How much of a fire hazard is a dryer with a missing lint filter, and why?
A couple of points concerning safety… Always use the filter designed to fit your dryer and clean it after every load. If the filter becomes damaged, replace it. You want to avoid lint having accumulate anywhere in the exhaust system, both inside and outside the dryer. Too much lint in the exhaust path will produce a partial blockage, causing the air inside the dryer to overheat, which may lead to a lint fire. The exhaust path between the dryer and the outside vent should be as short and have as few bends as possible, so as not to cause excessive back pressure. You should avoid running wire-reinforced plastic flexible hose between the dryer exhaust and the outside vent. A short piece between the dryer and a the main exhaust line is fine, but nowhere else. This type of hose tends to trap lint and produce more back pressure than smooth metal tubing. Metal flexible tubing is much superior to the plastic type.
