As one year ends and another begins, you will probably take a look over your house to find various cleaning and improvement projects. Regular dryer vent cleaning can improve your quality of life by making home maintenance easier and safer. One that you may not have thought of, but which is a critical job to have done on a regular basis, is dryer vent cleaning. Manufacturers recommend regular inspection and maintenance of dryer exhaust systems to ensure safety.
Introduction to Dryer Vent Maintenance
Regular dryer vent cleaning is essential for keeping your home safe and your dryer running efficiently. Over time, clogged dryer vents can restrict airflow, causing your dryer to work harder and take longer to dry clothes. This not only leads to higher energy bills, but also increases the risk of house fires. According to the National Fire Protection Association, clogged dryer vents are a leading cause of house fires in the United States, with more than 15,000 incidents reported annually. By scheduling regular professional dryer vent cleaning, homeowners can help prevent fires, reduce energy costs, and extend the lifespan of their dryer. Keeping your dryer vent clean is a simple yet crucial step in maintaining the safety and efficiency of your home.
What Is Dryer Vent Cleaning and Why Does It Matter?
The dryer vent is the hose and outdoor vent that removes heat and moisture from a household clothes dryer. The vent can be located in a variety of locations, such as on the roof (as the one in the picture at the top of this post). If you’re unsure whether your current setup is functioning properly, it’s worth understanding why regular dryer vent cleaning helps prevent long-term damage and safety hazards. Dryer ducts are also part of this system and require regular cleaning to prevent fire hazards, health issues, and decreased appliance efficiency. Clogged dryer ducts can restrict ventilation of carbon monoxide, posing serious health risks.
A long winter doesn’t have to be uncomfortable, as long as your home is outfitted with the ideal heating system, such as a powerful natural gas furnace. But too often people associate using the heater with paying extremely high winter utility bills. Chances are, though, that those heating bills are unnecessarily high and can be brought down with a few steps and precautions.
Start saving those winter coats from last year! Winter months are on the horizon and will be here soon. Don’t throw away any coats that are too small for your kids! We accept gently used or new coats and jackets. All donations stay in our own community and help children in our area.
Help out needy kids in Madera CA by donating coats and jackets.
It looks like we’re going to enjoy a warm—or at least moderately cool—Thanksgiving here in the Central Valley. We can’t expect this to last, of course. By the end of December, the heating systems in our homes will be working regularly, and they’ll keep up their hard work through until April.
If you’ve had the same furnace in your home for many years, you’re probably accustomed to it having a pilot light. If you have newer furnace, or you’re planning on having one installed in the near future, it probably doesn’t use a pilot light at all. Instead, an electronic ignition system ignites the burners. In fact, you rarely see standing pilot lights on newly manufactured furnaces anymore. Why did this change happen? Let’s take a look. 
Although the official start of winter doesn’t arrive until the third week in December, the cooling in the Central Valley often sets in earlier. Right now, we are still experiencing warm days, but the nights are developing a chill. Once Daylight Savings time ends in November, we can anticipate a faster change in the temperatures to the colder side. Right now is the time to see that your HVAC system is prepared for the change in seasons. Here’s what you can do to help prepare it. 
Are you looking into having a new heating system installed this fall? It’s a great season to schedule this kind of major HVAC job: you’ll be ready in time for the winter cold, and it’s easy to have it arranged with our installers at a convenient time.
Temperatures are still warm and sometimes hot here in the Central Valley as we enter into the official beginning of fall. 
September is often one of the hottest months of the year in the Central Valley. We won’t expect relief to arrive until October, when fall has officially started and has had some time to settle in and begin cooling us down.