Dryer Vent Cleaning in Boone, IA
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It takes about a minute.
Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold air turns lint into a wall inside your vent
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air every load. Once that air hits the cold vent run, it cools fast, and the moisture in it gives the lint somewhere to stick instead of blowing straight through. Layer by layer, the vent narrows.
Winter nights average 14°F here from December through February, so the vent stays cold most of the time it is working. A vent that is losing ground to lint takes longer to clear the moist air out of the house, and a blocked one can back that air up instead of venting it outside.
- 14°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 8 months
- October through May, 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 large loads often, or you have a longer vent run to the outside, check it more than once a year. A clean vent lets the dryer push heat and moisture outside the way it's supposed to, so lint doesn't build up and slow the airflow down.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the part you can reach, but that's usually not the whole vent. Pulling the dryer out and clearing lint from the back of the machine and the first few feet of duct helps, and a vent brush kit can get you further in. The bends and the run out to the wall cap are harder to reach and easier to leave clogged without knowing it, which is where a contractor's equipment does more than a homemade attempt can.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take more than one cycle to dry is the first sign most people notice. Others are a dryer that feels hot to the touch on the outside, a burning smell during a cycle, or very little airflow when you hold your hand near the outside vent hood while the dryer runs. Lint collecting around the vent opening outside is also worth a look.