Prevent Dryer Fires!

Here's another installment of fire prevention advice from Paul Davis Restoration of Northeast NJ in honor of October being fire prevention month! Last week we told you about how frequent fires caused by dryers and other electric appliances are, so this week we'll give you some tips for preventing dryer fires!

Let's start with the obvious- the lint trap- it's important to clean your dryers lint trap before every cycle. While this is a great way to decrease the risk, it's not the only step you need to be taking.

Fire risk increase the most when lint builds up in the dryers exhaust vent hose. Dryer fires are responsible for about 15,000 home fires annually.

Make sure to replace plastic or foil vent hoses with metal. This is totally necessary in order to decrease the risk of a dryer fire occurring in your home. Plastic and foil venting is much more likely to sag which leaves more possibility for the build up of lint, heat and moisture.

Homeowners should also aim to clean out the exhaust hose vent annually. This will ensure that build up of lint is avoided. It's also important to make sure the area behind a dryer is free of anything flammable. Cleaning behind your dryer is helps make sure that there is nothing that will catch fire in the event that there is a problem.

Finally, and this may sound strange, put a brick behind your dryer. Anytime someone closes the dryer door, the dryer has a tendency to push back further and this could crush venting systems. This could lead to a malfunction and leave your home unprotected from dryer fires.