Dryer Vent Cleaning in Manchester, NH
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Cold vents make lint stick
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air, and that air has to travel through a vent that sits in a cold attic or against an outside wall most of the year. From December through February, nights here average 16°F. The warm air cools fast inside that cold metal, and the moisture in it settles on the vent walls. Lint sticks to damp surfaces far more than dry ones, so it builds up in layers instead of blowing straight through to the outside.
A vent that is narrowing with lint does two things. It makes the dryer work harder to push air out, and it gives any stray heat a place to catch. Neither gets better on its own once the buildup starts.
- 16°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 8 months
- October through May, the vent stays cold
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- How often should a dryer vent be cleaned?
- Once a year for most households. Lint builds up along the duct every time you run a load, and a clogged vent makes the dryer work harder to push air through. That is worth catching before the cold sets in here, since the dryer already has more months of use once the weather turns.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the lint trap and the first few feet of duct behind the dryer, but that is not the whole vent. Most vents run several feet through a wall or ceiling to the outside hood, and lint collects along the whole run, not just at the ends. A contractor uses a brush and vacuum sized to reach the full length and clear the hood outside too.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take more than one cycle to dry, a dryer that feels hot to the touch on the outside, and a burning smell during use are the main ones. Check the outside vent hood too. If the flap barely moves or no air is coming out while the dryer runs, lint is blocking the path somewhere along the duct.