Dryer Vent Cleaning in Walla Walla, WA
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Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold vent runs, warm wet air, that's where lint sticks
Your dryer pushes warm, damp air out through a vent that runs into cold air most of the year. From October through May, the metal of that vent is often colder than the air moving through it. The moisture in the exhaust hits those cold walls and the lint stops moving. It sticks.
Once lint builds up along the vent, airflow drops. The dryer has to push harder to move air through a narrower path, and it takes longer to dry a load. A blocked vent also traps heat that has nowhere to go, which is how lint fires start.
- 29°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. A vent with a long run or several bends collects lint faster than a short, straight one, so it may need attention sooner. If clothes are taking longer to dry than they used to, that is the vent telling you it is due.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the lint trap and the first few feet behind the dryer yourself with a vent brush kit. Most vents run further than that though, through a wall or ceiling to the outside, and lint sitting deep in that run is hard to reach or see without the right tools. If the vent is long, has bends, or has never been cleaned, a contractor can check the full run and the outside vent hood as well.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes take longer to dry, or come out still damp at the end of a cycle. The dryer may run hotter than usual, or the room around it warms up while it runs. You might also find little or no air moving at the outside vent hood when the dryer is on, or notice a burning smell as lint overheats near the heating element. Any one of these is worth checking, and more than one together means the vent needs attention soon.