It’s essential that homeowners have dryer vents cleaned to avoid risk to their homes and improve their air quality. Duct Cleaning provides professional dryer vent cleaning, and we recommend that you have this done every one to two years. But, how do you know if you are overdue for this service? Let’s take a look at three warning signs that it’s time to get your dryer vent cleaned.
1. Clothes Are Still Damp
When your clothes are still damp after a drying cycle, your vent probably needs to be cleaned. You will especially notice this with heavier materials such as jeans and towels. Your dryer vent is critical to ensuring that water is fully eliminated from the clothes and released outdoors during the drying cycle. Moisture can create pools of water in a dryer vent with a lot of buildup, resulting in conditions where mold and mildew will grow.
2. Abnormally Hot Clothes or Dryer
If your dryer or your clothes are abnormally hot to the touch at the completion of a cycle, it’s a sign that your vent needs attention. Dryer vents pose a risk of fire due to the excessive heat buildup when the lint blocks the flow of air. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, there are almost 3,000 dryer fires reported each year. The leading cause of those fires is failure to clean the dryer.
3. Dryer Shuts off Prematurely
Another warning sign that you have dryer buildup is that your dryer is shutting off before the cycle is finished. When your dryer vent is clogged with lint, it has to work harder and cannot operate efficiently. A properly maintained dryer vent will help achieve maximum performance, and can even extend the life of your dryer.
