Three Signs That Indicate You Need Residential Dryer Vent Cleaning Services
Similarly to your washing machine, it is also essential to conduct regular maintenance services on your dryer as well. Unfortunately, most people only clean out the dryer's lint trap and forget about the dryer vent.
The dryer vent is responsible for pushing out the warm and moist air produced in the dryer to ensure your clothes dry quickly. However, after some time, the dryer vent is susceptible to accumulating dust and lint. An over accumulation of dust and lint in the dryer vent usually leads to the vent becoming entirely or partially clogged. As a result, the dryer loses its efficiency.
When the above scenario occurs, it is advisable to hire a residential dryer vent cleaning service to clean out the vents and restore the dryer's optimum efficiency. With that said, here are three signs that will let you know it's time to hire a residential dryer vent cleaning service.
Clothes Take Longer Than Usual To Dry
Depending on the dryer you have, it usually takes about half an hour to forty-five minutes to dry your load. However, when the dryer vent gets partially clogged by lint and dust, the dryer cannot effectively dispose of the humidity produced by the evaporation of water from your clothes as they dry.
As a result, you will start to notice that your dryer takes longer to dry clothes. Remember, the longer the dryer takes to dry your clothes, the more energy it consumes. Thus, if you utilize the dryer often, you will encounter higher energy bills.
Therefore, when you realize your dryer is taking longer than usual to dry clothes, it is a sign that you need residential dryer vent cleaning services. It is advisable to get the dryer vents cleaned promptly to avoid encountering high energy bills at the end of the month.
Presence of Lint on the Vent Opening
Because the outer opening of the vent is located on the outside of your home, it is advisable to inspect it regularly. Sometimes, when the vent accumulates too much lint, some of the lint gets blown to the grill cover of the vent. As a result, you may notice particle lint coming out or accumulating on the vent cover.
Alternatively, if you have a hood at the end of the vent instead of a grill cover when the dryer is on, the hood should flap up and down as the warm and moist air from the dryer comes out. If the hood doesn't flap when the dryer is turned on, it means that the hood cover is stuck due to an accumulation of lint.
Therefore, when you notice either of the above scenarios, it is a clear sign you need residential dryer vent cleaning services.
Burning Smells
When lint dries up, it is very flammable. As a result, if your dryer vent is accumulating lint, you may notice a burning smell when you turn on the dryer. The smell emanates when minute lint particles get too hot, and they burn up.
Thus, letting your dryer vent accumulate too much lint is a fire risk. Suppose you turn on your dryer, then run out of your house for a quick errand. In that case, if a significant amount of lint burns up, it could start a fire, and by the time you get back, you could find your house on fire.
Thus, when you notice a burning smell when your dryer is on, you need to call a residential dryer vent cleaning contractor immediately. Contact a residential dryer vent cleaning service for more information.