A local 40 year old woman died recently in her house. The cause? A small smoldering fire in the dryer’s vent line. The exhaust from the dryer was the plastic/wire type. The plastic fumes and smoke from the smoldering lint killed her in her sleep. The fire damaged the dryer and the wall behind it. $300 damage. But she’s dead.
I asked my 83 year old widowed mother when she last had her dryer vent checked. She couldn’t remember. I contacted a chimney and vent inspection/cleaning/repair company that was certified and bonded.
The inspection proved well worth the price. Dryer vent clogged almost completely. Plastic exhaust tube too.
The chimney had broken/missing mortar between the clay sections and the outer brick. ANY fire in either fireplace would probably have set fire to the attic or roof since the roofers (three years ago) had removed but never replaced the chimney and vent caps!
The furnace installers, last year, put in a new HE furnace. However they never capped the old exhaust to the roof! That sure didn’t help her utility bills or her comfort levels!
Relining the chimneys with stainless steel with a lifetime warranty, adding proper caps and screens, capping the unused vents, and tuck pointing the entire chimney is going to cost about $4,000. And I’ll gladly pay every penny. Funerals are much more expensive.
Have your chimneys and dryer vents cleaned and inspected regularly. Use metal dryer vents, not plastic. Clean the vents and dryer ducts at least once a year. Use bonded and certified people. Your life is worth it. So are the lives of those you love.
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