Need Your Chimney Inspected? Have Us Inspect Your Clothes Dryer Vent Too

As our schedule fills up with annual chimney inspections and cleanings, it’s important we remind our customers about another fire hazard in the home — the clothes dryer vent.

Each year there are about 3,000 dryer fires in the United States, causing about $35 million in property damage. Many of those are caused by vents clogged with lint and other debris.  The numbers for dryers peak in the fall and early winter, so it’s important to schedule an inspection along with your chimney.

Annual dryer vent inspections and cleanings are essential and should be conducted by a Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician (C-DET) to ensure the utmost safety in the venting system. At Valley Chimney Sweep & Restoration we employ a full team of C-DETs.

Tips for Safe Dryer Usage

Along with annual clothes dryer vent inspections, there are many steps homeowners should take to ensure the safe operation of their appliance, including:

• Clean the lint filter before and after each load of laundry.
• Regularly inspect the vent behind the dryer to ensure it is not damaged or kinked.
• Don’t leave a clothes dryer running if you leave home or when you go to bed.
• Ensure outside wall dampers are covered to keep out Mother Nature, including rain, snow and critters.
• Ensure the damper opens when the dryer is running.
• Don’t use a wire screen or cloth to cover the wall damper.
• Don’t dry items covered in flammable materials like gasoline.
• Replace outdated collapsable venting with rigid non-ribbed metal duct work.
• Clear the area around the dyer of flammable items.
• Always make sure to use your lint filter each time you dry clothes.
• Don’t try to dry too much in your dryer. If it seems like too much laundry at once, it probably is.

About Valley Chimney Sweep & Restoration

Founded in 1978, Valley Chimney Sweep & Restoration is a family owned and operated business serving Chicago’s western suburbs. Our team of certified chimney sweeps and dryer vent technicians have served over 25,000 customers in our nearly 40 years, and Valley founder, Terry Dearborn, is the holder of the longest continuous chimney sweep certification in the United States from the Chimney Safety Institute of America.

We aim to be your chimney sweep for life and look forward to the opportunity to win and keep your business. Contact us today to schedule a chimney inspection and cleaning and or dryer vent cleaning.