Just as your chimney system needs regular inspections, cleanings, and maintenance, so does your dryer vent system. Like the chimney, the dryer vent works to contain and remove hazardous fumes and gases from your home. And when neglected, dryer vents can become clogged with lint – or even nesting materials from animals that have made their way into the system.
As this debris builds up within the system, air flow is restricted and the system is unable to function as efficiently and safely as it was designed to. If you haven’t had your dryer vent inspected and cleaned recently, be sure to contact the team at Lords Chimney at 281-497-4000 – we’ll set you up right.
What Dryer Services Does Lords Chimney Offer?
We specialize in:
- Dryer Vent Cleaning Services: This is where we use specialized tools and products to get all that dirt, grime, and flammable lint out, creating a clear pathway for fumes to escape out of your home.
- Dryer Vent Installation: Need new vents installed? Whether you’re setting up a new system or simply replacing old venting materials with something newer and sturdier, we’ve got you covered.
- Dryer Vent Rerouting: If your current venting system is filled with too many twists, turns, and bends that are upping your risk of clogs and buildup, we can offer rerouting services to hopefully correct the issue.
Whatever your dryer vent needs, Lords Chimney has got it under control. Call 281-497-4000 or schedule an appointment online today.
Signs Your Dryer Exhaust Vent May Be Obstructed
So, it’s clear that dryer vent maintenance is important. How can you know if you’re due for a cleaning? Some clear-cut signs include:
- Clothes are still damp after a full dry cycle
- Clothes feel too hot after a cycle (or your dryer feels too hot)
- Lint appears in the dryer or on the laundry room floor
- There’s a burning or musty smell in your laundry room
- The external vent opening is stuck shut or clogged
- Excess moisture or mold appears in the room with the dryer
- Modern dryers may trigger a safety sensor and shut off
All that said, you can avoid getting to this point by simply booking a cleaning every single year, per the recommendations of the U.S Fire Administration (USFA).
Why Are Professional Dryer Vent Cleanings Important?
It’s pretty common for us to stay on top of maintaining our cars, yards, gutters, and plumbing, but professional dryer duct cleaning is a relatively new safety precaution that homeowners are advised to take. That’s not because dryers are more dangerous than they once were, but because more research has been done on the common causes of house fires.
- Over time, dryer ducts can become choked with impacted lint, which is highly flammable. The angle and length of the vent as well as the number of curves it has can affect how much lint collects.
- Lint buildup hampers your dryer’s ability to exhaust hot air, so that your dryer begins to run less efficiently. And the more often you have to run your dryer, the more wear it – and your clothing, towels, bedding, etc. – experiences.
- A poorly venting dryer system can leak dangerous carbon monoxide back into your home.
Now, you may think that cleaning out your lint trap is good enough, but the truth is, the lint trap contains only a fraction of the lint produced with each dry cycle. Because lint is highly combustible and can significantly reduce air flow within your venting system, your dryer will have to work a lot harder and at much higher temperatures.
Need more convincing? Here’s some data… Per the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), from 2010-2014, fire departments in the United States responded to close to 16,000 dryer or washing machine-related fires – and the vast majority of these (92%, in fact) involved the dryer specifically.
These resulted in multiple deaths, over 400 injuries, and hundreds of millions in property damage. Yikes.
What all this tells us is people are failing to avoid a disaster that is actually very avoidable – all by investing in a simple professional cleaning with us every single year.
If you haven’t had your dryer vents inspected and cleaned lately, be sure to give us a call at 281-497-4000 or book your next appointment with us online now.
How Often Should I Have My Dryer Vents Cleaned?
Most dryer manufacturers and safety organizations recommend that you have your dryer professionally cleaned once a year.
Though you can certainly help prevent some lint buildup by cleaning your dryer’s lint trap after each load, vacuuming regularly behind and around your dryer, and using your hose attachment to vacuum out as much lint as possible from inside your duct, only a certified dryer vent technician will have the special tools and know-how to clean your duct from its start to its termination.
Simply put, lint-clogged dryer vents reduce the effectiveness of your dryer and sometimes cause fires or carbon monoxide leaks – and dryer vent cleanings can prevent this. If your dryer has worked fine for years, but more recently must run more than one cycle to dry your clothes, it may be a sign that your dryer vent needs to be cleaned.
Optimize the Efficiency & Safety of Your Dryer Vent System With Our Installation or Rerouting Services
In the past, dryers were traditionally installed right up against an exterior wall of the home, and the vents had very little distance to travel to the outside. In many new home constructions, however, it has become commonplace to install washers and dryers against an interior wall (i.e. in a bedroom closet).
Although this can be incredibly convenient for the homeowner, it is not always good for the dryer vent system. In many cases, these vents are traveling great distances to the outside, turning corners and inclines that are not conducive to air flow. Not only do these corners and inclines often cause issues with air flow, they also tend to accumulate much more lint and debris than short, straight venting systems.
Additionally, because of the great distance they often must travel, these long and winding dryer vents are more likely to have loose duct work that can leak dangerous gases and high heat into other areas of the home.
How can Lords Chimney help?
If you have a dryer that was installed against an interior wall and are having problems with your dryer system, it’s likely that you need to have your system rerouted. The experts at Lords Chimney Sweep have a comprehensive understanding of air flow and venting systems, and we can provide a professional installation that will leave you with a safer, more efficient system.
In addition our technicians are trained to service dryer vents, and they’ll also be able to check your connections to make sure that your dryer is installed correctly. We have video cameras we can use as well if we need a better look inside of the vent, and we even use gauges to evaluate airflow both before and after the cleaning – so you can see the difference right away. We bet you’ll be surprised by how much lint one of our technicians will find in there.
Call Lords Chimney today, and check these home maintenance tasks off your to-do list so that you no longer have to wonder if your dryer duct is hiding a fire hazard or compromising the health of your family. We guarantee all of our installation and rerouting work, and can even provide you with a roof or sidewall bird-proof termination. These bird-proof systems can help reduce fire risk by ensuring that birds don’t bring their flammable nest materials into your dryer vent system.
Dial 281-497-4000 or book online with us now.
Can I Lower Lint Buildup In My Dryer?
Yes – if you have a household that puts your dryer to use a lot, and you want to avoid turning your yearly cleaning into twice a year (or sometimes three times per year) cleanings, then here are some tips to minimize lint buildup.
- Always clean your lint trap. The more the trap build ups, the less lint it will capture – which results in more lint in your dryer vents.
- Check your outside vent. Many walk past this component every day without a second glance at it. Take some time to check it over and clear out any lint accumulation.
- Consider replacing or rerouting your ductwork. The length or material of your ducts can play a big impact on how often you need cleanings. Longer, weaker materials are simply more prone to clogs and damage – and will need more professional attention.
- Book your cleanings. Ok, you probably understand the importance of this by now, but it’s worth reiterating – don’t neglect professional maintenance!
- Consider a new dryer. Is your dryer on the older side? Unfortunately, sometimes replacing it is truly the best option for minimizing lint and improving efficiency. If you’ve had it over a decade, this is definitely a route to consider.
Other Dryer Safety Tips
- Hire a professional technician for any installation, cleaning, and maintenance services
- Clean off your lint filter after every single use
- Every so often, clean your lint filter with soapy water and let it fully dryer before putting it back
- If you’re missing your lint filter, don’t use the appliance until you have it replaced
- Check the back of the unit and clean out any lint buildup that might be present
- Check on your outside vent and remove buildup if it is obstructed
- Do regular overviews to ensure your venting system isn’t crushed, damaged, restricted, or disconnected
- Ensure you have a carbon monoxide and smoke detector installed nearby
- Reroute venting systems that are long and winding
- Use the appliance appropriately and per the manufacturer’s instructions
- Don’t leave the dryer running when you leave the home
- If your laundry has flammable stains (oil, grease, etc.) avoid putting these items in the dryer
- Consider switching to rigid venting materials if you haven’t done so already
- Keep the area around the dryer clear of storage or other items
DIY Dryer Vent Cleaning – Yay or Nay?
Definitely nay – this isn’t a smart DIY project to take on.
Why? First of all, you could cause more damage, especially if you have flexible, accordion-style ductwork. These vents are also more prone to clogs, meaning that instead of removing the lint, you could just be compacting it into a tighter bundle of buildup.
In addition, while many cleaning kits are sold online or in stores, these tools are typically used incorrectly by homeowners without proper training. Again, this can just make your dryer vent issues worse rather than better.
Long story short, these DIY routes tend to lead to more problems and a false sense of security, all of which means your dryer is still putting your household at risk. Gain the peace of mind you deserve by simply relying on us from the very start. It’s the right choice.
What Type of Material Is Best for Dryer Vents?
If your dryer vents haven’t been replaced in some time, we’re guessing they’re made of a plastic or foil type of material – usually accordion-style. Unfortunately, more recent research has noted some issues with these. Things like…
- they’re easier to damage
- they become kinked quicker
- they’re more likely to sag
- they tend to clog more often
So, what can be done? Well, if you have these types, you definitely want to trust a professional for your lint cleanings to avoid further damage. In addition, you may want to book these services on a more frequent basis (like two or three times per year).
But an even better option would be to have them replaced with something more rigid and smooth. This gives fumes a more streamlined route of escape, and it minimizes the amount of buildup and damage you’re likely to experience.
Interested in making a change? The experts at Lords Chimney would love to help you out. Give us a call or book online with our team today.
We’re Certified Dryer Exhaust Technicians
Now, we mentioned DIY dryer vent cleanings above, and there’s a reason many think this is an option – namely because there isn’t really a “dryer vent cleaning industry” like there is for plumbing, chimneys, electrical issues, roofing, etc. In addition, there’s no strict regulations on who is qualified to clean a dryer vent and who isn’t. So, how can you know the so-called expert you hired really knows their stuff?
Cue the CSIA’s Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician (C-DET) training. This equips sweep technicians with the tools, knowledge, and training to complete this work as safely and efficiently as possible.
Call Lords Chimney Today!
We can inspect your duct work and make sure that the venting system is designed, cleaned, and installed properly – all for maximum efficiency and safety.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced technicians, please call 281-497-4000 or reach out online now.
Your other venting system – like your chimney – needs to have an annual inspection to ensure its safe operation, so give our chimney services experts a call.