Dryer Vent Cleaning in Rifle, CO
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It takes about a minute.
Cold vents catch lint faster
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air, and in Rifle that air is hitting a vent that runs through cold space much of the year. Winter nights average 16°F from December through February, so the vent cools down fast between loads. Warm air moving through a cold vent cools too, and the moisture in it settles on the walls of the duct. Lint sticks to that damp surface instead of blowing straight through to the outside.
Over time that buildup narrows the vent. Air moves slower, so the next load stays damp longer and leaves behind even more lint. A vent that is choked down this way also makes the dryer run hotter than it should, right at the point where it exits your house.
- 16°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 10 months
- September through June, the vent stays cold
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- How often should a dryer vent be cleaned?
- Once a year for most households. If you run more loads than average, or the vent run is long with several bends, check it more often than that. A contractor can look at the length and shape of your vent and tell you if once a year is often enough for your setup.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the part you can reach, but you likely can't clean the whole vent. A vacuum and a brush from the inside will pull lint out of the first few feet near the dryer. The rest of the run, especially where it bends or passes through a wall, needs a rod system or a vacuum built for the full length of the vent. A contractor has the tools to clear it end to end and check that the vent hood outside is open and clear too.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take longer than one cycle to dry, or feel hot to the touch when the cycle ends. The outside of the dryer running hotter than usual, or a burning smell during the cycle. Little to no airflow at the vent hood outside when the dryer is running, and lint collecting around the hood or in the lint trap even after you clean it. Any of these means air isn't moving through the vent the way it should.