Dryer vents have been a revolutionary addition to our household. It improved not only our homes but our dryers as well. With a ton of advantages, too many for us to mention on this blog, we truly can’t fathom how it made our lives bearable.
However, with its many benefits for our livelihood, dryer vents pose risks. To be more accurate, dryer vents constitute potential risks, and these risks remain invisible to the naked eye. Today, we want to open your eyes and enlighten you.
The Three Health Risks
This blog will list potential health risks caused by your dryer vent. These will help you immediately identify the risk and create a contingency plan for prevention in your home.
1 - Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
There are a lot of varieties when it comes to dryers. However, gas-powered dryers pose a danger to your household that you may not even know. As we know, gas dryer vents release carbon monoxide. This is an odorless and colorless gas that harms any human being.
Once carbon monoxide accumulates inside the house, you may feel sick. Permanent brain damage, nausea, and dizziness are other effects. Five minutes of exposure to high concentrations of carbon monoxide leads to death.
To address this issue, better check your dryer vents for any leaks and clogs. You can also hire Dryer Repair San Diego. They can help you identify damages in your dryer vents.
2 - Poor Indoor Air Quality Due to Common Toxins
Indoor air quality refers to the air quality of any enclosed space, such as schools, offices, houses, or any building environment. In this case, we are referring to houses.
Now, a clogged dryer vent can create poor indoor air quality. Once a dryer vent is clogged, it can create potential health risks. As air quality drops, an individual can experience irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. Headache, nausea, and dizziness are evident. Another health risk poor air quality cause is a lung disease, which the third point discusses further.
Moisture buildup can occur once dryer vents are clogged. Mold growth will eventually happen, making air quality bad taste. Molds will start swirling in your home’s air and can potentially drop on everything you own, even food.
There are, of course, common toxins that prevent your homes from having healthy indoor air. Learn what you need to know about these toxins in this related blog.
Constant cleaning is a must! This is to ensure you do not have clogged dryer vents at home. Experts advise owners to clean their ducts twice a year. This keeps your dryer vents from building up moisture. This also keeps your loved ones safe from mold poisoning.
3 - Respiratory Diseases and Other Health Conditions
Clogged, damaged, and leaking dryer vents cause many health issues. However, prolonged exposure to these health risks can create long-term health problems.
Exposure to carbon monoxide triggers lung diseases, such as asthma. Mold buildup can also trigger allergies. Heart diseases can also occur over time. The worse case is death due to a clogged dryer vent.
It is best to clean the dryer vents than to medicate after exposure.
Prevention is Better than Cure
As we close this topic, remember prevention is better than cure. As we have repeated, cleaning and dryer vent maintenance are necessary. Regular dryer vent cleaning is a must. Once or twice a year is the advice of experts.
Also, be vigilant! Longer drying times, a musty odor, or excessive heat can indicate your vent is blocked. You can do it by checking and cleaning the lint filters after each use. This prevents lint buildup over time.
However, it is highly advised to hire a professional as they have the proper vent cleaning kit. A Dryer Vent Cleaning Clairemont can provide services as they have expertise in handling these situations.
