Dryer Vents and Carbon Monoxide

Inspecting your dryer vents each year can help prevent unnecessary deaths and injuries because of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning. Gas powered appliances require maintenance to ensure they are working safely and efficiently. All gas appliances must be properly vented to eliminate the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. The dryer vent system is responsible for removing heat, moisture and gas by-products by forcing it out through the dryer vent outside. When the dryer vent is clogged with lint, it makes it harder for the hot, moist air to escape. Lint build-up in dryer vent systems can cause dangerous levels of carbon monoxide to enter your home too. Carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless, difficult to detect, and it is deadly!

Some of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include: dizziness, headaches, nausea, burning eyes, and feeling faint and tired. Many people who experience these symptoms don’t realize it until it's too late. They attribute their symptoms to some other ailment. With carbon monoxide, you will not smell the fuel leak as it takes over your home. Have your clothes dryer exhaust ducts inspected annually and maintained as necessary by a certified technician. Don't forget to clean behind the dryer, where lint can build up. Also clean the lint screen before or after drying each load of clothes.

Miffed About Mold?

There is always some mold everywhere - in the air and on many surfaces. Mold will grow in places with a lot of moisture, such as around leaks in roofs, windows, or pipes, or where there has been flooding. Mold grows well on paper products, cardboard, ceiling tiles, and wood products. Mold can also grow in dust, paints, wallpaper, insulation, drywall, carpet, fabric, and upholstery. Research has linked indoor mold exposure with upper respiratory tract symptoms, cough, and wheeze in otherwise healthy people; with asthma symptoms in people with asthma; and with hypersensitivity pneumonitis in individuals susceptible to that immune-mediated condition.

The key to mold control is moisture control. When water leaks or spills occur indoors - act quickly. If wet or damp materials or areas are dried 24-48 hours after a leak or spill happens, in most cases mold will not grow. If you do find mold, it can be removed from hard surfaces with commercial products, soap and water, or a bleach solution of no more than 1 cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water. Dry the area completely. Be sure to open windows and doors to provide fresh air and wear non-porous gloves and protective eye wear. Absorbent or porous materials, such as ceiling tiles and carpet, may have to be thrown away if they become moldy.

Remember to keep the humidity level in your home between 40% and 60%. Use an air conditioner or a dehumidifier during humid months and in damp spaces, like basements. Be sure your home has enough ventilation. Use exhaust fans which vent outside your home in the kitchen and bathroom. Make sure your clothes dryer vents outside your home. Fix any leaks in your home’s roof, walls, or plumbing so mold does not have moisture to grow. Clean up and dry out your home thoroughly and quickly (within 24–48 hours) after flooding. Add mold inhibitors to paints before painting. Clean bathrooms with mold-killing products. Remove or replace carpets and upholstery that have been soaked and cannot be dried promptly. Consider not using carpet in rooms or areas like bathrooms or basements that may have a lot of moisture.