Are you noticing a decrease in the performance of your dryer? Are your clothes taking longer to dry or becoming extremely hot when the cycle is finished? This may be a sign that the exhaust vent of your dryer is becoming clogged with lint. If you need dryer vent cleaning in Dallas, Fresh Air Duct Cleaning provides services to the Dallas-Fort Worth area and beyond. Read on to learn more about signs you need dryer vent cleaning services.
1. Your clothes or dryer feel extremely hot to the touch.
If you’re noticing that the body of the dryer or the contents are becoming extremely hot (in other words, noticeably hotter than usual, or too hot to touch) this may be a sign that the dryer vent is blocked, leaving the hot air with nowhere to safely vent. You might also notice that the ambient temperature in the laundry room rises significantly. Your dryer is not designed to withstand extremely hot temperatures like this, and if there is lint trapped in the vent, these high temperatures can also cause a fire risk.
2. Your clothes take longer to dry.
Just as hot air can become trapped in the dryer, so too can moisture. If the water vapor from your clothes is not able to properly vent due to a clogged hose or vent pipe, then that moisture gathers in the tub of the dryer and prevents your clothes from drying properly. This gathered moisture can also, over time, create an environment that welcomes mold, mildew, and unwelcome odors.
3. You smell something burning when your dryer is running.
This is an especially important sign to pay attention to, since this could be a sign that lint is trapped somewhere close to a heating element. This is a significant fire risk, and should be dealt with quickly by a professional dryer duct cleaning service.
4. You notice that the dryer vent flap does not close fully, or there is debris around the opening.
Check the exit vent on the outside of your home. Do you notice lint or debris clinging to the opening, stuck inside the vent flap, or pouring out of the end of the pipe? This is a sign that there is even more lint trapped inside the vent itself, which could be causing the above issues. Even if you do not see a blockage on the outside of the vent, however, you could still have lint trapped within your vent pipe that you cannot see from either end or reach with household tools.
5. It has been longer than a year since your last cleaning.
Experts suggest cleaning your dryer vent at least once a year. This is dependent on the size of your household, the frequency of usage, and the age of your machine.
If your dryer vent has a flexible hose, it can take even less time to need cleaning, because the ridges on the inside of the hose can trap dust and list more quickly, leading to dangerous buildup much faster than a rigid vent pipe. If you have a flexible vent hose attached to your dryer, consider replacing your vent hose with a rigid pipe instead. In addition to dryer vent cleaning in Dallas, Fresh Air Duct Cleaning also performs dryer vent installation, replacement, and repair.
What are the risks of not cleaning your dryer vent?
Letting your dryer vent become clogged with lint can pose serious risks of fire in your home. According to FEMA, dryers cause approximately 13,820 fires and over $233 million in property damage each year in the United States. It is also important to clean your lint trap carefully after each load of laundry to limit the amount of lint that is passed into the dryer vent. Read more about the importance of cleaning dryer vents on our blog here.
Dryer Vent Cleaning in Dallas
If you are noticing any of the above signs, it may be time for a dryer vent cleaning! Cleaning your vents can prevent the risk of fire, improve the efficiency of your machine, and help increase its longevity by helping it operate at peak performance. Call 555-555-5555 to schedule your service today!