Dryer Vent Cleaning

Started by MaribethJ • 11 replies • 2507 views

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MaribethJ (Florida)
Posts: 2

Posted:

Recently my association, Single Family homes and Condos received a proposal for dryer vent cleaning. It came before the board a few times before we made any decisions on doing anything. Let me tell you how HAPPY I am that we went a head and decided to add this service. First of all the company was excellent and did a wonderful job. Cleaning both inside and out using the most up to date equipment. Secondly, they were extremly reasonable and most definitely willing to work within our price range. A neighboring community of ours had a fire in the conds from lack of dryer vent cleaning and this pushed us to go forward. If anyone is interested or needs any information I'd be happy to pass it along.

DavidS3 (Maryland)
Posts: 37

Posted:

Maribeth

Am I correct in believing that the service added is paid for out of general association funds? Does your Board have the ability to add services such as this without majority homeowner consent? Do individual homeowners have the right to refuse the service?

I ask these questions because they have arisen in the few times that we have considered adding a service to those already provided by our HOA. Our solution has been to find a willing service provider, inform the residents of their availability, and then allow them to make their own decisions. We are a community of primarily detached homes and the risk of damage to multiple units is certainly less than for a Condo Association.

The vent cleaning is a great idea though and I will ask one of our committees to look into it. Where is your Association located?

DavidS3

DonaldP (California)
Posts: 1

Posted:

I don't understand how dryer vents can be a fire hazzard. I know lint collecting in the vents is flammable--but what is the ignition source? Cleaning is a good idea because it makes drying more efficient and saves electricity, but I doubt they are a fire hazzard.

DonaldP

GlenL (Ohio)
Posts: 5,491

Posted:

Donald if the lint builds up to the point where the hot air cannot escape it can indeed cause a fire, just Google "dryer vent fires" and you'll find plenty of examples. The Consumer Products Safety Commission estimates there are 15,500 clothes dryer fires each year in the United States, amounting to $84 million in estimated property damage annually. We had a ruling from our attorney a couple of years ago that this was an association expense (condo complex) so we have a company come out every couple of years and do it.

Studies show that 5 out of 4 people have problems with fractions

MaribethJ (Florida)
Posts: 2

Posted:

David,

Where I live, in the codo section of the community (Bonita Springs Florida) it was taken out of the general fund. In my section of the community, Single Family Homes, we each paid for our own as it seems a ligitimate expense in our opinion. However, in the ssingle family homes part of the community not all families were either here, or opted out of the service. What the company did was those who wanted to sign up did and they came out in a two day span and did all those. The price was normally $120 for the service but, since more than 50 homes signed up they dropped the price to $45 a house. A great deal I thought. Again my opionion. Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.

PWells (Washington)
Posts: 34

Posted:

My Condo HOA in Seattle area, has offered this service to all owners every 2 years since 1993. The problem we have is getting owners to let our service company in to complete a cleaning. Then the owners do nothing but complain. Demanding to know why it was done during the weekday when everyones working. We've told them to make arrangements with either a neighbor or a friend to let the service company. But NOOOOO they never do and they remain mad.
Getting owners to open their doors to service companies can get sticky. HOA's are danged if they do and danged if they don't.
-P

JamieN (Missouri)
Posts: 4

Posted:

Is dryer vent cleaning a responsibility of the COA/HOA?

I agree that it would be good to negotiate a deal with a company based on volume of residents, but if the Association starts offering this service, then are they legally liable to continue this service till the end of time?

If we start and a futre BOD stops and there is a fire due to lint build up, would the Association be liable for these damages?

What has been your experiences?

Thanks!

MelissaP1 (Alabama)
Posts: 13,836

Posted:

This is an old post. May want to make your own. Welcome to HOA talk.

Former HOA President

JamieN (Missouri)
Posts: 4

Posted:

Will Do!

Thank you!

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

Good topic, especially for condo communities. do start a new thread.

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