Increase Efficiency & Safety by Cleaning Your Home's Dryer Vents

Did you know that your home’s dryer vents can pose a threat to your safety? Even if you empty the lint trap after every load, you’re probably not cleaning up all the lint buildup, which can eventually prevent your dryer vent from exhausting properly. Due to the blockage, your dryer may overheat, threatening your Portland home and your personal safety.

Signs of Blocked Dryer Vents

• Clothing doesn’t dry completely or takes much longer than normal to dry.
• Clothes dry, but feel much hotter than usual to the touch.
• Clothes smell musty coming out of the dryer.
• The vent hood flap doesn’t pop open as it should when the dryer is in use.
• The laundry area or laundry room is excessively hot when the dryer is in use or has just completed it’s cycle.
• A lot of lint accumulates in and around the lint filter.
• Your dryer sheets seem to smell stronger than usual after the drying cycle.

What Your HVAC Contractor Can Do

You probably already know that your contractor should inspect and clean your HVAC system every year. Your plumbing vent pipes also need annual maintenance. You should have your HVAC technician clean your dryer vents using specialized cleaning equipment. He can remove any debris (branches, leaves, bird nests, etc.) blocking your vent pipe, which typically sticks out of your roof.

Your HVAC contractor will then use a high-powered vacuum equipment, snakes and brushes to clean out the entire length of the vent. Your contractor may also need to replace non-metal transition ducts running between the dryer and main vent because they constitute a fire danger.

Semi-rigid metal ducts will make your venting system safer and help improve your dryer’s efficiency and performance. If it’s been more than a year since your last dryer vent cleaning, schedule an inspection right away.