What Is An Anemometer?
According to National Geographic, an anemometer is a tool used to measure wind speed and wind pressure. As seen above, they come in many different sizes depending on it’s use an application, but most fit nicely in your hand.
While many meteorologists are utilizing these tools, you’ll find an anemometer in every dryer vent cleaning company’s truck. We utilize this tool to determine a baseline for the dryer vent and how it’s operating in any given moment.
How Does An Anemometer Work?
An anemometer can be an extremely simple tool to help measure wind speed. Many of these tools have small fins that spin around in a circle like a ceiling fan found in your home. When held up, the air will make its way through the fins, causing them to spin rapidly in a circle. If using a digital anemometer, it will produce a reading which can be read in a variety of different units of measurement.
The anemometer we utilize can be found on Amazon here, which is a great entry level tool. It has many different options and functions, making it a great, flexible tool.
How Do We Use An Anemometer?
One of the first things we do when we arrive on site is take a reading of the dryer vent with an anemometer. We turn the dryer on and head outside to the outlet to take an initial reading. Depending on the flow and air speed, we can deduce certain conceptions about the dryer vent.
When the air velocity is extremely low, we can deduce that there is a clog, a blockage, or an extreme build up of lint in the vent. This creates a great baseline for how we can later compare the air flow once our services are completed.
How Do We Measure & Compare Velocity?
When we use our anemometer to measure the air velocity in the dryer vent, we typically measure in feet per minute. While there are many different units to measure, this is what we prefer. Typically, a desirable measurement of the velocity of air through the dryer vent should be roughly 1,500 feet per minute. This can vary based on length of the dryer vent, dirt build up, clogs, and quality of the dryer.
When measurements are in the low hundreds of feet per minute, we can be confident that there is an excess buildup of debris/lint. We’ve seen as low as 200 feet per minute! This can lead to excess drying times, causing home owners to run multiple cycles just to get one load of clothes dry.
Anemometers Are Awesome!
These nifty little tools are a must have when working with dryer vents. When working with home owners in Delaware, we will always pull out the anemometer upon arrival. It allows us to have a great understanding of what we are dealing with and will allow us to see how much improvement we can expect.
When readings are extremely low, it’s critical to get your dryer vent cleaned out as soon as possible. When air flow is significantly reduced, you may be increasing the risk of a house fire. If you think your air velocity is low, please reach out so we can help get your dryer vent cleaned today!