What happens if you don't clean your dryer vent?
How Often Should A Dryer Vent Be Cleaned?
According to the US Fire Administration yearly dryer vent cleaning is the minimum suggested maintenance.
Factors Contributing to Ignition in Clothes Dryer Fires
The leading specific factor (47 percent) contributing to ignition is failure to clean. This is not surprising as proper clothes dryer maintenance to avoid a fire hazard involves removing the lint from the traps, vents, and surrounding areas of the dryer.
Failure to clean accounted for 72 percent of the operational deficiency. It also accounted for 34 percent of all clothes dryer fires in residential buildings.
Other factors contributing to ignition is mechanical failure and electrical failure. Reduced airflow resulting from lint buildup in the screen or other areas around the dryer can cause a clothes dryer to not operate efficiently and possibly overheat. Problems can also occur if improper items, such as foam-backed rugs or athletic shoes, are placed in dryers, or plastic or vinyl exhaust materials are used to vent the appliances.