Dryer Vent Cleaning in Sundance, WY
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Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold air turns dryer lint into a wall inside the vent
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air every load. Once that air hits the vent running through a cold wall or attic, it cools fast. Sundance winter nights average 12°F from December through February, and a vent that cold pulls the heat out of the exhaust before it ever reaches outside. The moisture in that air has to go somewhere, and it lands on the vent walls, where lint sticks to it instead of blowing through.
That buildup narrows the vent a little more with each load. A duct that's supposed to carry air and moisture outside ends up holding both inside your house instead.
- 12°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 rule most contractors go by. If you run loads almost every day, or if you've noticed clothes taking longer to dry, check it sooner. Homes here are heating from September through June, so the dryer often runs alongside a furnace working hard through a long, cold stretch, and a blocked vent adds heat and moisture to a house that's already sealed up tight against the cold.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the lint trap and the first few feet of duct behind the dryer, but that's not the same as clearing the whole vent run. Lint builds up along the entire length of the duct and inside the outside vent hood, and most of that is out of reach without the right brush and rod setup. If your vent run is long or has more than a turn or two, a contractor can get the whole thing clear, not just the part you can reach.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take more than one cycle to dry is the clearest sign. Others include the outside of the dryer feeling hot to the touch, a burning smell when it runs, little to no airflow at the outside vent hood when the dryer is on, and lint showing up around the door seal. If you notice any of these, it's worth having the vent checked before running the dryer again.