Dryer Vent Cleaning: How & Why

The venting connected to your clothes dryer should always be completely clean or close to it in order to dry clothes thoroughly, not overwork the machine and prevent a dryer fire. Doodlebuggers Fireplace, Grill & Outdoor Store of Pensacola, FL, and Destin, FL, would like to share some details about how to clean your dryer venting and what kinds of problems can happen if cleaning is neglected.

Types of dryer vents

Some clothes dryers sit close to the wall through which they vent. Their venting is short and easily accessible. If this sounds like your system, you can clean your venting with a vacuum and a brush. Other dryers sit far away from the walls they vent out of. The venting is long and may have several twists and turns. These vents are not easy to clean for the average homeowner and should be serviced by a professional dryer vent cleaning company.

Problems with clogged clothes dryer vents

Lint from clothes builds up when a dryer runs. Some of it stays inside the drying barrel; most of it is blown into the vent and begins to accumulate. New clothes and pieces of laundry produce more lint than old clothes and laundry.

Your dryer vent can become completely full of lint, but air can still get through because lint is porous and not solid, but all kinds of problems are likely to occur. Here are six of them.

Longer drying cycles: Damp clothes release humidity while being dried. If the humidity can’t move from the barrel to the venting, it’s going to take longer to dry the laundry.

Dryer motor burnout: A clothes dryer will have to work harder to dry clothes when the vent is clogged. This can lead to premature failure of the dryer motor.

More wear on clothes: The longer clothing and other laundry items tumble in a dryer, the more wear and tear they experience. This is especially true of cotton fabrics, which are more easily damaged by high temperatures and long cycles than most other materials.

Higher energy bills: The longer you have to run the dryer, the more energy it’s going to take and the more you’re going to pay for it.

Mold: It doesn’t take long for mold to begin growing in a humid, lint-packed dryer vent. Mold spores can spread back into the dryer.

Dryer vent fire: Fires that start in clothes dryers and dryer vent systems cause many of the house fires reported each year. And ignited lint causes most of the fires.

Hire Professional Dryer Vent Cleaning Services for Annual MaintenanceSolve the problem

If you have dryer venting that you can’t or don’t want to mess with cleaning, hire someone with the right equipment and training to do this job right. Annual dryer vent cleaning is recommended in most cases. Depending on how much you use your dryer, more or less frequent service might be required. Your dryer vent technician will recommend a schedule after cleaning your vent a time or two.

Keep your Florida clothes dryer vent clean and safe

Doodlebuggers cleans all types of dryer vents in the Pensacola, FL, and Destin, FL, regions. If it’s time to schedule this important service give us a call or reach out by using our contact form.