Clothes Dryer
Routine Care Task
Check if outside dryer vent flap is clogged and stuck open.
Your clothes dryer tumbles your clothes in the presence of hot air. This process causes fine pieces of fabric (lint) to be produced, which travels through an exhaust vent pipe to exit your home. At the end of the vent pipe is a door flap, that automatically opens when air is coming out of your dryer, and then should close tightly when the dryer is off.
As the lint starts to build up, it can prevent the door flap from closing properly, which allows cold or hot air into your home, as well as pests.
Priority
Timing: September (yearly)
NOTE: The tasks and timings shown here for your Clothes Dryer are based on a single-family home located in Massachusetts with a default set of home care goals and priorities.
If you setup your POLICY-Wizard™ personal home manager for a different location with different home care goals, your recommended home care program can have different tasks and timings for your {home feature}.
How To
This task involves finding where your dryer's vent piping exists on the outside of your home, and then checking that the door flap on it closes tightly, and is not kept open by lint build-up.
If it does not close tightly, then either scrape the lint away, or if the door has gotten damaged, then it will need to be replaced.
Helpful Accessories
Prevents cold, heat, rodents, and other insects from entering the dryer
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Lint build up causes fire in your dryer
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Benefits
The benefits are moderate, as a stuck dryer vent flap can let in cold air all winter, and let in hot air all summer. And this will increase the energy costs for your home.
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Energy Savings
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Health & Safety
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Comfort & Convenience
Costs
The cost of doing this task is very low. It is estimated that it should only take about 30 minutes, and is relatively easy to do. No specialized tools are required.
