Fire hazard
Dryer vents cause ~15,000 home fires a year
Lint is one of the most flammable materials in your home. When it builds up inside the vent line, hot exhaust has nowhere to go and the dryer overheats. Most fires start in the duct — not the machine.
- →Clean the lint screen every load, and the full vent line once a year.
- →Clothes taking 2+ cycles to dry? Vent is clogged. Stop using it until it's cleared.
- →Hot exterior dryer wall, burning smell, or no airflow at the outside vent hood — all red flags.
- →Replace flexible foil/plastic ducts with rigid or semi-rigid metal — they don't trap lint or sag.