Dryer Vent Cleaning in Covington, GA
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Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold vents make lint stick
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air every time it runs. Once that air hits the cold vent, it cools fast, and the moisture in it gives lint something to cling to instead of blowing straight through. From December through February, nights here average 35°F, cold enough to chill that vent run from the wall to the outside hood.
Over a winter, that damp lint builds into a lining along the duct. It narrows the path the air has to travel, so the dryer works harder to push exhaust out and takes longer to dry a load.
- 35°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 5 months
- November through March, the vent stays cold
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NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- How often should a dryer vent be cleaned?
- Once a year for most households, unless you notice signs of a clog sooner. Lint builds up inside the duct even when the lint trap gets cleaned before every load, because not all of it gets caught there. If the vent run is long, or has several bends, it can trap lint faster and may need a look sooner than that.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the lint trap and the first few feet of duct behind the dryer, and you should do that often. The rest of the run is harder to reach, especially where the vent bends through a wall or goes up through a roof or attic, and a shop vac or brush from the inside won't clear a clog partway down the line. A contractor can run a rod or brush the full length and check that the outside hood flap opens freely.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take longer than usual to dry, or come out hot to the touch but still damp, are the clearest sign. Check the outside vent hood while the dryer runs. If you feel weak airflow there, or see the flap barely moving, lint is building up somewhere in the duct. A burning smell or a dryer that shuts off partway through a cycle means stop using it and have the vent checked.