How often should your dryer vent be cleaned?

Most people think cleaning their dryer's lint screen is enough to keep their dryer running efficiently and safely. But, the fact is, lint builds up in the dryer's exhaust vent causing dangerous and costly conditions. How often do you do laundry? 1, 2 or even 3 times a week? When is the last time you had your dryer exhaust vent cleaned? The dryer creates moisture in the vent which causes the lint to build up especially with the use of soaps and softeners. Lint is highly flammable and easily cause a fire.

Just like with chimney cleaning, make sure you use a certified technician, like us. We are Fort Wayne's Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician (CDET). Just like with our Certified Chimney Sweep Certification, we have hours of studying and testing. Then, in order to become dryer vent certified, we have passed a written examination based on fire codes and standards for the construction and maintenance of dryer venting systems.

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Warning Signs

• 1. Drying time takes longers
• 2. Dryer and clothing are hotter
• 3. Increased lint
• 4. Clothes or laundry room smell moldy

Major reasons for cleaning the vent yearly

The most cost efficient thing to do is to have it cleaned yearly as part of your regular maintenance.

• 1. Saves you money on your electric and/or gas bill
• 2. Saves you time by drying your clothes faster
• 3. Protects your heating element from burning out
• 4. Less strain on your dryer
• 5. Minimizes risk of carbon monoxide and vent fire

The cost of cleaning the vent yearly will pay itself off quickly with the amount of money you will save on your utility bill. Plus, you will not have to worry about excess wear on your dryer, especially if you have a new efficiency type. Also, a clean vent allows the proper amount of air through and thus helps protect your heating element from burning out. So, for many reasons, it is cheaper to maintain your dryer vent by having it cleaned once a year, than letting a build up of lint occur and paying for costly repairs.

We use a unique pro spin method of cleaning which spins a brush through the vent and then use a high powered blower to push the lint out. This type of cleaning is the only way to properly clean a system and it is the most effective. If both of these steps are not taken, the vent will not be completely cleaned out. So, if your dryer isn't drying clothes like it use to, don't panic and think you have to buy a new dryer.

Does my dryer need a new vent duct?

Many homes still have the original white vinyl vent coming out of their dryer. This type of vent is highly flammable. If the lint catches on fire while the dryer is running, it will blow flames into this vinyl vent, catching it on fire. Highly unsafe. We always recommend replacing the vinyl vent with our flexible dryer vent duct pipe that is constructed of three layers of aluminum and two layers of polyester so it can withstand temperatures up to 275 degrees.