Dryer Vent Duct Cleaning. Residents should clear dryer lint from dryers after every use. Since some lint is vented beyond the dryers, the industry standard is for dryer vent ducts to be cleaned with a long brush at least once a year, or whenever dryers appear to be taking longer to dry a load of laundry. Dryers that are heavily used may require cleaning more often.
Plastic Duct Replacement. All dryer ducts are susceptible to accumulations of lint and clogging that can trap high temperature air inside vent ducts. In the 1980s, the US construction industry embraced the use of plastic hoses for dryer exhaust venting. In the decades since, as many as 15,000 U.S. house fires a year have been blamed on clogged dryer vent ducts, a number that was found to be increasing in part due to the fact that the plastic hoses used for dryer exhaust are flammable. Unfortunately, the industry standard in 1998 when our complex was first built led our builders to use these flexible plastic air hoses for dryer venting.
The 2006 Underwriters Laboratory UL 2158A “Clothes Dryer Transition Duct” established a higher standard for flexible high-temperature exhaust ducts rated to 430 degrees F. In 2009 the Board mandated that every plastic dryer vent duct be replaced with metal rigid or semi-rigid duct vent in compliance with the 2006 standard. To date, most plastic dryer ducts, including all common dryers, have been replaced with metal ducts. (Bob Cowherd, 2017)