Installing a Semi-Rigid Dryer Hose to Prevent Fires
September 26, 2015
When we first moved into this house (a few months ago), I didn’t know much about dryer hoses: the different types, the fire hazards, etc. I do remember that our home inspector told us that we needed to replace the dryer hose in this house due to potential fire hazard, although I didn’t exactly understand why. We originally had one of those shiny “foil-like” dryer hoses and I thought those were the most common and those were supposed to be safe and so on. So I did what I always do when I don’t fully understand something: I studied! I researched the issue online and was surprised to learn that those ubiquitous foil-like dryer hoses are totally flammable and are not recommended to be used as dryer hoses. Here is a YouTube video that explains more:
The right kind of dryer hose is the semi-rigid dryer duct
Installing a Semi-Rigid Dryer Hose to Prevent Fires
Installing a Semi-Rigid Dryer Hose to Prevent Fires
The dryer hose in the video that caught fire? Yep, that’s the one I had in this house originally! Scary! Go and check your dryer hoses and see what kind you have on there! Is it a shiny, soft hose or is it a semi-rigid metallic one?!
If you have the bad kind, it’s an easy fix to replace it! You can replace it with a semi-rigid dryer hose with very little effort required. Here is my dryer with the old hose attached to the dryer, and the new semi-rigid dryer duct
Installing a Semi-Rigid Dryer Hose to Prevent Fires
Semi-rigid Dryer Hose
1. Pull the dryer away from the wall. Clean up behind the dryer. (Look at how much dust and dirt accumulated behind my dryer!)
Installing a Semi-Rigid Dryer Hose to Prevent Fires
2. Remove the old hose by unscrewing the hose clamp on both the dryer side and the vent side (the part where the hose exits the house). Look at how dirty my old hose was!! Gross! More importantly, all that lint build-up can potentially cause a fire!
Installing a Semi-Rigid Dryer Hose to Prevent Fires
3. Attach the new
4. Make sure the vent in the wall is clean. Here is what my vent looked like after removing the old dryer hose. See how full of lint the vent is?
Installing a Semi-Rigid Dryer Hose to Prevent Fires
Here is how I took care of that! This little gadget gets right in there and removed all the lint that built up over time!
Installing a Semi-Rigid Dryer Hose to Prevent Fires
Once the vent is all clean, attach the
5. Ta-da! All done! Push your dryer back in and that’s it!
This wasn’t hard at all, right?! Sometimes home improvement projects like this can seem intimidating at first! Trust me, I can relate- sometimes, I think “Why don’t I just call in a pro to handle this?” And then, I realize that this is a super simple task that anyone can handle easily! (And by the way, I’m totally all for calling in a pro when necessary, like when we installed a fence or when we had plumbing “issues” in the master bath. I just personally feel like this is totally a DIY job!)
So if you have the old dryer hose that is shiny and foil-like, be sure to replace it with a semi-rigid dryer duct
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I recently got a new washer and dryer and they replaced our hose to one of these. I had no idea having it replaced helped to prevent fires though. I couldn’t believe how gross the old one looked just after a few years.
I know, right? Those hoses really do show their wear after a while! So important to clean them out!
This is definitely something that people forget to check and it can be so dangerous! Cleaning out our dryer hose and vent is part of our fall cleaning chores.
That’s great, Jessica! Thanks for visiting!
No, oh no! We just installed a fire hazard! Thanks for the info – I’d rather replace it now than have a bigger problem later!
It’s an easy fix, Jenny! Thanks for stopping by!
I had no idea the vent hoses could cause fires. We actually have one of the semi-rigid hoses because our the original vent hose was messed up when we moved it. My husband replaced it with the semi-rigid hose right away. I’m glad he did!
Yes, it’s really scary to think those foil-like hoses that are so common are actually flammable!
These are good tips for when I move into a house and purchase a dryer! Thanks Jennifer 😀
Absolutely, Chanel! Thanks for visiting!
It’s so important to do your research when buying property. I have always been afraid of investing in property because of little fixes like this I don’t know how to perform. I recently heard you could invest in a home insurance for like 40.00 a month and theres a company that would come out and fix any appliance that’s broken for little to no money at all.
Yes, that’s an interesting option, Winter, to make sure unexpected issues get handled easily! Thanks for stopping by!
This is really good to know. I had no clue that not changing the vent hose can cause fire. This is scary, so I have to talk about this semi rigid dryer duct with my husband.
Thanks for visiting! Have a fabulous weekend!
Such a good way to keep your home safe! I would never know how to do this, but am glad I have this resource.
Glad you can reference this, Katie! Have a fabulous day!!
Yep! As cheap as dryer hose is, I’d replace it before it gets dangerously filled with lint. I dont think people realize how much link gets packed in the hoses! Thanks for your info!
Of course, Cynthia! Thanks for visiting!
Making sure the dryer line is clean is so important! It really is important to make sure that everything is safe, I always forget about checking the vent. I need to have my husband pull it out and take a peek at ours.
Yes, it’s a good idea to check them a few times a year! Thanks, Tammilee!
Great info! When I was in high school, one of my classmates’ houses burned down and the fire had started in the clothes dryer. I’ve always remembered that and been very careful to make sure that my lint filter, line, etc. are up to scratch.
Yes it’s something that can really cause devastation if it’s not carefully monitored. Thanks for visiting, Sage!
I never knew what a threat a dryer hose could be! I’m so grateful all of ours are made from actual metal – I’d hate to have a fire start when we’re not around! Thank you for sharing these wonderful tips!
Sure, Susan! Thanks for visiting!!
I can’t even imagine having a fire because of something related to my dryer, such a scary thought! I love the idea of preventing an incident like this before it ever happens, I’ll definitely ask hubby to look into replacing ours!
Good idea! Thanks for visiting, Lauren!