Dryer Vent Cleaning in Hartsville, SC
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It takes about a minute.
Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold vents catch more lint
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air every load. Once that air hits a cold vent, it cools fast, and the moisture in it settles on the walls of the duct. Lint sticks to a damp surface far more than a dry one, so the buildup packs in tighter with every load.
Hartsville winter nights average 35°F from December through February, cold enough to chill a vent run the moment the dryer stops pushing air through it. That damp lint sitting on the walls is what turns into a clogged vent.
- 35°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 standard rule for most households. If you dry clothes almost every day, or if your duct run is long, you may need to clean it more often than that. A good sign it is due is when clothes start taking longer to dry than they used to for the same load.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the parts you can reach, but most homes have duct runs that go through walls or up through the roof, and those sections need a brush and rod made for the job. Pulling the dryer out and vacuuming the first few feet of duct along with the lint trap helps, but it will not clear a clog further down the line. A contractor can run a full-length brush through the vent and check that the outside hood is opening and closing the way it should.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take two cycles to dry, a dryer that runs hot to the touch, or a burning smell when it is running are the main ones. You might also notice less airflow coming from the outside vent hood when the dryer is on, or lint collecting around the hood itself. Any of these on their own is worth checking, and if you notice more than one at a time, get it looked at soon.