7 Signs That you Need to Clean the Vents in Your Residential Dryer
Is the clothes dryer in your home not working as efficiently as when you first bought it? It’s probably time that you contact a professional to perform a dryer vent cleaning.
While many homeowners don’t realize it, over a period of time dryer vents become clogged with lint, hair and dust. If the dryer vent is not cleaned regularly, it will eventually become blocked, restricting the airflow that may cause a serious fire hazard.
Clogged dryer vents also increase the drying time for every load of laundry, at the end of the cycle the clothes may still be wet. Your laundry may take multiple cycles to thoroughly dry. This increases operating costs and the amount of energy used.
Are you experiencing issues with your dryer? Georgian Duct Cleaning has listed the top seven signs that show you need a professional cleaning:
1 - It takes a long time to dry your clothes
If your clothes are still wet at the end of the drying cycle and it takes your laundry multiple cycles to dry, your dryer vent is likely clogged. Not only does this present a fire hazard, but it also increases your operating costs and energy use.
2 - Your dryer and clothes feel hot
Do you notice that your dryer or your clothes are extremely hot at the end of a cycle? This is probably because the dryer’s venting is not exhausting properly. This results in wasted energy, and can cause the heating element and blower in the dryer to wear out faster.
3 - Lint is everywhere, except on the lint trap
If you've noticed that the lint trap has not been collecting any lint, or if there is lint debris outside of the driver vent opening, this is a sign that lint and dust are accumulating in the exhaust duct.
4 - Your clothes have a musty smell
Lint and debris trapped in a dryer vent can sometimes have a musty and damp scent. When your dryer is running, the odour is pushed back onto your clothing, leaving them with an unpleasant scent.
5 - It’s been over a year since you’ve had your vent cleaned
Dust, lint and debris can plug dryer vents over a period of time. Regular cleaning will prevent blockages and airflow restriction. To reduce any potential hazards, dryer manufacturers recommend a regular inspection and cleaning the dryer vent. Your dryer vent should be cleaned at least once a year and more often with heavy use.
6 - The vent hood flap doesn’t open properly
If you can see lint or debris around the dryer hose or outside the vent opening, or the duct hood flap does not open as it is designed to do, then it’s more than likely your dryer needs a cleaning.
An outside vent that doesn’t open when the dryer is running means air flow has been restricted due to lint buildup.
7 - There’s a burning smell
If there’s a burning smell when you run your dryer, it’s probably the lint burning. Dryer lint is very flammable and the burning smells comes from small parts of the line in your trap or dryer hose getting very hot.
This is actually dangerous for your family, since lint can get so hot that it catches fire. If your dryer smells like burning then you should turn the appliance off immediately until you have had it inspected by a professional.
How can Georgian Duct Cleaning help?
Georgian Duct Cleaning, a family-owned business in Simcoe county with over 20 years experience, offers residential dryer vent cleaning in Central Ontario.
Our cleaning process involved attaching a powerful HEPA filtered "Lintvac" is to the dryer’s exhaust duct. A compressed air powered air-brush is fed through the dryer exhaust; it blasts compressed air and rotates inside the vent, breaking up all the attached lint.
As it is loosened the vacuum removes the lint. The cleaning is completed by removing the dust from the area behind the dryer, the dryer duct is re-attached and the dryer returned to its original position.
Want to learn more about the service that our fully-trained and certified technicians provide? Contact us today.
