Home maintenance plans and schedules must include a dryer vent cleaning. When thinking of the functionality, safety, and performance of your dryer, think beyond the appliance itself — keeping your dryer’s vent system clear and well-functioning is essential to proper clothes drying, saving energy, and staying safe!
Benefits of a good clean
Dryer vent cleaning removes lint, dirt, and debris that builds up within vent piping. As clothes dry in the dryer, water is removed from washed clothes, and lint is produced. Have you seen how much lint is produced in your machine’s lint trap after just one load of laundry? Your dryer vent has lots more, and that’s why it’s important to clean.
Cleaning your dryer vents once a year can prevent dryer fires, help you save money on electricity bills, and also keep your dryer and vents in better working order, lessening the need for repairs. Plus, with a clean dryer vent, your clothes will dry quicker, reducing heat exposure and saving energy, time, and money.
Safety first
As dryers operate, moisture from the wet clothes evaporates and exits via the dryer vent. But particles of lint and other debris get transported in the airflow, causing a buildup of lint and other particles within the dryer vent’s tubes.
Plain and simple — clogged dryer vents are a safety hazard and a fire risk. In fact, when dryer vent cleaning isn’t conducted regularly, dryer vents can become the biggest fire hazard in your home! Built-up lint can ignite, presenting a major fire risk. Simply cleaning the lint screen after each dryer use isn’t enough; more lint and debris hide out in the vent piping where dryer air exits the house or building.
Not many people think of dryer vents first when assessing fire risks. But the facts speak for themselves. According to 2010–14 National Fire Protection Association data, U.S. fire departments respond to almost 16,000 home fires caused by clothes dryers or washing machines each year. 92% of these fires involved clothes dryers.
When is it time to clean?
If it’s been over a year since your last dryer inspection and dryer vent cleaning, it’s time to schedule a cleaning. But aside from just marking your calendar, there are common signs that can indicate it’s time for a dryer vent cleaning.
If clothes are taking longer than usual to dry, a clogged vent could be to blame. Also, look out for clothes that are still hot and damp after one drying cycle.
If your clothes smell burnt or musty, or if there are any sort of similar odors present while operating your dryer, schedule a vent cleaning and inspection. Lint accumulating quickly in any part of your dryer or on the lint screen could also mean a cleaning is due.
Finally, check and feel for airflow coming out of the outside dryer vent while your dryer is running. If there’s no exhaust exiting, your vent may be blocked.
Go with the pros
Chimney Sweep offers professional dryer vent cleaning services. While you may have seen kits and tools available for at-home dryer vent cleaning, the pros at Chimney Sweep have the gear and experience needed to get vents properly and thoroughly cleaned. In fact, we’ve been providing dryer vent cleaning services in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 1980.
Dryer vent cleaning is a matter of safety and reducing fire risk, among many other benefits that increase your dryer’s performance while reducing energy use and costs. We’ll make sure vents are fully cleaned and cleared out, freeing you from fussing with do-it-yourself cleaning kits and incomplete results.
Is your dryer overdue for vent cleaning service? If so, call the Chimney Sweep at 1-800-CHIMNEY or contact us online or request a quote. While we’ve been cleaning chimneys for decades, our expertise in cleaning out dryer vents is second to none.
