Dryer Vent Cleaning in Sidney, MT
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It takes about a minute.
Cold air turns lint into a wall inside the vent
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air, and that air has to travel through a vent that sits in cold space nine months of the year, September through May. Winter nights here average 6°F from December through February, cold enough that the moisture in the exhaust condenses on the vent walls before it reaches outside. Lint doesn't just blow through on dry air. It sticks to that damp surface and builds up, layer on layer.
Once enough lint packs into the vent, the air has nowhere to go. It backs up into the duct, the dryer runs hotter and longer to push a load through, and the moisture that should be leaving the house stays in the wall cavity around the vent instead.
- 6°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 9 months
- September through May, the vent stays cold
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- How often should a dryer vent be cleaned?
- Once a year for most households. If the duct run is long or has more than one bend in it, lint has more places to catch along the way, so it's worth having it checked rather than waiting for a problem to show up. A contractor can tell you how the vent on your house is laid out and whether it needs more frequent attention.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the first few feet from the back of the dryer yourself with a vacuum and a brush kit made for this. What you cannot easily reach is the rest of the duct run to the outside wall, especially if it goes through an attic or has more than one turn in it. A contractor uses a rotating brush and a vacuum strong enough to pull lint out of the full length, and can check the vent hood outside too.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take more than one cycle to dry is the clearest sign. Others are a laundry room that gets noticeably warmer or more humid while the dryer runs, a burning smell, or the dryer itself feeling hot to the touch on the outside. Check the vent hood outside as well. If the flap barely moves when the dryer is running, air isn't getting through.