SAFETY ALERT! Many GIL lofts at risk for fire

VERY REAL DANGER  Most GIL homeowners are probably blithely unaware that their loft has a serious construction defect that substantially increases the probability of having a potentially devastating house fire.  Although the Blog has not been able to determine how the Glen Iris developer, Miller-Gallman, was able to skirt the local building code and slide the defect past city building inspectors, the dryer venting assembly of every loft we inspected was found to be in substantial violation of the local building code. (Continued...)

Can dryer vents really pose that great of a danger?  Your dryer’s lint screen usually collects only about 75% of the lint generated by the dryer – the rest passes along through the dryer vent.  According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, as many as 15,000 fires start in the laundry room every year when lint from clothes dryers builds up and catches fire. Those fires result in up to 19 deaths, 310 injuries and more than $84 million in property damage every year.

DRYER LINT IS EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE

The local building code specifies that the maximum length of dryer ducting is twenty-five feet minus five feet for every 90 degree bend.  Yet the typical effective length of the dryer duct assembly here at Glen Iris Lofts exceeds 40 feet – which is 18 feet or 70% longer than is permissible by code.

In addition to being a major fire hazard, lint build-up inside your dryer vent can also seriously impact your electric bill as it inhibits air flow, thus increasing the time required to dry your clothes.

WHAT YOU CAN DO  If your dryer ducts have never been cleaned, you should either clean them yourself or have them professionally cleaned immediately.  This is especially true if you happen to have noticed that it takes longer than it used to for your clothes to dry.  If you notice any condensation dripping from your dryer duct or if you hear even a faint ‘whistle’ coming from the duct while your dryer is running, stop the dryer immediately and have a professional assess your situation­, as these are warning signs that typically precede a dryer vent fire.

DO IT YOURSELF  (Requires two people)  If you are the handy type and you have a friend who can lend a hand, you can clean them yourself by disconnecting your dryer and moving it to the side so that the duct wall inlet is plainly visible.  Then, using an electric leaf blower (do not use any gas powered tools inside your home) blow air into the duct, forcing lint build-up to exit through the outside vent.  You may also use a Shop-Vac’s blower mode to do the same thing.  The reason that you need another person to help is because it’s important that you verify that lint exits through the vent when air is forced through.  If it doesn’t, you may have only made the problem worse by creating a more concentrated obstruction somewhere along the length of the duct.

PERMANENT SOLUTION   Once you have a clean dryer duct, you need to install (or have installed) an auxiliary, motorized dryer booster fan.  These devices are installed in-line along the dryer duct and increase the velocity of the air that’s passing through, which is the only permanent solution to this problem the way our lofts are constructed.   These usually range in price anywhere from $125 to $350, depending on quality and features.  For instance, some models can sense decreased air flow inside the vent and alert on this condition).

DRYER BOOSTER FAN

Since a friend helped me install an in-line booster fan in my loft’s dryer vent, I cannot personally provide any contractor references, but it’s a job most handymen could handle without too much difficulty and the Blog will be happy to post any contracting references any homeowner may have – just send a recommendation to gil@go.to and we will share your recommendation with your neighbors.

IT'S YOUR PROBLEM   Some might think that this defect is something that the Association might want to weigh in on, but I can almost assure you that they have their hands full - as they have had for the past eight years - repairing a multitude of more complex (and costly to remedy) construction defects as it is.  In any event, since the ducting is located inside your unit, you will be told it’s your problem - never mind the fact that when this results in a fire (which it will, eventually, if left uncorrected) it will be everyone’s problem.

And don’t forget to thank Jerry Miller for a job not-well done the next time you see him (or you can ask Kit to pass the message along for you)! ;-)

the Blog

People who read this post also read :