How do I know if my dryer vent needs cleaning? (2023)

How often should a dryer vent be cleaned?

A good rule of thumb is to have your dryer exhaust vents inspected and cleaned by a professional at least once per year. However, if you have a household that uses your dryer often, such as one with a lot of children, you may want to consider increasing that amount to every six months.

Your dryer's exhaust system can get clogged with lint, which will keep your dryer from functioning properly. As a result, the dryer will not only take longer to dry clothes, it will also increase your electric bill and create a fire risk. It's a lose-lose-lose proposition.

Cleaning a dryer duct isn't difficult. Remove lint from the duct by hand and then vacuum the inside of the duct. Use hose extensions, if available, to vacuum out as much of the duct as you can. Go outside the house and remove the exterior vent cover.

How much does a dryer vent cleaning cost? According to HomeAdvisor, a typical dryer cleaning will cost between $100 – $169, with an average of $132. High-end job can run as much as $300 – if your dryer is located far from an exterior wall.

Dryer vent cleaning costs $80 to $185 on average. Roof dryer duct cleaning costs $150 to $250 on average. Professional dryer vent cleaning prices are $60 to $275 for services like Dryer Vent Wizard, Sears, COIT, and Stanley Steemer. A DIY dryer vent cleaning kit costs $15 to $50.

Over time, if you don't learn how to clean dryer vent from outside, this buildup becomes inefficient and, eventually, dangerous. When it starts to obstruct airflow, you'll find that your dryer will take longer to dry your laundry. Ultimately, a blocked dryer vent can lead to a dangerous fire.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, approximately 3,000 dryers catch fire each year. About one-third of those fires are caused by failing to clean your clothes dryer, leading to clogged dryer vents. These fires cause an estimated $238 million in property damage yearly.

Check the Air Vent and Duct

Clogged air vents are a common cause for poor airflow in clothes dryer systems. One way to see if your dryer's air vent is clogged is by turning on your dryer and going outside to feel the flow of air leaving the vent. If it's slow and not very warm, your vent may be due for a good cleaning.

Dryer vents clogged with lint or obstructed by bird nests prevent exhaust fumes from properly exiting the vent line. Instead, when the line is obstructed, harmful gases can build up inside the home, creating a serious risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

How long does it take a professional to clean dryer vent?

Typically, cleaning dryer vent lines on a standard home dryer system takes up to one hour to fully complete.

Dryer's Life Span

With proper cleaning of dryer vents, they last much longer. Clogged dryer vent results in the machine working harder but the functioning is negatively affected. Once your dryer vent is clear of all foreign particles, it runs smoothly and doesn't need a replacement.

A good rule of thumb is to clean the dryer vent every year to remove any lint buildup. However, if you have a very long dryer duct, and if it has numerous turns — you may want to clean the vent every 6-months if you use the dryer a lot.

Manually cleaning the dryer's vent is not recommended because it can cause damage. This could include stretching or tearing of the vent, which leads to lint build-up and reduction in airflow. It could also lead to clogs and costly repairs down the road.

A leaf blower provides a strong, steady stream of air in a straight line. Once you've disconnected the duct from the wall, you should be able to use your leaf blower to blow all of the clogged materials out the other side dryer vent.

If you have a home vacuum cleaner or even a shop vacuum cleaner, you will likely be able to clean your dryer vent in no time. These only tend to work if your dryer vent system isn't longer than a few feet. If your dryer vent is too long, a vacuum with vacuum attachments won't work.

While it may be hard to believe, dryer fires are a fairly common cause of home fires. In fact, according to the National Fire Protection Association, dryers and washing machines cause an average of 15,970 fires each year, with dryers causing 92% of them.

Failure to clean the dryer (34 percent) is the leading cause of home clothes dryer fires. More home clothes dryer fires occur in the fall and winter months, peaking in January.

By not clearing out the lint, the dryer becomes a fire hazard. Every year, there are more than 3,000 house fires in the United States caused by dryers. A couple seconds is all it takes to clean out your dryer's lint trap.

Why do I get so much lint in my dryer vent?

An accumulation of excess lint around or behind your dryer can be the result of a clogged dryer vent. Since a clogged vent restricts airflow so that the air cannot move the lint to the outside of your home, it forces the lint into the area behind your dryer.

Lint in debris buildup inside exhaust vents is a common cause of a dryer taking too long to dry. Clogged dryer vents can also restrict airflow in the dryer and lengthen drying times, not to mention cause dangerous dryer fires.

A dryer should last 10-13 years. To extend the dryer's life, clean the lint trap after each use and make sure the outer vent is clear as well.

If your dryer is hot but takes too long to dry your laundry, it's because that hot air isn't flowing through the appliance as it should. Check and clean common points where air restrictions form, like the lint trap, exhaust tubing, and external vent.

So we can Verify, yes, dryer fires caused by lint buildup is one of the a leading causes of house fires. Experts say clean your lint trap after every use and clean your lint vent at least once a year.

Carbon monoxide gas is colourless and does not smell, so you cannot tell if it is around you. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include: headache. dizziness.

A dryer works to remove moisture from wet clothes. Modern models tend to run on electricity, and homeowners can rest easy knowing that it does not emit any carbon monoxide at all, even if you are running it constantly. However, if you have a gas dryer, there will be carbon monoxide emissions to worry about.

Regular Clothes Dryer Vent Maintenance

It's important to clean your dryer vent at least once a year. If the buildup is so great that you can't break through the lint, hire a professional or try a dryer vent cleaning kit. A thorough yearly cleaning isn't quite enough, however.

When you set your machine up for hours of drying, you're not letting it breathe (so to speak). There will be a lack of circulating air which can create a buildup of dirt. If you want to prevent your dryer vent from blocking, give your dryer a break and use 30-40 minute cycle more regularly.

Will Air Duct Cleaning Make A Mess Of My Home? No, it won't. If you hire a professional company to clean your air ducts, such as Dustless Duct, your home will be clean and tidy when they're done.

Can you use a leaf blower to clean dryer vent?

A leaf blower provides a strong, steady stream of air in a straight line. Once you've disconnected the duct from the wall, you should be able to use your leaf blower to blow all of the clogged materials out the other side dryer vent.

How long does a dryer vent cleaning take? For a residential property, dryer vent cleaning will take about one hour. However, a commercial property could take longer, depending on the size and amount of dryer vents that need to be cleaned.

Insect pests like bees and wasps can get in and may even build a nest in the vent. Depending on the type, insects can spread disease, sting, and bite, so you don't want to let an infestation like this go unchecked.