Dryer Vent Cleaning in Maricopa, AZ
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It takes about a minute.
Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold nights turn lint into a wall in the vent
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air. On winter nights that drop to 40°F from December through February, that air cools fast once it hits the vent, and lint sticks to the damp walls instead of blowing outside. Layer by layer, the vent narrows.
A narrow vent means the dryer takes longer to dry a load and runs hotter doing it. It also means more of what should have blown outside stays behind in the duct, close to the wall of your house.
- 40°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 5 months
- November through March, the vent stays cold
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NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- How often should a dryer vent be cleaned?
- Once a year for most households. If you run big loads often, or your vent run is long or has several turns, a contractor can tell you if you need it more often than that. Lint builds up along the inside of the duct even when the lint trap looks clean, and that is what a yearly cleaning is meant to catch.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the first few feet near the dryer yourself, but most of the vent run is out of easy reach. A vacuum and a brush kit will get lint out of the section behind the dryer. The rest of the duct, especially where it bends or runs through the wall to the outside hood, needs a longer brush or a rod system to clear properly, and that part is easy to damage if you push too hard with the wrong tool.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take longer than one cycle to dry, or come out hot to the touch instead of just warm, are the clearest sign. Check the outside vent hood too. If the flap barely moves or you do not feel much air pushing out while the dryer runs, lint is likely blocking the line. A burning smell during the cycle is a sign to stop using the dryer and get the vent checked.