Dryer Vent Cleaning in Harrisburg, PA
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It takes about a minute.
Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold vents make lint stick
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air every time it runs. Once that air hits the cold vent run, especially on a night near 24°F, it cools fast, and the moisture in it turns to dampness on the vent walls. Lint does not blow through a wet vent. It sticks.
That buildup narrows the vent a little more each time, until the dryer is pushing air against a wall of lint instead of out through the hood. The dryer runs longer to dry the same load, and the heat has nowhere to go but back into the vent and the wall around it.
- 24°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?
- A contractor can tell you for certain based on your vent's length and layout, but a yearly cleaning is a reasonable starting point for most households. A vent that runs longer than ten feet or has a few bends in it collects lint faster and is worth checking more closely. If drying times start creeping up before the year is out, that is a sign to have it looked at sooner.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the lint trap and the first few feet of vent yourself, but the full duct run is harder to reach. Most vents run through a wall or up through the roof, and lint builds up in the bends where a brush from the inside cannot always get to it. A contractor uses a rod and brush system built to clear the whole length, then checks that the vent hood outside is opening and closing the way it should.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take more than one cycle to dry, a dryer that feels hot to the touch on the outside, and a burnt smell during the cycle are the clearest signs. You might also notice less airflow coming from the outside vent hood when the dryer is running, or lint gathering around the hood itself. Any one of these on its own is worth a look, and if you notice more than one, get the vent checked soon.