, 2018 | 49
New Lenox-based
business works to make
clothes dryers safer
Hidden buildup in
clothes dryer vent
is fire hazard
DON’T LET YOUR DRYER
START A
FIRE!
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 cited
in 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-$24 per
month to energy costs.
“Improper venting
causes problems, as well,”
Enzenberger said. “The
dryer exhaust duct and
connections should be
made of rigid metal or
semi-rigid metal and secured
with metal, heatresistant
tape rather than
duct tape. I often find
plastic or foil accordiontype
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 and 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
• Top of dryer hot to the
touch while running
• Excess lint left on 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
un-kinked, and having the
dryer exhaust duct cleaned
regularly. Dryer manufacturers
recommend inspection
and cleaning at least
annually.
Those who are taking
some time off for the holidays
find it 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 Cherrywood Lane,
in New Lenox. For more
information, visit dryer
ventwizard.com or call (815)
215-2090.
Before
WARNING!
If your dryer takes longer than one cycle
to dry your clothes, then you may have a
fire hazard in your vent.
Dryer Vent Cleaning
Installation
Alteration
Repair
WE ACCEPT
SAVE $ 10
ANY SERVICE!
815-215-2090
www.dryerventwizard.com
Call Today!
After
815-215-2090
www.dryerventwizard.com