Dryer Vent Cleaning in St. Cloud, MN
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It takes about a minute.
Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold air turns dryer lint into a wall of buildup
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air, and that air has to travel through a vent that sits in cold space most of the year here. When it hits the cold metal, it cools fast, and the moisture in it beads up on the walls of the vent. Lint sticks to that damp surface instead of blowing through to the outside.
Layer by layer, the vent narrows. Less air gets out, so your dryer runs longer to dry the same load, and the damp air it can't push outside has nowhere to go but back into the house.
- 6°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 9 months
- September through May, the vent stays cold
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NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- How often should a dryer vent be cleaned?
- Once a year for most households. If you run loads daily or you have a longer duct run to the outside, check it sooner. A dryer here works nine months of the year just to get clothes dry alongside everything else you're heating, so lint has more chances to build up than it would somewhere with a short winter.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the lint trap and the first few feet of duct behind the dryer yourself. What you can't easily reach is the rest of the run to the outside vent hood, especially if it bends or travels through a wall or ceiling. A contractor uses a brush and vacuum sized for the full length of the duct, which is where most of the buildup actually sits.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take more than one cycle to dry, a dryer that runs hot to the touch, and a burning smell are the main ones. Check the outside vent hood too. If the flap barely moves or you feel weak airflow when the dryer is running, the duct is likely blocked somewhere along the way.