Dryer Vent Cleaning in Hagerstown, MD
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Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold vents turn lint into a clog
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air every time it runs. From October through April, that air is hitting duct walls sitting in cold space, sometimes near 25°F on winter nights. The moisture cools fast against that cold metal, and the lint riding along with it sticks instead of blowing through to the outside hood.
Once lint sticks, more lint sticks to it. The vent narrows, the dryer takes longer to dry a load, and the exhaust that should be leaving your house has a harder time getting out.
- 25°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 7 months
- October through April, 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 the dryer for a big family, or dry a lot of towels and bedding, lint builds up faster and once a year may not be enough. Watch for dry times getting longer than they used to, since that usually means the vent needs attention sooner.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the lint trap and the first few feet of duct behind the dryer yourself with a vent brush kit. What you can't easily reach is the rest of the run to the outside wall, especially if it has bends or runs any real distance. A clogged vent is a fire risk, so if lint is packed further in than a brush kit reaches, that part is worth having a contractor clear.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes taking longer to dry than they used to is the first sign. Others are the dryer running hotter than normal, the outside of the machine feeling hot to the touch, a burnt smell during a cycle, and little to no airflow at the outside vent hood when the dryer is running. Lint collecting around the vent hood outside is also a clue that it's not venting properly.