We all know that cleaning your lint trap in the dryer not only helps dry your clothes faster but cuts down on fire hazards. Until I moved into my house, I never really thought about the exhaust vent.
I have always taken my dirty clothes to a laundromat. As a matter of courtesy, I cleaned the trap for the next person. I never knew there was a dryer vent to keep clean. Avista’s Energy Guide says that if I keep my dryer exhaust vent clean my clothes will dry faster, cutting down on my dryer use. It turned out that it was a timely project this week.
When I looked behind my dryer, I noticed that the exhaust hose wasn’t even connected. That explained the extra lint in my laundry room. I turned off the power to the dryer and turned on the vacuum cleaner. I not only vacuumed inside the machine, but I made sure to check the hose for lint and vacuumed it. While I was there, I checked it to make sure there weren’t any holes in it.
After I made sure everything was connected again, I went outside and checked the vent outside to make sure that wasn’t full of lint either.
The hardest part was moving the dryer, so it is another easy fix to make my dryer, and my home, more energy efficient.
Lisa, an Avista customer, bought her 1910 house because she loved the old-world character, some of which doesn’t make her house very energy efficient. Lisa is sharing her experience on taking some simple do-it-yourself improvements to inspire others to do the same. You’ll find her stories right here every Tuesday morning.