Homeowners should take care of the clothes dryer’s condition if they want to save themselves money, valuable time and effort. Dryer vent cleaning is a homekeeping task that shouldn’t be skipped. Getting the clothes dryer ductwork cleaned regularly keeps our building and health safe and also our electricity bills in control.
No matter the size of our property (mid-rise, high-rise or low-rise), checking he dryer vents at least once an year is essential for keeping it in a good working order. When we have the peace of mind that everything is fine with our clothes dryer vent lines, we can save time, money and effort.
Clothes dryer vents should be checked and cleaned regularly so that the dryer functions properly and there is a risk of damage to our property. It doesn’t matter if we own residential or commercial property, we should know what is the condition of our dryer vent line. Because from this depends the safety of the building and even our health.
Experts recommend that we clean your dryer vent lines at least one a year. In general, dryer vent lines and all of the dryer’s components like drums and filters should undergo inspection and clean up at least once a year.
The cleaning frequency of the dryer vents depends on the size on the household and the dryer usage. For example, if we have a big family and lots of laundry, then we may need to clean the ducts of our clothes dryer up to three times.
The irregular clean up may be the cause of dryer vent breakdown and its eventual replacement with a new one. To avoid paying for costly repairs in the future and buying a completely new dryer unit, we should make sure its vent lines are cleaned regularly.
Lint accumulates over time inside the clothes dryer vents. As we know lint is highly flammable and dryer vent fires are on the top of the list of things that cause household fires.
There are different ways to clean up a dryer vent line. No matter what cleaning method we will choose, the lint build-up should be removed from the entire length of the vent line which is achieved best by professional dryer cleaning equipment. The zone behind the dryer should not be missed too. This includes the floor under the dryer and the back of the unit.
Why we need to get our clothes dryer vents regularly cleaned?
There are many reasons why we should not skip this rather annoying chore. Dryer vent leaning can be quite messy job but it can save us a whole bunch of problems. When there is an obstruction somewhere in the dryer ductwork, this doesn’t allow the air to flow freely. As a result of this obstructed airflow the clothes don’t dry fully and it takes longer for them to dry.
The lint and debris build-up inside the dryer duct work increases the risk of fire and it can also lead to a dryer unit damage.
Signs that show our dryer vent needs cleaning
We should not miss these signs until it’s too late and our dryer is seriously damaged. One sure sign that tells us there is something wrong with our clothes dryer is when it takes longer for our laundry to fully dry. Our clothes will need 2 to 3 cycles to dry up and this means that the dryer doesn’t function well.We will save valuable time in waiting for the laundry to dry if we get our dryer vents are checked and cleaned regularly.
If you notice that you laundry needs more and more time to fully dry, then you should check its vent line. When the dryer doesn’t work in the right way, our clothes may start to smell moldy . So, neglecting the clothes dryer vents not only poses risk to our property, but also to our health and even our laundry.
Another sign will be a foul smell coming out of the dryer when its door is opened. Also when the dryer machine is damaged, there will be water leakage seen around or behind the clothes dryer.
Overheating is not a good sign too. When there is an obstruction in the dryer venting, it gets hotter. The overheating of the clothes dryer machine not only creates the risk of fire, but also increases our energy bill. That’s because when the dryer vents are clogged with lint, the clothes works harder to perform its function.
When the dryer vent line is properly cleaned and lint-free, the air flows freely and our laundry dries up quickly and properly. Lint build-up creates a fire hazard inside the laundry room because its highly flammable substance and that is why we should ensure a free air flow by regular lint clog clean ups inside the dryer vents.
Clothes take longer to dry or don’t dry fully because the trapped lint or debris inside doesn’t allow enough air flow. As this humid air cannot escape and thus moisture continues to exist in the dryer vent ducts. When this happens the clothes dryer works harder and consequently energy is wasted.
As a result of this the dryer appliance is likely to get damaged more often and experience a breakdown as well at some point. Therefore our electricity bill gets higher. Keeping our clothes dryer ductwork well-cleaned guarantees fewer dryer machine repairs in the future, investment in utilities and also a decreased energy bill.
When the dryer unit is damaged our clothes are hotter than normal at the end of the drying cycle. Another sign is when the outside of the clothes dryer is hot to the touch.
Another telltale sign is when the outside exhaust vent flapper does not open too often which shows low exhaust velocity. The air flow is obstructed by something.
When the dryer machine doesn’t work properly, the humidity levels in the laundry room increase. We can also smell a burnt odor inside the laundry room.
If we found ourselves calling a repair technician often to check the clothes dryer, this means that its vent lines may need cleaning.
What does the process of dryer vents cleaning include?
The first step in the procedure of cleaning the clothes dryer vent is to inspect the outside vent opening and get rid of any obstructions. There are different types of debris such birds’ nests for example.
Remember that our job doesn’t finish with cleaning the dryer vents inside but it’s also recommended to check the area behind the dryer, the floor under the dryer machine. That’s important because the air that is sucked by the dryer comes from behind the machine. If there is lint at this spot, it will enter the dryer and it will create again a lint build-up inside the vent.
The trap filter should be cleaned too. If we are planning to clean our dryer vent line without professional help, we should buy a standard dryer vent cleaning kit which is not very expensive. It’s recommended that we clean the lint trap after every laundry load.
All clothes dryers have different kinds of filters whose role is to trap the lint that is produced as a result of the clothing tumbling inside the dryer. But those filters cannot catch all the lint. Some amount of lint sooner or later makes its way into the ductwork that leads to the outdoor vent. Right maintenance measures include the regular clean-up of the ductwork.
Those dryer vents that are situated at ground level can contain rodent nests of rats, squirrels, chipmunks depending on the area where we live at. Birds’ nests are more likely to be found in vent at the upper levels of a building.
The lint accumulation inside the vents should be removed. The tools we need are a brush attached on a long extendable rod to remove the lint build-up, an air compressor for blowing out the lint. It’s good to have also a combination vacuum cleaner for vacuuming the lint in trap housing but this is optional. We have to make sure the vacuum cleaner’s hose is long enough to reach the lint inside the vent line.
We can either do the dryer vents cleaning by ourselves or get help from a professional cleaning company. No matter which cleaning method we will choose, it’s important to make sure that the dryer vent lines are cleaned throughout the entire length. But there is a difference between dryer vents cleaning with conventional tools and professional dryer vents cleaning.
Remember that professional cleaning companies own high grade professional equipment and also the needed experience to handle the cleaning job super quickly in an effective manner.
If we manage to clean our dryer ductwork without help, pro cleaners offer deep professional cleaning which can hardly be substituted.
If we are not sure in our skills or don’t have the necessary tools to complete the dryer vents cleaning task in a proper way, we should consider contacting professional cleaners. They will do this job quickly, effectively and in a safe way. We may think calling a professional cleaning company may be the more expensive option, but this investment definitely pays off.
