Unknown to most homeowners, dryer vents can be dangerous. Most of those dangers are invisible to the naked eye. It is not enough for you to repair broken dryer parts or patch up leaking vent pipes. Regular maintenance check-ups are essential to ensure there are no hidden dangers lurking in your home. Uncover these unseen dangers that can be caused by the vents of your dryer.
Dryer Danger
It is common knowledge that dryers are a top source of fire accidents in many homes in the US. As a type of heating appliance, a dryer can catch fire due to a lack of maintenance and cleaning.
But deep in the core of the vent tubes and ductwork are hidden sources of life-threatening dangers. They may not bring any smoke and fire hazards, but disease-causing allergens can be found on your clothes and cause a rash when they come in contact with your skin.
Disease-causing allergens and carbon monoxide poisoning that goes through your lungs are threats you need to realize and prevent before anyone in your home becomes ill because of them. Get to know these life-threatening substances and microorganisms that hideout in your vents.
Types of Danger Caused by Dryers and Dryer Vents
It is best to understand these invisible threats so you can plan and employ professional cleaning to your dryer to ensure no bacteria, dirt, or other killer substances are left in the air pipes from your vent exhaust.
Allergens and Bacteria Contamination
Because dryer vents are hard-to-reach areas, they often become a breeding ground for bacteria. These bacteria will carry diseases that can result in skin allergies and even respiratory illnesses when you breathe them in. Some of these allergens remain even if you clean or remove the dust from the vents. Pro cleaners of Dryer Vent Cleaning San Diego recognise these as common dangers. They shared a video from their website https://www.dryerventcleaningsandiego.com/ showing you the actual vent cleaning. You will notice that vents have complex systems and parts that are hard to reach, often hidden behind walls and ceilings.
Allergens bore into moist corners of our homes. These allergens contaminate the air you breathe that flows out of the vent tubes. They can also contaminate the clothes you put inside your dryer by leaking through the holes and gaps in the machine.
Poisoning Caused by Carbon Monoxide Built Up
Poorly maintained dryers cause carbon monoxide to build up, and this can be fatal. But how does this substance form? Here is quick science of how carbon monoxide forms in the dryer vent.
Since the dryer generates heat, it triggers the plastic and metal components of the machine and those in the vent systems. Also, the detergent and fabric soaps used for washing contributes to forming the gaseous substances.
The gaseous residue leaks through the tubes and air passages. And those chemicals that leak from the detergent can cause allergic reactions to the human skin. Moreover, the air that lingers at home will be mixed with these harmful gases when breathed in, which can be fatal. The poisonous gas is so elusive that simply inhaling it can affect your lungs and lead to asthma, triggering attacks and severe coughing.
Indoor Air Quality Issues
You get poor indoor air when you combine the harmful gases, allergens, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that leak from the vents. Not only can the poor air give you respiratory illnesses but skin asthma as well.
Both humans and pets can be affected. Even animals can catch allergies, and soon you will catch what your pets have. Poor indoor air can be home to moulds, mildews, and even insects that harm your health.
Breathe Easy at Last
You need professional cleaning services to live healthily and have pure, clean air indoors. A professional vent cleaner will used specialized tools that will clean the inner corners of the deep exhaust pipes. When the vent is cleaned inside and out, you are sure to have clean, pure air flowing in and out of your home.
If you are trying to figure out how to clean complex vent tubes and air ducts, it is best to call professionals for help. At the end of the day, it is better to prevent health problems by spending your money on vent cleaning services than it is to spend money on hospital bills because you got ill from having dirty vents.
Image Credits: PlanetCare
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