Janice Bittner Speaks at a Workshop in Hamilton, Virginia Advising First Time Home Buyers

Sept. 25, 2008 - PRLog -- First time home buyers have a lot to learn about mortgages, insurance, homeownership and maintenance.  Janice Bittner, owner of Dryer Vent Wizard recently spoke at a workshop designed for first time home buyers in Northern Virginia.  At this workshop, young people learned about the many aspects of homeownership, including appliance maintenance and fire safety.  Many of them were concerned about the maintenance of their gas furnace, believing this to be a potential danger.   Janice explained, “Believe it or you’re your clothes dryer poses a much higher fire hazard than your gas furnace.   It is important that you know how to properly maintain all your appliances to increase their efficiency and life span as well as fire safety.”  

It was Janice’s job to cover dryer vent cleaning and maintenance at the workshop.  She had a model of a poor dryer vent system, made of plastic and clogged with lint, and another model of a proper dryer vent system made of a more rigid material.  Janice explained how the dryer vent system works and how they become clogged with lint when improperly installed, explaining, “The best dryer vent system has few bends and turns, allowing lint and air to flow freely through ducts to the outside.  It is also smooth inside to help prevent lint from being caught.”

Janice handed out pamphlets advising:  The US Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that over 15,000 fires are associated with clothes dryers per year.  Most of these fires are due to improper dryer vent cleaning and maintenance.  As consumers are becoming aware of the dangers associated with their clothes dryers, the number of dryer fires has dropped by about 35% over the last few decades.  This is positive news, but still, many consumers remain unaware of the importance of dryer vent cleaning.

Janice is especially concerned about young people just getting started in their own homes or apartments.  “Young people, who have not been on their own very long, still have a lot to learn about home and appliance maintenance.  Many learn by trial and error, however, some error can be life threatening!” said Janice.   “I was thrilled to be invited to speak today; if the advice I offered prevents even one clothes dryer fire, I think my time today was well spent.”

Janice explained that the lack of maintenance is the major contributor to dryer fires.  Lint build-up causes reduced airflow, resulting in the dryer working inefficiently, increasing the cost of energy used to operate the appliance.  Problems also occur if consumers place the wrong items in their dryer, such as foam backed rugs, which can fall apart and block the lint trap.  Clothing or rags, soaked with flammable substances, even after washing, may produce vapors that could ignite.  These items should be washed separately and line dried to reduce the risk of fire.  Many older dryers still have exhaust systems made of plastic or vinyl which is not up to code today.

Those who attend the workshop learned that rigid or flexible metal venting and ducting material helps to sustain proper airflow and reduce the operating costs of a clothes dryer, extending the life of both your dryer and your clothing, due to lower drying temperatures.  “I had no idea that a clothes dryer could be so dangerous,” said one of the people who attended the seminar.  Parents who attended the workshop with their adult children appreciated the advice offered by Janice.  “Kids don’t always listen to their parents,” said the mother of two who attended.  “They are more likely to listen to an expert in the field who is unrelated to them.  I have to admit that I also learned a lot by attending the workshop.”

Dryer Vent Wizard specializes in cleaning, repairing and installing dryer vents.  They do more than clean vents; they help to ‘pre-vent’ problems in the laundry room, including environmental hazards like mold, dust, and most important, fires.  Janice Bittner has owned http://www.dryerventwizard  of Northern Virginia since 2006.  Janice services Northern Virginia, Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington and Alexandria Counties, Annandale, Huntington, Sterling, and neighboring cities and communities.

Contact:
Janice Bittner
19 E. Loudoun St
Round Hill, VA  20141
Phone:  866-498-7233
Email:  jbittner@dryerventwizard.com
Website: http://www.dryerventwizard.com
This press release was submitted by Right Now Marketing Group, LLC

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Dryer Vent Wizard is a nationwide company, Dryer Vent Wizard professionally inspects and cleans

clothing dryers for homeowners and in commercially-owned buildings. Poorly maintained dryer vents

cause fire hazards and cost substantially more to