Dryer Vent Cleaning and Maintenance will Prevent Dryer Fires, Says Janice Bittner - Sterling, Virgin

USA (SANEPR.com) September 29, 2008 -- One particular September evening last year brought Karen King of Sterling, Virginia, and her family close to what could have become a devastating house fire. Karen was finishing up some household tasks, including drying her last load of clothes for the day. Fortunately for her and her family, she didn’t let that last load go unattended.

Karen said that when she opened the dryer door, smoke came pouring out. She quickly closed the dryer door and called the fire department, who moved the two-year-old dryer out to the family’s garage. Once the fire inside the dryer had been put out, the fire department quickly determined what had caused this dryer fire.

The King’s dryer was located off of their kitchen, in an alcove. The dryer vent was 25 feet long and vented through the house and under the deck. It was difficult to reach, and thus difficult to clean. Karen admitted to doing between 10 and 12 loads of laundry per week.

Inside the dryer the fire chief found excessive amounts of lint. The Kings were strongly encouraged to move the vent in order to prevent any future fires. Dryer Vent Wizard, a professional dryer vent maintenance company, consequently shortened the vent to 10 feet and relocated the hosing to vent out the front of the house.

The King family bought a new dryer and feel much safer with the new dryer vent routing. Had Karen King left her dryer on and gone out, she might have had a full-blown house fire. As it was, she caught it early and no one was hurt. In anticipation of National Fire Prevention Month, Karen King was kind enough to share her story with us.

According to the National Fire Protection Agency, dryers are involved in over 15,000 fires per year, with the leading cause being failure to clean dryer vents.
These fires caused an average of 26 deaths, 468 injuries and $198 million in direct property damage per year.

Janice Bittner, owner of Dryer Vent Wizard of Northern Virginia urges consumers to have their dryer vent systems professionally inspected to be sure they are safe. http://www.dryerventwizard.com specializes in dryer vent cleaning, repair, installation and alteration to prevent dryer fires. Technicians also educate consumers to promote dryer fire safety. “My job isn’t complete until my customer understands how their dryer vent system works and they know how to properly maintain it between my annual visits,” says Janice.
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