U.S. Patent Changes Focus for Port St. Lucie Appliance Repairman

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - May 3, 2015 - PRLog -- After 30 years of general appliance service work, repairing everything from refrigerators to dishwashers, José Cano of Port St. Lucie recently repurposed his business to deal exclusively with laundry dryer vent maintenance. The main impetus for the change was U.S. Patent #7658804, which he received for a dryer vent cleaning system -- but the need for the service also has increased dramatically in recent years.

That’s because in most newer homes and some older ones, the air exhaust vent pipe for the dryer runs through the roof, and if it is not cleaned periodically and thoroughly, it not only reduces dryer efficiency but also creates a fire hazard.

Clothes dryers cause more than 15,000 fires each year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and Cano estimates that the dryers in about 85 percent of Florida’s 13,000,000 homes are vented through the roof.

“Depending on how far the dryer vent pipe has to travel, how many turns it takes, and what it’s made of, that pipe can become clogged with lint, animal hair and other material over time, and when it does, it causes trouble,” said Cano.

Most manufacturers recommend that dryer vents be cleaned at least every other year. But Cano explained that the “blow-and-go” method used by many services does not clean the tubing thoroughly.

“A dryer vent system cannot be properly cleaned unless the service provider reaches both dryer vent ends,” says Cano.

What sets Cano’s system apart from others – and earned him the patent – are brushes that enter one end of the vent pipe and exit the other end, collecting lint, hair and other material in a disposable bag. After the brushes have passed through the dryer vent system, the suction action is reversed to blow out any loose lint which may remain in the vent, and the same process is applied to the dryer’s air passages.

Signs that a dryer vent is restricted and it’s time for a cleaning include:
- The sides and top of the dryer get hotter.
- The dryer needs more than a cycle to dry a load of laundry.
- Dryers with the filter by the door show excessive lint build up around the door and gasket.
- The electric bill gradually increases.

In addition to regular maintenance, Cano advises homeowners to practice safe dryer habits, including the following:
- Never leave your dryer running when you go to bed or leave the house.
- Replace plastic transition ducts with semi-rigid metal ducts.
- Never run the dryer without the lint filter in place.
- Clean your lint filter before every load.

Finally, Cano cautions that the rules apply equally to electric and gas dryers, and that new dryers should always be installed by a professional.