Dryer Vent Cleaning in Kennewick, WA
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Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold vents turn dryer lint into a wet, sticky mess
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air every time it runs. Once that air hits the cold vent pipe, on a night that averages 28°F here, it cools fast and the moisture in it settles on the walls of the duct. Lint doesn't just blow through anymore. It sticks.
That buildup narrows the vent a little more each month, from October through May when the pipe stays cold most of the time. A narrower vent means the dryer has to push harder to get air outside, and the damp lint packed against the walls is exactly what a vent fire needs.
- 28°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, and check it sooner if you notice drying times getting longer. Lint builds up along the whole run, not just at the lint trap, so the length and number of bends in your vent affects how fast it fills. A short, straight run stays clear longer than a long one with tight bends. If your dryer is taking longer than it used to, do not wait for the yearly cleaning, clear it now.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the part you can reach, but not the whole run. Pull the dryer out, disconnect the flexible duct, and clear lint from both ends and from the vent hood outside with a brush. What you cannot easily reach is lint packed inside a long or bent run, and that takes a rod-and-brush kit sized to the vent, or a contractor's equipment, to clear fully.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take longer to dry than they used to, a dryer that feels hot to the touch on the outside, a burning smell, and little or no airflow at the outside vent hood when the dryer is running. Lint built up around the lint trap slot or at the vent hood are other signs. Any one of these is worth checking before you run another load.