Two major appliance manufacturers have introduced new features on dryers, designed to help prevent lint from clogging the vents.
A blocked vent in a dryer can be a dangerous problem. In one case, a woman was killed in a house fire sparked by a lint blockage in her dryer.
LG and Kenmore both say new features on their dryers will detect if vents are blocked, and alert appliance owners. LG calls the new addition "FlowSense", while Kenmore's is called a "Check Vent" sensor. Neither company is referring to the addition as a safety feature, but rather a way to enhance performance.
Consumer Reports tested dryers from both manufacturers to determine if their features are effective.
"We tested each dryer by blocking the vent completely, and then operating it with a full load of wet clothes," said Jim Nanni.
The results of the tests were inconsistent. In some cases, with the LG dryer, the four orange "Flow Sense" bars clearly showed that the vent was blocked.
But at other times, despite the fact the vent was completely blocked, there was no signal at all. In one case, the dryer continued to run for more than an hour.
"These tests, though limited, show that these indicators can't be relied on to alert you to a blocked vent," said Nanni.
Consumer Reports suggest using a metal vent and cleaning it regularly. You should also make sure to clean your lint trap every time you use your dryer.
Here are Consumer Reports top picks on dryers:
LG DLE 270, which costs around $1,200.
Kenmore 800 series 6982, which sells for around $550.
