Dryer Vent Cleaning in Evanston, WY
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Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold nights turn dryer lint into a wall of buildup
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air every time it runs. In a vent that runs through a cold attic or along an outside wall, that air cools fast on nights that average 10°F. The moisture in the exhaust has nowhere to go but the vent walls, and lint sticks to damp metal far more than it sticks to dry metal.
Once that lint builds up, it narrows the path the air has to travel. A dryer working against a blocked vent runs hotter and takes longer to dry a load, and that buildup is fuel sitting right where warm air passes through it every time you run one.
- 10°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 10 months
- September through June, 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 run several loads a day or your vent run is long or has a lot of bends, once a year may not be often enough. A contractor can tell you how fast lint builds up in your specific setup after a look at the vent.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the lint trap and the first few feet behind the dryer yourself, and you should do that often. The rest of the vent run, especially where it goes through walls or up to the roof or wall cap, takes a brush and rod system built for the length of the duct. Most homeowners do not have that equipment, and pushing a shop vac hose in only packs lint further down the line.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take two cycles to dry, a dryer that runs hot to the touch, and a musty smell in the laundry room are the main signs. Lint collecting around the outside vent hood or the flap not opening when the dryer runs is another. If you run the dryer 10 months a year here, a clogged vent also means it is working harder through a long stretch of cold weather, so it is worth checking before winter sets in.