Dryer Vent Cleaning in Schenectady, NY
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Cold air turns lint into a wall inside your vent
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air every time it runs. From October through May, that air is hitting a vent duct that sits cold, running through an unheated wall or attic space. The warm air cools fast once it's inside, and the moisture in it turns the lint into a damp coating that sticks to the duct walls instead of blowing outside.
Each load adds another layer. Over a winter that coating thickens and narrows the duct, until the dryer is pushing air through a duct that is part blocked. That is when a dryer starts taking longer to dry a load, or the vent hood flap barely moves when the dryer is running.
- 17°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 8 months
- October through May, the vent stays cold
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- How often should a dryer vent be cleaned?
- Once a year is the general rule. A vent that's clogged forces the dryer to run longer to dry the same load, and that extra heat and strain is what wears the machine out early. If you notice clothes taking longer to dry well before the year is up, don't wait for the schedule, have it checked then.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the lint trap and the first few feet of vent yourself with a brush kit made for the job. What you usually can't reach is the rest of the run behind the wall and out to the vent hood outside, especially if the duct bends or runs any real distance. A contractor uses a longer rod system and can check the vent hood flap and the outside termination too, which is where a lot of blockages actually sit.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take more than one cycle to dry is the clearest sign. Others include the outside of the dryer feeling hot to the touch, a burning smell during the cycle, the vent hood flap outside barely moving when the dryer runs, and lint showing up around the door seal. Any one of these on its own is worth checking, and if you notice more than one at the same time the vent is likely blocked somewhere along the run.