Posted on June 20th, 2022.

Posted on June 20th, 2022.

Keeping your dryer vents clean is important for a number of reasons which include not only energy savings but safety.

A dryer works by pushing out hot, moist air so your clothes can dry. If your dryer vent to the outside becomes blocked by lint, the air will not be able to expel moisture like it was designed to do. The result will be trapped moisture that takes more heat energy to evaporate.

If you start to notice any of these things, it’s likely you have a lint problem.

It takes longer to dry clothes

With hot, moist air kept inside the dryer drum, it takes much longer and more heat to dry the clothes. This is hard on your dryer, your clothes, and reduces the life of both.

Clothing is hot to the touch

Clothing is supposed to be hot and fresh from the dryer, right? Wrong. If your clothes – or your dryer are noticeably hot to the touch at the end of a cycle, it means the dryer is not exhausting through the vent properly. Everything overheats – and overheating is never a good thing.

You smell something burning

Bad news – lint is very flammable, and when it builds up in the exhaust vent, lint trap, and drum casing, it can actually catch on fire. Between 2010 and 2014 there were almost 16,000 home fires reported to U.S. Fire Departments – and the majority of them were caused by dryers. In a third of the dryer fires, lint build up was a leading factor.

The vent hood doesn’t open

If the dryer duct hood flap doesn’t open, you likely have lint build up there and in the dryer hose. This is a good time to clean out the lint – or have a professional do it for you.

When your dryer is properly installed, lint shouldn’t collect excessively in the exhaust vent or dryer hose, especially if you’re cleaning the dryer vent screen regularly after every use.

Your dryer drum shouldn’t need cleaning unless you regularly dry pet items or sandy, gritty clothes. Always proactively shake out any hair or grit, and maybe wipe down the drum with a damp cloth after drying these items.

Lint build-up does happen, however – and should be taken seriously. You should check it yourself regularly – or better yet have an HVAC professional give you a hand.

Another way to monitor your dryer vent is to install LintAlert.

LintAlert digitally monitors your dryer vent to detect even the smallest air pressure changes through the SmartTap™ inserted into the dryer transition hose. LintAlert plugs into the outlet nearest the dryer (don’t worry, it accommodates another plug as well) and is equipped with green, yellow, and red LED lights connected to its onboard computer. When the device detects a dangerous change or blockage, it flashes red and lets out an audible alert to you and your family.

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