Lint Filter Is Clogged on My Kenmore Dryer
There is a simple device inside your Kenmore dryer called a lint filter or lint screen. This often-neglected gadget is a small mesh screen that traps lint and keeps it from flying down into the exhaust pipe that leads outside. Over time this filter gets clogged with lint and can cause problems with your dryer. If you don’t maintain the lint filter properly it could cause major issues that go far beyond your laundry. Does this Spark an idea?
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Clean After Use
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Clean out your lint filter after every dryer use. Develop a habit to check the lint filter and scrape out all the lint with your hands at the end of every laundry load, or before each load if you prefer. Neglecting this task for even a few loads of laundry can allow the lint screen to fill up and restrict the airflow through your dryer’s exhaust.
Why the Filter Clogs
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The reason lint filters get clogged is because the fabric from all the clothing, bedding, towels and other items that you wash and dry come apart in little bits we know as lint. These pieces of cotton, polyester or other materials get carried away with the moisture from the clothes during the drying process and often get caught in the lint filter. The screen holds them there until the user pulls the screen out and empties it. The lint filter doesn’t catch all the lint, but it gets the majority of it unless it gets too full and then the air cannot flow through it. This prevents the lint filter from doing its job.
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Potential Problems
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Failure to clear a clog in your lint filter can result in several problems. The lack of airflow will mean your dryer has to run longer to get the clothes dry. This increases utility bills. The lack of air also makes the dryer get too hot, which can damage clothing and is especially bad for permanent press items. The dryer may be noisy and the heating elements and bearing in the motor may wear out much earlier because of overheating. At the very least, that excessive heat can impart a burned smell on your clothes. At worst, the lint may catch fire, which can result in bigger fires.
Fire Dangers
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The fire potential is the biggest threat associated with clogged lint filters in your Kenmore dryer. When the heat becomes so intense that is ignites the lint trapped in the filter it can lead to a blaze that could result in the loss of your home and injury or death to those inside. According to the American Society of Home Inspectors Reporter website, more than 15,000 residential fires result from dryer use in a single year. Gas dryers have an especially high risk of lint ignition fires because they use an open flame as a heat source.
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