5 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Dryer Vent Cleaning
We are on a mission to help educate everybody in our community here in Northern Delaware and our surrounding areas. We have found over the years that not everybody knows the ins and outs of dryer vent cleaning, so let’s get started.
Continue on to read about the five most commonly asked questions we receive about dryer vent cleaning. This information will help you be more aware of what you have in your laundry room and how to keep you, your family, and your home safe.
1) How Often Do I Need To Clean My Vent?
Regardless of the length of your dryer vent, you should consider cleaning your dryer vent at least once a year. Routine maintenance and cleaning may seem overboard, however, you will dramatically reduce the chance of a house fire. This regular cleaning of the dryer vent will completely clean out any lint & debris that could potentially cause a blockage down the road. Not only will you reduce the chance of a fire, you will keep your dryer in excellent operating order and reduce stress to your machine.
2) How Long Does The Cleaning Take?
Every dryer vent cleaning job is different, so it’s impossible to give a specific time. With that being said, however, most cleanings are finished within 1 hour. Some factors that may contribute to a longer cleaning service include location of the dryer vent on the outside of the house, how long your dryer vent is, and how dirty the vent is.
We pride ourselves on working until the job is done, however. We do not watch the clock and do not try to keep the service to a specific time. We want to make sure that we leave knowing we did the best possible job and your vent is as clean as possible. Let us service you, so sit back, relax and enjoy our cleaning services!
3) Can I Do It Myself?
If you are handy and confident, you can definitely clean out the dryer vent yourself. With that being said, however, there are certain things you must be aware of and careful about.
Are you doing a full inspection on the dryer, the vent, and the exterior cap? Do you have an anemometer to read the airflow? Are you aware of the materials that should be used for the dryer vent and which materials are against code? Do you know if you have a disconnected vent in the wall or any punctures in the vent?
If you want to do the cleaning service yourself, you will need a quality brush and rod kit. Some of the cheaper DIY kits from the box retail stores may be lower quality, and often we hear about rods getting stuck in the dryer vent. When doing the service yourself, just be careful and take things slow!
4) Is My Dryer Broken? Why Does It Take So Long For Clothes To Dry?
We often hear from clients about how they needed to run their clothes dryers for 2 or 3 cycles before the clothes are dry. These excess cycles not only increase the utility usage costing you more money, they reduce the lifespan of your clothes dryer. In most cases, your dryer is not broken, but the dryer vent is clogged with debris and lint.
Every job we do starts with a reading of the velocity of air coming out of the dryer using an anemometer. This will determine how restricted the airflow is. If the reading is very low, it’s likely that this is the cause for running multiple dryer cycles. Once we clean the dryer vent and improve airflow, you should have no issues with getting dry clothes in just one cycle!
5) How Much Does Dryer Vent Cleaning Cost?
There are a few main factors that contribute to quoting a price – with the main one being location of the dryer vent exterior. Does your dryer vent lead to the first floor of your home or does it require us to get on a ladder or go on the roof? This is the main aspect that will determine the price. Regardless of how dirty your vent is, we will not increase the price.
We do our best to be transparent as possible and pride ourselves on avoiding pushy sales tactics. With that being said, we will always provide recommendations and upgrades that will make your system more efficient and will leave you and your home much safer. Such upgrades include up-to-code materials for the dryer vent, bird guards for the exterior vent, and wool dryer balls to help with drying and efficiency.
Final Thoughts
Education is one of the most important aspects of our job. We want to make sure we provide as much information as possible so all of our clients are well-informed. If you have any questions at any time before, during, or after your service, we are happy to help! If you want to get in touch, fill out our contact form on this post and we’ll get right back to you!