SW_HL_ZB_011719

22ndCenturyMedia.com Healthy Living guide
22nd century media | January 17, 2019 | 13
New Lenox-based
business works to make
clothes dryers safer
Hidden buildup in clothes
dryer vent can be 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
Lenox-based 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 to $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 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 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.
• The top of your dryer hot to the touch
while running.
• There is 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.
Now that the holidays are over, it is
a great time to have an inspection and
cleaning of clothes dryers and dryer vent
systems.
Another important tip for dryer users:
to never let the clothes dryer run when
they are out of the house or asleep.
Submitted by Dryer Vent Wizard, 1505
Cherrywood Lane in New Lenox. For more
information, visit www.dryerventwizard.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