Dryer Vent Cleaning in Butte, MT
Tell us about your home, and a licensed contractor who covers Silver Bow County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold vents make lint stick
Your dryer pushes warm, damp air out through the vent. On a night near 14 degrees, that air cools fast once it hits the metal duct running through unheated space. The moisture in it settles on the walls of the vent, and lint clings to the damp spots instead of blowing straight through to the outside hood.
That buildup narrows the path the air has to take. A dryer that can't push air out through a clear vent runs hotter and takes longer to dry a load, and the lint left behind is exactly what a vent fire needs.
- 14°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 11 months
- August through June, the vent stays cold
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- How often should a dryer vent be cleaned?
- Once a year is the standard rule, more often if you dry a load every day or your vent run is long. Lint builds up along the inside of the duct even when the outside of the machine looks clean. A vent that stays clogged makes the dryer run longer to dry the same load, and that's the biggest sign it's due.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the first few feet from the back of the dryer, but that's not the same as clearing the whole line. Most vent runs go through walls or up through the roof, with bends you can't reach from either end. A rod and brush kit made for this job can get further than a vacuum, but it still won't tell you if a joint has come loose or if birds have nested in the outside hood, both of which a contractor checks while cleaning.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take two cycles to dry, a dryer that feels hot to the touch on the outside, and a burnt smell when it's running are the signs to watch for. Check the outside vent hood while the dryer runs. If you feel little or no air coming out, the line is blocked somewhere between the machine and the hood. Weak airflow at that hood is the clearest sign there is, because it means the exhaust has nowhere to go but back into your house.