THE IMPORTANCE OF CLEANING DRYER VENTS

Although hidden and out of sight, dryer vents perform a vital role in your home. Dryer vents remove hot exhaust air from your clothes dryer to ensure effective and safe operation. However, through the process of drying your clothes and with repetitive use, dryer vents can become clogged with lint, dust and other debris. Cleaning your dryer vent on a regular basis is critical. Not only does this help maintain the efficient functioning of your dryer, cleaning ensures your entire home remains safe.

Why Cleaning Dryer Vents Is Important

According to the National Fire Prevention Association, 15,450 house fires in 2010 were caused by home dryer machines, and the majority of these (32%) were triggered by dryer vents that hadn’t been cleaned. These fires greatly threaten the safety of homes and families as well as cause millions of dollars of damage to property.

Dryer vent fires most often occur due to lint and other debris that builds up in the vents after repeated dryer use. Lint is made up of small fabric fibers and dust particles that are released from clothes when they are washed. Lint is naturally highly flammable, and combined with the heat from a clothes dryer, can quickly kindle a fire. Clothes dryer fires can often cause significant damage to a home before they can be controlled.

Not only can clogged dryer vents lead to fires, they also reduce the efficiency of your dryer, provide the potential for carbon monoxide poisoning, and promote conditions for the spread of mold and allergens. As dryer vents become clogged and the machine has to work harder to remove exhaust, the dryer efficiency drops and your energy consumption climbs. Without being fully removed by the dryer vent, carbon monoxide can leach into your home causing death or long term poisoning. The buildup of lint and dust in the warm moist environment can also lead to mold growth and excess dust mites. Mold and dust mites can make your whole family ill, while potentially triggering severe allergies or asthma in those who are susceptible.

Keep Dryer Vents Clean

Although uncleaned and clogged dryer vents are the leading cause of dryer machine fires, they can be easily prevented with proper dryer vent maintenance and cleaning. One of the simplest things you can do to prevent dryer vent fires is to ensure you remove lint from your dryer filter before and after each load, to eliminate lint buildup. Although this won’t reach all the potential lint buildup in your dryer, it can help to reduce the total lint burden in your dryer.

Another essential component of home dryer maintenance is inspecting your outer vent flap to ensure that it is not obstructed by any debris or build up.

Professional Moraga Dryer Vents Cleaning

Professional Moraga dryer vents cleaning is an essential aspect of your dryer vent maintenance. While checking your dryer vent yourself at home can help to minimize build up and reduce the chances of a fire, professional dryer vent cleaning can reach areas of the vent that you can’t reach alone. No matter how good your regular dryer vent cleaning is, you will always require professional dryer vent cleaning from time to time. Authorities recommend having your dryer vent professionally inspected and cleaned at least once a year for greater dryer vent safety and performance.

Dryer vent maintenance is an essential aspect of keeping your home safe and efficient. Maintain and clean your dryer vent regularly at home and book professional dryer vent cleaning services at least once a year to remove long term lint buildup.

5 Signs You Might Need Chimney Removal

Chimney removal is often advised, but many homeowners put it off, not considering the benefits of full chimney removal. Many homes have been built with fireplaces for heating, and they also have chimneys. As time has provided the innovation of other, more efficient heating methods, fireplaces and chimneys may not be used so often. Here we look at 5 reasons that you should consider having your chimney removed.

Chimney Removal Aides Home Heating/Cooling

If you are no longer using your fireplace for home heating, it’s possible your chimney is only working against your home heating and cooling efforts. Chimneys left in place may compromise insulation and allow drafts which hamper energy efficient home heating and cooling. Removing a chimney can help to create a more comfortable home environment while reducing energy usage and costs for heating and cooling.

You Want to Reduce Risk of Earthquake Damage

Chimneys are often the first structures to fall in an earthquake. If you haven’t used your chimney for years, it’s likely the chimney is worn out and damaged and at even higher risk of earthquake damage. Even a slight tremor can turn a masonry chimney into brick missiles, causing structural damage, bodily injury and even death to those in the home. With the risk of a major earthquake in California always growing, its best to have your unused chimney removed sooner rather than later.

Your Chimney is Worn and Damaged

In an old and unkempt chimney, bricks may be weak and broken, and mortar may be worn away leaving the bricks insecure. If you’re not using your chimney, it’s easy to neglect chimney care. But a weak chimney faces the possibility of collapse at any time. If your chimney is old and worn it’s better to have it removed than leave it in place.

You Want More Valuable Space

Square footage is valuable in a home, and yet leaving an unused chimney in place can compromise your living space. Chimney removal can also help you access valuable living space in common areas and bedrooms. A chimney can impact the space in every level and room it passes through. Chimney removal offers the added benefit of easily accessing more precious space in your home, creating a more modern and comfortable living environment.

You Want To Remodel

Working around an existing chimney when you’re trying to remodel your home can be difficult and costly. In many cases, it can be easier and cheaper to just remove the chimney so you can plan and construct your remodel the way you want. This gives you more space to work with, and freedom from the constraints of needing to work around the chimney.

By contemplating when it really might be worth chimney removal, you can access significant safety and practical benefits. Talk to your local chimney sweep company today about the benefits you could gain from removing your chimney.

CHIMNEY MAINTENANCE: WHAT IF I DON’T USE MY FIREPLACE?

Many older homes have fireplaces that hearken back to a time when fire was relied on as a major heating source. However, with the advent of central heating, your fireplace may no longer be in use, and be kept for decoration and pleasure. Fireplaces make a great centerpiece for a room, making it look

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CHIMNEY REPAIRS: 7 SIGNS TO LOOK FOR

Chimneys keep you warm and can provide a home with a beautiful focal point. However, they can hold hidden dangers and it’s important to regularly check for these signs. Failure to do so can lead to very expensive, dangerous, and preventable conditions.

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THE HIDDEN THREAT OF CHIMNEY FIRES

Most of us know the beauty of fires through the ones we see in our fireplaces. As we’ve seen wild fires burn throughout California, many of us have been reminded of the real dangers of fire. The fire within a fireplace gives your warmth and comfort, and the chimney carries the gases from the fireplace and out from its top, providing you with safety in your home.

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Winter Tips for Using your Fireplace and Chimney

As the weather has turned colder, it’s time to follow some important winter tips for your chimney. These practices will help protect you, your chimney, and home.

CHIMNEY INSPECTION:

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