How often do vents need cleaning? The better a dryer vent blows, the less lint builds up in it. Short vents blow better than long ones. Full size dryers blow better than smaller stack dryers or older dryers. Vents with a lot of turns and elbows blow worse and build up more lint. Very short vents attached to full size dryers may never need cleaning! Most vents, however, need cleaning every two to three years. Are dirty vents a fire hazard? A plugged vent will certainly cause a dryer to run hotter and increase the chance that something could catch fire. A dirty vent, however, is only one link in a chain of events that must occur for a fire to start. Does it cost me money to have dirty vents? Dirty vents can cause your dryer to take up to 10% longer to dry your clothes costing you more in utility bills every year. Return to plumbing servicesDo Your Clothes Take Longer Than 30 Minutes to Dry?If your dryer is getting warm, or hot, to the touch, then the problem is NOT your clothes dryer.

Your Dryer Vent is clogged or restricted and needs to be cleaned out. This is not the lint screen that you clean after each dryer load. It is the duct pipe that runs from your laundry room, inside your walls and terminates either through the roof or a side wall.Other symptoms to watch for are:Clothes dryer is getting too hot Excessive lint in your laundry roomHeating element cuts off intermittentlyLaundry room is overly hot or humidLint collecting on a small area of the lint screen, or on the back of the screenHave you ever heard of a clothes dryer catching fire? If not, don’t feel bad. Most people are not aware of the fire hazard found in their own laundry room…and what you don’t know can kill you.The latest Consumer Product Safety Commission figures show that there were 16,800 dryer fires which caused 30 deaths, 430 injuries and 97.3 million dollars in property damage on average each year. And dryer related home fires are increasing at an alarming rate.This is because more and more new homes are being built with the washer and dryer inside the home, far from an exterior wall…which usually means a very long clothes dryer vent!

Every time you dry clothes, microscopic particles of lint get past the lint screen in the dryer and deposit themselves in the long dryer vent, eventually clogging the vent. best vacuum cleaners good morning americaWith a clogged exhaust vent, the clothes dryer has a difficult time doing its job safely!dryer vent cleaning schoolWhy You Need To Have Your Dryer Vent Cleaned Regularly1. best way to clean faux wooden blindsFirst, and worst of all, when the vent is clogged, flammable lint is more likely to back up into the dryer and ignite causing a fire which can spread to the rest of the home.2. In the event that you have a dryer that uses natural gas or propane, a second hazard is carbon monoxide poisoning.

With the exhaust vent clogged, carbon monoxide can get backed up into the home, further threatening the health of the occupants.3. Longer Drying Time / Wasted Energy. If your dryer is taking longer to dry clothes than it should, it’s very likely your vent is WAY OVERDUE for a cleaning! When the vent is clogged, the clothes take much longer to dry, and consequently more energy is wasted. Higher utility bills and aggravation are the results of putting up with longer drying times. It’s not uncommon to think that you need a new dryer because it doesn’t dry like it used to.4. Dryer Overheats/ Wears Out Prematurely. When the Vent is clogged with lint, the dryer can overheat causing the heating element and other expensive parts to wear out prematurely. Why pay repair bills or replace a dryer prematurely when you can avoid it?What should I do? If it turns out that you do have one of the really long dryer vents, it is best to have it cleaned and inspected on a regular basis. With specialized tools designed specifically for dryer vent cleaning, American Chimney technicians are able to clean long vents of any configuration thoroughly, regardless of length, twists, or turns.

With regular scheduled maintenance, the chances of a dryer fire and carbon monoxide poisoning are drastically reduced, and the lifespan of the dryer is prolonged. Having your clothes dryer vent cleaned regularly is your ticket to peace of mind.Schedule an Appointment by Phone: We Also Specialize In Dryer Vent Services! We’re not just chimney and fireplace specialists – we also specialize in dryer vent cleaning, installation and re-routing. A dirty or poorly designed dryer vent system can be a serious health and fire hazard, and can also significantly increase your energy bills. If your home is a new construction and your dryer was installed on an interior wall, it’s highly likely that your venting system needs to be checked for design flaws that are causing appliance inefficiency and excessive lint buildup. Whether you need a new installation, a re-route job or a cleaning, give us a call! How often do vents need cleaning?Most vents, however, need cleaning every two to three years, depending on the factors above.

A dirty vent, however, is only one link in a chain of events that must occur for a fire to start. Other events may include: failure of thermostat and limit switches in the dryer, lint inside the dryer, a missing or damaged lint screen, and a crushed hose behind the dryer. Some of our competitors employ “scare tactics” and reprint newspaper articles about fires caused by dryers. Though fire hazards may be exaggerated, many fire departments and insurance companies do require that dryer vents be inspected and cleaned regularly. Warning signs of dryer lint blockage You could have just one of these symptoms or many depending on the amout of blockage and the type of dryer you have. What can be done to keep birds out? Any device to keep birds out can also become plugged with lint. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is a good rule for dryer vents with no bird problems. If vents do attract birds, we recommend a three-stage approach to solving them: Stage 1: Install louvered vent cover.