Dryer Vent Cleaning in Ottumwa, IA
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Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold vents make lint stick
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air, and from October through May the vent it travels through is sitting in cold space. On nights that average 18°F, that air cools fast once it hits the vent wall, and the moisture in it turns to dampness on the metal. Lint doesn't blow through damp walls. It sticks.
That buildup narrows the vent a little more each month. Less air gets out, so the dryer takes longer to dry a load and runs hotter doing it. A vent that stays packed with damp lint through a long winter is also a vent that can't clear itself until it warms up again.
- 18°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 is the standard, more often if you dry a lot of loads or have a long vent run. Lint builds up inside the duct even when the lint trap is clean, since the trap only catches part of it. A vent that runs a long way to the outside wall, or that has several bends, collects lint faster than a short straight one.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the first few feet from the back of the dryer, but that is not the same as cleaning the whole vent. Most runs go through the wall and out to a hood on the outside of the house, and lint collects along the entire length, not just near the dryer. A contractor uses a brush and vacuum system built to reach the full run and clear it out.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take longer than they used to, or come out hot but still damp, are the first sign. You may also notice the dryer itself running hotter, a burnt smell during the cycle, or very little air coming from the outside vent hood when the dryer is running. Lint around the vent hood opening on the outside of the house is another sign worth checking.