Frequently Asked Questions

• A dryer that takes more than one cycle to dry your clothes.
• If your clothes are hot after one cycle of drying.
• Dryer is hot to the touch while it is on.
• Lint accumulation around and behind the dryer.
• Your laundry room is humid or warm while using your dryer.
• Musty smelling clothes in the dryer.
• Increasing amount of time to dry a load of clothes.

Yes, dryer vent fires are one of the leading causes of home fires in the United States. An average of 15,000 dryer fires are reported annually causing more than $110 million in damages. ALL dryer vents need to be cleaned at some time.

We have found that there is a common misconception of what exactly constitutes a dryer vent. Some people believe that the lint trap that needs to be cleaned out after each use of the dryer is the vent. The dryer vent is the tube behind the dryer that connects your dryer to the wall and runs however long until it eventually exits the home by a vent hood located on the side wall or the roof.

Sometimes the problem is your dryer. However, if your dryer is still heating up but the clothes are not getting dry in a reasonable amount of time (about 45 minutes for a standard load) then it is a good sign that you are overdue for a dryer vent cleaning.

A clogged dryer vent does not allow the hot air and moisture to escape from the dryer, preventing the clothes from drying. We receive many referrals from dryer repairmen who have responded to calls about broken dryers only to find there is a problem with the dryer vent. Even worse is when we receive a call from someone who went out and purchased a new dryer thinking their old dryer was worn out, only to find that the new dryer doesn’t work either due to a faulty or clogged dryer vent.

Major appliance manufacturers recommend having a professional inspect and clean your dryer vent at least once every year. However, cleaning intervals vary depending on many factors. An honest recommendation is every 1-3 years depending on:

• The age of your dryer: if it is more than 10 years old it may need to be cleaned more often.
• A vent that has several bends or elbows will collect more lint than a straight run.
• A full size dryer has better flow than a compact or stackable dryer.
• If you are using the dryer a lot, it will need to be cleaned more often.
• Dryer vents that are 5 feet or fewer in length will not need to be cleaned as often as a dryer vent that has a length of 15 feet or more. The longer the vent, the more it will build up with lint.

No, a dryer vent is required to be composed of solid metal ducting, can contain no screws to hold the tubing together, and should have the proper metal tape securing the joints together.

Yes. Your dryer is one of the most expensive appliances to operate. Having your vent cleaned on an annual basis can save you an average of $20 per month on your utility bill.

Yes, in some cases you can. If the dryer vent is short (4 feet or fewer), you may be able to clean it yourself. There are also kits sold at some home improvement stores for a DIY cleaning. We have heard mixed reviews on those kits. Sometimes people have good luck with them, other times people have spent hours trying to get it to work only to have the kit break while trying to clean their vent. Then they call us, and we have to remove the broken kit from the system and complete the cleaning.

We are trained professionals who specialize in dryer vent cleaning. We will give you honest, on-time service and the best possible recommendations regarding your home and safety. A majority of our customers are referral based, and our reviews speak for themselves.