Dryer Vent Cleaning in Alabaster, AL
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Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Step 1 of 3: Equipment
What cold nights do to your dryer vent
Every load sends warm, damp air through the vent to the outside. On winter nights that average 35°F from December through February, that air cools fast once it hits the metal duct. Lint that would blow through on a warm day sticks to the damp walls instead, and the buildup narrows the vent a little more each time.
A blocked vent keeps the moist air from getting out, and it backs up into the duct and the wall around it. Clearing that lint out is what keeps the air moving and the moisture going where it belongs, outside the house.
- 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 is the general rule for most dryers. The exact timing depends on how much the dryer gets used and how long the vent run is, since lint builds up faster over longer runs and tighter bends. A contractor can look at the vent and tell you if yours needs cleaning sooner than that.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the part you can reach, but that is usually not the whole job. Pulling the dryer out and vacuuming the first few feet of duct helps, and clearing lint from the outside vent hood does too. The trouble is the lint sitting further down the duct, especially where it bends or runs through a wall, and that takes a brush and rod long enough to reach the full run. A contractor has the equipment to clean the whole vent, not just the ends.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes coming out hot to the touch but still damp is the clearest sign. Others include a dryer that takes longer than it used to, a burning smell during the cycle, or very little airflow at the outside vent hood when the dryer is running. Lint collecting around the dryer drum or the flap on the outside vent not opening well are worth checking too. Any of these on their own is reason enough to have the vent looked at, since a blocked vent traps heat that has nowhere to go.