Not all the maintenance a house needs is visible. Sometimes a potential problem just goes unnoticed until it causes trouble, sometimes serious trouble.

But a lot of potential problems give off warning signs. Clothes dryers often do when they need a good cleaning.

Matt Gallaway, owner of Precision Duct Cleaning, said the warning signs can disguise themselves as other problems.

“I’ve had a couple times where their dryer has actually caught on fire, and they thought it was the electrical system,” Gallaway said.

That was the case with a recent job.

“I was there cleaning their HVAC system, and I asked them about their dryer, and they said, ‘Oh, it’s the electrical.’ And I said, ‘Maybe not. Do you mind if a take a look?’ And as soon as I ran the camera — it was just plugged all the way. It’s pretty common.”

The science is straightforward enough — clothing sheds fibers.…