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Gas Fueled Clothes Dryer Vents Lint and various debris can build up in your clothes dryer vent and may cause your dryer to exhaust at less than optimum efficiency. This creates potentially hazardous conditions including carbon monoxide intrusion and the possibility for exhaust fires. If a gas clothes dryer is improperly vented or the exhaust duct itself is blocked by lint or debris, carbon monoxide can be forced back into your living space. When a professional heating technician inspects and cleans a dryer vent, they can also verify that the correct type of duct is in use. The thin, plastic flexible type vent material joining from the dyer to the exterior walls vent cover should be replaced with 4 inch rigid smooth metal duct because it is non-flammable unlike the plastic flexible type. Annual dryer exhaust vent/duct inspections are more necessary than ever before due to the complex construction of homes built today. Newer homes tend to have dryers located away from an outside wall in bathrooms, kitchens and in hall closets, which is convenient but potentially dangerous from a safety standpoint. These new locations mean that dryers tend to be venting longer distances and vents are generally installed with more bends to accommodate the extended path they must take through the home. As a result, dryer ducts are harder to access and this additional length creates more places where lint can collect and animals/birds can hide. A professional heating technician during their inspection of the vent duct can verify the present condition such as: -Lint and/or debris within straight or elbow sections of the vent. -Any leaks at vent pipe joints (causing leakage of moisture, lint, debris, carbon monoxide, etc). -Broken, missing and/or disconnected vent pipes. -Damaged or deteriorated exterior vent cover. -Crushed duct material. All dryer vent duct materials and installation needs to be performed by a professional heating contractor in order to be assured that the correct materials are used and installed according to today’s building practices and codes (CSA Standards B149.1HB-00 Natural Gas and Propane Installation Code Handbook). Within the Code handbook, it states that the installation requirements for clothes dryers are intended to ensure the use of suitable moisture exhaust ducts that are properly terminated and the provisions of safe clearances to combustible materials. The following is a few installation requirements for domestic clothes dryers: -Metal exhaust ducts or flexible plastic moisture exhaust ducts may be used provided they are certified. -Ducts may not be connected using screws since dust and lint may catch on the protruding screws and eventually plug the duct. -Moisture exhaust dusts must not terminate near service regulators since the moisture in the exhaust air stream can condense and freeze on the service regulator in cold weather thereby impairing its performance. Moisture exhaust ducts must also not terminate near fresh air intakes since this would contaminate the incoming air stream. |