We see so many issues with badly installed dryer vents that it is unbelievable. The shoddy workmanship, lack of consideration for the safety of the family, not following code and failing to put proper roof vents are just some of the examples we see everyday. If these were cars we were looking at they would be recalled, how come no one seems to care about this is beyond us!
Earlier this year we had a call to a home where the dryer was taking 4 cycles to dry each load! The fact it was taking this long would have meant the electricity costs were through the roof! The dryer vent was missing all the Louvre’s so it was a nice place to store their winter supply of food and it kept warm whilst the dryer was running.
A burning smell from the dryer can be several things, most often it is lint build up inside the clothes dryer, but we’ll detail them below. Many people think that because the lint trap is being cleaned out every time the dryer is safe, this is so far from the truth though, there is a lot going on inside your dryer and dryer vent some of which shocks most homeowners when we show them!
Dryer fires happen, there are over 15,000 each year in North America. In Ontario we do not hear them mentioned very often but ask most people and they know someone who has had a dryer fire!
Following 2 recent dryer fires in Hamilton, Ontario we put together this video that shows how and why dryer fires happen.