Are you wondering whether your dryer vent needs to be cleaned because your clothes aren’t drying, or simply because it hasn’t been cleaned in years? Are your wondering what will happen if you don’t clean it? Please read on to have these questions answered, as well as to learn what sort of professional you should contact for dryer vent cleaning.
If your clothes are not drying, a simple test to determine whether or not your dryer vent needs to be cleaned can be performed in the following manner; turn on the dryer, select a time dry cycle and set the heat to ‘high’, let the dryer run for a few minutes, and finally, open the door and feel inside for heat. If you have determined that your dryer is heating, but is not drying your clothes throughout the course of a regular cycle, you will most likely need to have your vents cleaned. On the other hand, if there is no heat, you will need an appliance service technician to assess your unit for repairs.
If it has simply been awhile and you are wondering how soon you should have your dryer vent cleaned, the general rule of thumb is that it should be cleaned once every four years. However, if your dryer is vented directly through a wall to the outdoors you may never need to have your vent cleaned unless a bird or rodent makes shelter inside your vent. On the other hand, if your vent snakes through walls and ceilings before exiting your home, it will need to be cleaned more often. In any case, it is always best to have a professional dryer vent cleaning specialist or appliance service technician assess the air volume being exhausted from your exterior vent cap using a measuring device.
If you never have your dryer vents cleaned, and the exhaust duct is of any considerable length, eventually it will become constricted with lint build up. This will cause your dryer to run less efficiently – eventually you may have to run multiple cycles to dry a single load of clothing. You also run the risk of overheating the dryer due to its inability to exhaust heat, which will cause the thermal limiter and/or the heat element to fail early. In the case that your dryer is no longer heating at all, if your appliance service technician determines that the thermostat or heat element failure has occurred as a result of constricted venting, you may have to have your vents cleaned in order to prevent it from failing again a second time. Samsung dryer repairs are sometimes the result of constricted venting and can be handled dependably by General Appliance Repair Ltd in Calgary & Chestermere, Alberta. If your dryer is malfunctioning, our expert team is here to provide top-notch dryer repair services.
In regards to what sort of professional should be contacted to assist you with dryer vent cleaning, it is best to call a dryer vent cleaning specialist, rather than an HVAC or furnace duct cleaning company. The reason for this is because the method of cleaning utilized will generally be different – furnace duct cleaning is performed using large blowers and vacuums whereas dryer vent cleaning is performed manually using brushes. The vacuums and blowers used by furnace duct cleaning companies are ineffective in cleaning dryer ducts. If you cannot find a dryer vent cleaning specialist in your area, contact your local appliance service company for a recommendation.
In summary, if your dryer is heating but not drying – you will likely need to have your vents cleaned. Most dryer vents need to be cleaned once every four years on average. If you never have your vents cleaned, your dryer will likely gradually begin to dry inefficiently and eventually fail. And finally, you will need a dryer vent cleaning specialist to perform the cleaning, rather than a furnace duct cleaning company.
