Dryer Vent Cleaning in Waukegan, 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. From October through May, that air is moving through a vent that sits in cold space, and on a winter night averaging 19°F the air inside the vent cools fast. Moisture beads up on the walls of the duct, and lint sticks to it instead of blowing on through to the outside hood.
Layer by layer, that buildup narrows the path the air has to take. The dryer takes longer to dry a load, the exhaust hood may flap weakly or not at all, and the lint sitting in a cold, damp vent is the kind of buildup that does not clear itself out.
- 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 is the general rule for most households. Lint builds up along the whole length of the vent, not just in the trap, and that buildup is what leads to long dry times or a dryer that shuts off before clothes are dry. A household that dries a lot of loads should have it checked more often.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the first few feet yourself, but most of the vent run is out of reach without the right tools. A vacuum reaches the trap opening and maybe a foot beyond it. The rest of the run, especially where it bends or passes through a wall, needs a brush and rod long enough to reach the exterior vent hood, which is why most homeowners have this done rather than doing it themselves.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take longer than usual to dry, or come out hot but still damp, is the clearest sign. Others include the dryer feeling hotter than normal on the outside, a burning smell during a cycle, or little to no airflow at the exterior vent hood when the dryer is running. Lint collecting around the trap more than usual is also worth paying attention to.