Dryer Vent Cleaning in Anniston, AL
Tell us about your home, and a licensed contractor who covers Calhoun County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold nights turn dryer lint into a bigger problem
Winter nights in Calhoun County average 34°F from December through February. Warm, damp air from your dryer hits the cold walls of the vent and cools fast, and the moisture left behind gives lint somewhere to stick instead of blowing outside. Layer by layer, that buildup narrows the vent until air barely moves through it.
A blocked vent keeps heat and moisture trapped in the line, and both work against the metal over time. Once airflow is cut down enough, the dryer has nowhere to push that heat but back into the room around it.
- 34°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 5 months
- November through March, the vent stays cold
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- How often should a dryer vent be cleaned?
- Once a year is the general rule. A dryer pushes moist air full of lint through the vent every time it runs, and that lint settles along the way even when the lint trap is clean. Longer vent runs and runs with several bends collect lint faster than a short, straight one, so those may need a look sooner.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the parts you can reach, but that is usually not the whole job. Pulling the dryer out and cleaning the lint trap housing and the first few feet of duct helps, but the vent often runs through a wall or up through the roof, and lint builds up along the whole length. A contractor has the rods and vacuum to clear it from the dryer to the outside hood.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take more than one cycle to dry, a dryer that runs hot to the touch, and a burning smell are the main ones. You might also notice little to no airflow at the outside vent hood when the dryer is running, or lint gathering around the hood flap instead of blowing clear. Any of these means the vent needs a look before it gets worse.