Dryer Vent Cleaning in Columbus, OH
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Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold vents catch more lint
The air coming off your dryer is warm and full of moisture. Once it hits the metal of a vent run sitting in a cold attic or crawlspace, on a night averaging 24°F, that warm air cools fast. The moisture in it beads up on the vent walls, and lint sticks to the damp surface instead of blowing straight through to the outside.
Over a winter that runs October through May, that buildup narrows the vent a little at a time. A narrower vent means the dryer has to push harder to get the air out, and the lint trapped inside stays close to a heat source.
- 24°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 8 months
- October through May, 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 standard, more often if you dry a lot of loads or the run to the outside wall is long. Lint builds up along the inside of the duct even when the lint trap looks clean, because the trap only catches part of it. A vent that runs longer or has bends in it collects lint faster than a short straight one.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the first few feet from the machine yourself, but the full duct usually needs a contractor. A vent brush with flexible rods reaches further than a vacuum hose alone, and most homes need more length than the kits sold in stores cover. If your vent run is long or has more than one turn, a contractor has the rods and camera to clean it end to end and check the vent hood at the outside wall.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes taking longer than one cycle to dry is the clearest sign. Others are the outside of the dryer feeling hot to the touch, a burnt smell during the cycle, or little to no airflow when you hold your hand near the outside vent hood while the dryer runs. Weak airflow at the vent hood means lint is blocking the duct somewhere between there and the machine.