Utah is one of the states for the best outdoors—and fires? It’s not only inversions that keep many Utahns worried.
According to the 2017 data from the US Fire Administration (FEMA), the average national rate of death per 1,000 residential fires was 6.1 and 24.5, respectively. In Utah, though, it was 7.5 deaths and 17.5 fatalities. During the same period, the state had more injuries and deaths than the national average among structure fires.
Fires happen for a variety of reasons, but it’s not always about faulty electrical wiring or short circuit. It can be something as familiar yet unexpected like fabric lint.
How Common Is Clothes Dryer Fire?
As long as you own a clothes dryer, you need to have work with dryer vent cleaning Salt Lake City experts. Fires involving this nifty appliance are more common than you think.
There are nearly 3,000 clothes dryer fires each year, according to FEMA. These incidents resulted in five deaths and 100 injuries. Total property loss amounts to $35 million.
Although these fires can happen anytime, they are more frequent during the colder seasons. This can be due to the following reasons:
- Seasons such as fall and winter make it unideal to hang clothes to dry outdoors.
- Colder weather means more kinds of clothing to wear. Ergo, homes have to wash and dry clothes more often. If not, their appliances need to handle many full loads.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), meanwhile, provides some of the items that trigger or accelerate fires involving a clothes dryer. These can include clothing and the appliance’s casing.
The leading trigger, however, is dust and lint. Between 2010 and 2014, about 27% of the reported fires involving clothes dryers began with them. How can they start a fire? It all boils down to improper or lack of maintenance.
Why Clothes Dryers Can Catch Fire
To know the reason, you should remember or understand the basics of clothes dryers. While you will encounter different designs and brands, they work the same way.
The appliance brings in air, heats it, and then delivers it into the spinning drum, where your clothes are. This heating element can either be electric or gas.
In turn, it produces water vapor, which then goes out of your home as steam. What you don’t know is sometimes it brings with it dust and lint. A filter can catch lint, so it doesn’t get into your dryer’s vent system. In some situations, it fails to do so.
As lint accumulates, it becomes a fire hazard. The risk is higher if the ducts used is plastic. Because of heat, it can eventually melt.
Timely and regular cleaning of your clothes dryer’s vent system can help prevent that. The experts can already remove the lint buildup before it becomes dangerous. As a bonus, you can maximize the lifespan of your appliance and even make it more efficient.
Many things can start a fire, and sadly, you don’t see all of them. That includes lint gathering in the duct or vent of your clothes dryer. The good thing is you already know the scenario. Now, you can get the help you need.