How often should you clean your dryer vent?
You probably use it every day and you know the dryer vent to outside, but you may not have any idea how dryer vent works. While it isn’t necessary to know the mechanical workings of a dryer vent, knowing how to clean out the dryer vent and how often it is a must. Not just for the safety of your home, but for the longevity of the dryer.
Dryer vent and duct cleaning is important to your family and home’s safety, and it also extends the life of the dryer and requires less energy to dry your clothes, saving you on energy bills. Experts recommend that dryer exhaust vents should be cleaned and inspected once a year for the average-sized family. The more laundry you do, you may need to consider clean out the dryer vent process two to three times a year. Why?
You empty the lint screen after each use, (or at least we hope you do!). Did you know that not all the lint accumulates on that screen though? Lint also works past that screen and on into the vent that goes outside. So, when we are recommending that you do an annual clean out the dryer vent, or more, it is to remove that flammable lint in that foil-like hose on the back of the dryer.
Over 15,000 fires in the United States is caused by the clothes dryer each year. A sure sign that your dryer needs a clean out the dryer vent is the time it takes for an average load of clothes or towels to dry. When you need rerun the dry two to three times to get your average load of towels dry, it is time to clean the dryer vent.
Another indication that it is time to clean out the dryer vent, is if the external cabinet is hot to the touch, or the control panel. Before you check either of these two things, always disconnect the dryer from the electricity then check the vent.
How do you tell if your dryer vent is clogged?
As lint builds up and clogs the system then pushes air back into the clothes dryer. Clothes get hot but stay damp, making you run the dryer over and over. Learn to know when your dryer vent needs cleaning isn’t obvious, so here we offer the following signs:
- Clothes are extremely hot – When a dryer can’t vent the hot air, it overheats. This puts stress on the blower, heating element, and other parts.
- Increased drying time – If your clothes are getting dry in the normal time, clean out the dryer vent and have the vent inspected.
- Outside of vent collecting debris and dust – If you’re noticing debris and dust on the exterior siding of the dryer vent, you need to schedule a time to clean out the dryer vent. If you’ve never done this before, the first time should be done by a professional.
- Always empty the lint trap – If you’re not already, start emptying the lint trap after each use. If there is lint trap is empty, this indicates the airflow is decreased. This can usually be resolved after clean out the dryer vent is performed.
Why does my dryer vent keep getting clogged?
There are different factors your dryer vent is clogged frequently, with the first one being the lint trap isn’t emptied after each use. While the lint trap can do an excellent job catching the lint, if it isn’t clean regularly, the lint will start getting sucked into the vent hose. If you know you the lint trap isn’t emptied as it should be, perform a clean out the dryer vent process three to four times a year.
Another cause the dryer to get frequently clogged are foreign the objects in the lint trap. Common in most busy households, family members will empty their pockets on top of the clothes dryer or washing machine. Items like coins, gum wrappers, keys or other items. They get sucked into the dryer vent and block the air and gas from properly exhausting out the vent.
A frequent question that experts are asked is “Can a blocked dryer vent cause a fire?”, and the answer is yes. It cannot be repeated and stressed enough that the dryer lint trap needs to be cleaned after each use and no less than once a year, a clean out the dryer vent process should take place either by the homeowner in the instructions we provided or hiring a professional. Need dryer vent cleaning service in North Plainfield and Bridgewater, NJ? Dial (908) 755-2950 today for DRX DUCT LLC.