Dryer Vent Cleaning in Summerville, SC
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It takes about a minute.
Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold vents trap the lint your dryer pushes out
Every load sends warm, damp air through the vent to the outside. On a winter night here, with temperatures averaging 38°F from December through February, that warm air cools fast against the vent walls. The moisture in it settles out, and lint sticks to the damp metal instead of blowing through.
Over a winter that buildup narrows the vent. Less air gets out, and the dryer works harder to push each load's exhaust through.
- 38°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 for most households. If you dry heavy loads often, towels, bedding, a big family's laundry, check it partway through the year and clean it again if lint has built up. A vent with several bends or a long run to the outside hood collects lint faster than a short straight one, so it deserves the same yearly attention no matter how small your loads are.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the lint trap and the section right behind the dryer yourself. A vent brush kit reaches further than a vacuum and pulls lint out of the straight runs you can access. The parts of the vent hidden inside walls or the attic are harder to reach and harder to check, so a contractor with the right tools can clean the full length and make sure the outside hood is clear and opening properly.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes taking longer than usual to dry, or coming out hot and still damp, is the clearest sign. The top of the dryer feeling hot to the touch, a burning smell, or weak airflow at the outside vent hood while the dryer runs are others worth checking. If you see lint gathered around the lint trap door or piled at the outside vent opening, that is lint that never made it out.