Dryer Vent Cleaning in Oswego, IL
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Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold vents make lint stick
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air every time it runs. Once that air hits a vent that's sat in a 19 degree night, it cools fast, and the moisture in it turns to dampness on the vent walls. Lint doesn't blow through wet metal. It sticks.
With 8 months of heating season here, that vent stays cold most of the year. Every load adds a little more lint to what's already stuck, and the buildup narrows the path the air has to take out of the house.
- 19°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 for most households. If you run large loads often, or your vent run is long, or it has several bends before it reaches outside, check it more often than that. Lint builds up along the duct walls even when the lint trap looks clean, and that buildup is what slows the dryer down and raises the risk of a fire.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the first few feet near the dryer yourself with a vent brush kit made for this. What you can't reach is the rest of the run out to the wall or roof cap, especially if it bends or travels any real distance. A contractor uses a longer rod system and can check the outside vent hood too, which most homeowners can't get to safely.
- 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 top of the dryer feeling hot to the touch, a burning smell during the cycle, and the vent hood outside barely moving air when the dryer runs. If you notice more lint than usual collecting around the trap or on the floor behind the dryer, that's worth checking too.