Dryer Vent Cleaning in Woodstock, VT
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It takes about a minute.
Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold vents catch more lint
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air. In a Woodstock winter, with nights averaging 12°F from December through February, that air cools fast once it hits the vent. The moisture in it beads up on the walls of the duct, and lint sticks to it instead of blowing outside.
That buildup narrows the vent a little more with every load. Less air moves through, so the dryer runs hotter and takes longer to finish. A blocked vent also gives lint somewhere to sit right next to a heat source, which is how vent fires start.
- 12°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 9 months
- September 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 right for most households. If yours has a long run or several bends to reach an outside wall, a contractor can tell you whether it needs more frequent attention. A vent that stays clear also cuts the fire risk that comes from trapped lint.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the part you can reach, but that is usually not the whole job. Pulling the dryer out and clearing the first few feet of duct, plus the lint trap and its housing, is worth doing regularly. The rest of the run, especially where it bends or climbs to an outside wall, needs a brush and rod long enough to reach the vent hood, and most homeowners do not have that on hand.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take longer than one cycle to dry is the clearest sign. Others are a dryer that runs hot to the touch, a burning smell, or the outside vent hood flap barely moving when the dryer runs. Lint showing up around the lint trap door or a musty smell in the laundry room also points to a blocked vent.