Dryer Vent Cleaning in Norfolk, VA
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Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold vents catch more lint
Every load pushes warm, damp air out through the vent. From December through February, nights here average 35°F, cold enough that the air cools fast once it hits the duct. When it cools, the moisture in it settles on the vent walls, and lint sticks to those damp spots instead of blowing through to the outside.
That buildup narrows the path the air has to take. A dryer that can't push its exhaust out runs hotter and takes longer to dry a load, and the lint sitting in there is what a vent cleaning clears out.
- 35°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 6 months
- November through April, 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. If you run large loads often, or you have a long vent run with a lot of turns, check it closer to every six months. A vent that's clean moves air fast enough to clear the lint the dryer sheds with every load, and that's what keeps drying times short and keeps heat from building up where it shouldn't.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the part you can reach, which for most homes is a few feet from the back of the dryer to where the duct meets the wall. A vent brush kit will get lint out of that section and off the exterior hood. What you can't see is the rest of the run behind the wall, and if your vent has more than one bend or travels any real distance, lint collects at those turns where a contractor's longer rod and camera can find it and you can't.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes coming out hot to the touch but still damp is the clearest sign. You'll also notice the dryer running longer than it used to for the same size load, the outside vent hood barely moving air when the dryer's on, and a burnt smell during the cycle. Lint building up around the lint trap housing or the vent opening outside is another sign worth checking.