Routine Maintenance
Routine dryer vent maintenance is the best way to keep your home safe and your equipment running as efficiently as possible. If you keep up with the regular maintenance of your clothes dryer, you will see a big increase in savings over time. The most important thing, however, is keep you, your family members, and your home safe. Failing dryers and their vents are the leading cause of dryer fires according to the National Fire Prevention Association. If you need help, simply fill out our contact form so we can take care of you and your family.
Clean Your Lint Trap
Cleaning your lint trap is the first line of defense for keeping your dryer safe. The best practice is to clean your lint trap either before every use or after every use. This will ensure that there is no excess lint build up in the trap and the warm air can get exhausted to the exterior of the home with ease.
Lint is extremely flammable, so you want to make sure your clothes dryer is free from lint as much as possible. There is one important part of cleaning the lint trap, however. You need to make sure that you are cleaning underneath the lint trap as well, not just the lint trap. Typically, there are just a few screws that hold the lint trap housing in place. Once you remove that, there will typically be a build up of lint in the exhaust area. Using a thin hose and vacuum, remove all the lint and debris that has collected underneath the lint trap. This can dramatically help to increase airflow and increase dryer efficiency.
Clean Your Transition Hose
A transition hose is a short piece of dryer vent that typically runs from the back of your dryer to the rigid duct in the wall. A transition hose should never exceed 8 feet in length and is often made of flexible material to make small bends and turns. The transition hose is typically the most accessible part of the dryer vent, so cleaning it should be quick and easy compared to the rest of the vent.
The transition hose is typically secured with 2 hose clamps which can be removed with a simple screwdriver. Remove this piece, go outside, and clean the hose. Remove excess lint and dirt and then simply reinstall the transition hose. While it is removed, make sure to do a full inspection to ensure there are no tears, rips, or holes. If there are, we always recommend to upgrade the transition hose. We exclusively install a product from Inovate called DryerFlex. It’s our go-to product to dramatically increase efficiency and airflow. If you do need help, simply reach out to see how we can help!
Vent Cleaning
We recommend that homeowners clean their dryer vent at least once every year or two, depending on how much use it gets. For larger families with multiple kids that run the dryer multiple times a week, we recommend annual service. For people who live alone or don’t do much laundry, service every 2 years may be sufficient. While you may be able to clean your dryer vent yourself, there are many factors that can make it a bit more challenging and may require professional help. If you cannot remember the last time your dryer vent was cleaned, you may be overdue! Reach out and we would love to give you a free quote.
Final Thoughts
Regular and routine maintenance of your clothes dryer and the vent is the best way to increase efficiency and safety. Not only with you and your family be safer in the home, you’ll save money while you’re at it. Keeping on top of the routine maintenance can be quick and easy, but if you need help, please fill out our contact form so we can help!