Dryer Vent Cleaning in Allentown, PA
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Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold vents catch more lint than warm ones
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air every time it runs. From October through May, that air is moving through a vent run sitting inside a cold house, with nights averaging 22°F. The moisture in the exhaust cools fast against those cold walls, and lint sticks to a damp surface far more than a dry one.
That buildup narrows the vent a little more each month. A dryer fighting a partly blocked vent runs hotter and takes longer to dry a load, and the lint packed inside is what a house fire needs.
- 22°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 8 months
- October through May, 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 right for most households. If you run big loads often, or the vent run is long with a lot of turns, once a year may not be enough and you'll want to check it partway through the year too. A contractor can look at how your vent is routed and tell you whether it needs more frequent attention.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the first few feet near the machine yourself, but that only clears part of the problem. Lint builds up along the whole run, including inside the wall and at the outside hood, and that part is hard to reach without the right brushes and rods. A contractor cleans the full length of the vent and checks that the hood flap opens and closes the way it should.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes coming out hot to the touch but still damp is the clearest sign. Others include a laundry room that feels warmer or more humid than usual, a burning smell while the dryer runs, and the outside vent hood barely moving air when you hold your hand near it while a load is drying. If drying times have crept up over several loads, the vent is likely restricted.