It’s one of my favorite appliances in my home and for years I didn’t know I was damaging it. Only after two replacements did I learn a few important lessons.
Do you also love the feel and smell of clothes fresh out of the dryer? Then let me help you look after your valuable appliance before you have to call a dryer vent repair company.
Here are a few things you may be doing wrong, but in most cases there are quick solutions.
What do You Place Inside?
What do you think your dryer can handle? Many people overestimate their appliances’ abilities.
You’ll get the best service out of your dryer—and prevent damage—when you use it for it’s initial purpose. Anything you put inside that’s outside of its original scope, can potentially harm it because it’s too heavy, too dense or sharp.
So you know it’s made for drying clothes. Here’s a list of things people occasionally try to dry, but they shouldn’t:
– Shoes
– Handbags
– Stuffed toys
– Wigs
Perhaps you unintentionally fill it with unwanted items. This happens when someone in your family doesn’t take out harmful items form their pockets. Coins can damage the inside and paper can increase the risk of a fire.
Now you know why your mother yelled at you for not emptying you pockets.
Where is It Placed?
Exterior factors can also damage your dryer without you realizing it. You’ll know when your dryer starts malfunctioning, but then the damage is done:
– Placing it on a surface that’s not level, or is a bit irregular, isn’t wise. A dryer needs to be stable during every load. If not, the motion will harm mechanical parts. Luckily you can solve this by simply adjusting the feet. Most models these days have adjustable ones.
– Don’t squeeze your dryer into a small, confined space. There must be room for air to circulate. You don’t want heat to build up as it can lead to fires. Yes, you can put it under a counter, but placing it inside a closet isn’t ideal.
– It’s practical to place your washer and dryer on top of each other. Just ensure they’re absolutely stable so the one’s motion doesn’t cause the other one any damage.
Space is a luxury in most homes, but don’t compromise on this. It’s not only about drying clothes. Placement determines your family’s safety.
How Big is a Load?
You want to finish your washing as quickly as possible, but don’t be tempted to overload your dryer. There’s a reason your owner manual states a maximum load.
Firstly, overloading will require you to use longer cycles because the air won’t circulate well. That’s not practical. You’re wasting time and energy.
Secondly, the weight of the washing can cause damage to your dryer’s components such as bearings and even the drum itself.
Is it Really Clean?
Every time you neglect to clean your dryer, you’re potentially damaging it. It can cause excessive heat to build up which can harm the dryer or even start a fire.
Fires take place when lint builds up in the dryer vent and something sets off a spark. Since dryers produce heat and static, you shouldn’t ever take this chance.
Here’s what you need to clean regularly:
– Lint trap
– Dryer vent
– Moisture sensors
[Conclusion]
Does this give you a new perspective? It did for me. Now I keep my favorite appliance in mint condition all the time.
Before you do that next batch of washing, make sure you tended to all these possible problems. Done already? You just enhanced your dryer’s lifespan. You’re welcome.
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