A dirty lint trap won't allow air to flow through as freely, which means it will take longer to dry your clothes. And no one wants that. Today, as a precaution, I never leave my dryer running when ...

The reason for the device is simple, when you use your clothes ... hot air to warm your house. The block you see on top of the dryer is a heat exchanger. The exhaust from the dryer passes through ...

Illustration: Julia Abbonizio/Getty Images Tired of pulling out damp clothes ... air flow when you run the dryer. (The hot air may be seeping into the room instead of escaping through the outside ...