Dryer Vent Cleaning in Stonecrest, GA
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Step 1 of 3: Equipment
What winter does to your dryer vent
Every load of laundry pushes warm, damp air through the vent to the outside. From November through April, that vent runs through air that averages 35°F on winter nights. The warm air cools fast against the cold walls of the vent, and the moisture in it turns to dampness on the inside. Lint sticks to a damp wall much better than it does to a dry one, and it builds up layer by layer.
A vent that is narrowing with lint does not push air out as well. The dryer has to work against that blockage, and the air it is trying to move has nowhere to go.
- 35°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 6 months
- November through April, 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, more often if you run loads daily or your vent run is long. Lint builds up along the inside of the duct every time you dry a load, and it narrows the path air needs to escape through. A vent that takes longer to clear will need attention sooner than one that runs straight out through a nearby wall.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the first few feet from the back of the dryer yourself, but that is not the whole vent. Most runs go through walls or up through the roof, and lint collects the whole way, especially at bends and at the outside hood. A contractor uses a brush and vacuum system built to reach the full length and clear it without damaging the duct.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take more than one cycle to dry, a dryer that feels hot to the touch on the outside, and a burning smell during a cycle all point to a clogged vent. You may also notice little to no airflow at the outside vent hood when the dryer is running, or lint gathering around the hood itself. Any one of these is worth having checked, since a blocked vent forces the dryer to work harder and keeps hot, moist air from getting outside.