Dryer Vent Cleaning in Charleston, SC
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Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold vent walls catch more lint than warm ones
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air, and it has to travel through a vent that sits in cold space most of the year. On a winter night in Charleston County, with temperatures down near 41°F, that warm air cools fast once it hits the vent. The moisture in it condenses on the inside walls, and lint sticks to the damp surface instead of blowing straight out.
That buildup narrows the vent a little at a time. Air moves slower through it, so the dryer takes longer to dry a load and runs hotter doing it.
- 41°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. Lint builds up inside the duct even when you clean the lint trap every load, because the trap only catches what passes through it. The rest settles along the duct walls where you cannot see it, so the yearly cleaning is what actually clears it out.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the first few feet yourself, but you cannot see or reach the rest of the run. Pull the dryer out, disconnect the duct, and vacuum out what you can reach from both ends. A vent brush kit reaches further than a vacuum hose alone. If your duct is long, has bends, or runs up through a wall or roof, a contractor has the equipment to clear the whole length and check the vent hood outside.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take more than one cycle to dry is the clearest sign. Others include the top of the dryer feeling hot to the touch, a burnt smell during the cycle, and little to no airflow when you hold your hand near the outside vent hood while the dryer runs. Lint around the vent hood opening or the dryer door seal is also a sign the duct is holding onto more than it should.