When most people think about household cleaning and maintenance services, their minds tend to go towards areas such as carpet steaming, gutter cleaning, and HVAC system upkeep. Little do many realize that a certain appliance within most homes that also needs a fair amount of attention – the dryer, especially in the vent area.
Not sure what a dryer vent is? You’re not alone. Most people don’t tend to focus on their dryer vents until a problem arises. A dryer vent is a pipe that connect the back of a dryer to the outside of a home. As a dryer operates, it generates a fair amount of hot air that needs to go somewhere to avoid unnecessarily heating up the rest of the house. The purpose of a dryer vent is to enable that hot air to escape to the outdoors, thereby allowing the dryer to operate in a manner that is both safe and comfortable for the inhabitants of any given home.
If you own a dryer, then it’s important that you keep proper tabs on your dryer vent to ensure that it’s sufficiently clean. According to Nick Sidon, the owner of San Diego, California’s Nick’s Dryer Vent Cleaning, the following are some of the telltale signs that it’s time to call in the professionals for a dryer vent cleaning:
A longer turnaround time
As a busy homeowner with lots to do around the house, you’re probably very in tune to how much time your dryer typically takes to dry out your freshly laundered clothing items and linens. If you start noticing that your dryer suddenly seems to be taking longer than usual to dry a typical load, then that could be a sign that your vent is dirty. Bringing in a professional for a dryer vent cleaning will eliminate this problem so that laundry doesn’t have to become an all-day chore.
Excess lint
It’s normal for a dryer to produce some lint over the course of a drying cycle, but if you start noticing a greater buildup of lint than usual, then it could mean that your dryer vent is in serious need of a cleaning. As you inspect your dryer, take a look around it to see if lint has managed to make its way onto your laundry room floor; if this is the case, then don’t put off that vent cleaning.
Hefty utility bills
The longer your clothes take to dry, the higher your gas and electric bills are likely to be. Therefore, even if you’re not the type to pay attention to drying times, you’re pretty likely to notice a sudden increase in your utility bills. Rather than continue to pay the price of a dirty dryer vent, bring in a cleaning service to eliminate the problem and lower your energy burden in the process.
An uncomfortable laundry room environment
If you happen to have a smaller laundry room to begin with, then a thorough drying session is bound to leave the area somewhat steamy. However, if it comes to your attention that your laundry room is suddenly hotter and more humid than ever before, then a poorly functioning dryer vent could be to blame. If this is the case, then a good cleaning will do the trick to restore your laundry room environment to one that is a lot more comfortable.
One hot appliance
As part of the drying process, your dryer is likely to get relatively hot as it tumbles that wetness out of your clothes. However, if you start noticing that your dryer seems to be getting excessively hot as it operates, then it could be a sign that your vent needs to be cleaned.
Ultra-warm clothing
There’s nothing like the feeling of taking warm, freshly dried clothing out of the dryer, especially on a cold winter’s day. On the other hand, there’s a limit as to how hot your recently dried clothing should actually be. If your belongings seem to be getting much hotter than usual, then it could mean that your dryer vent is too dirty to do its job.
Static cling
After a thorough drying session, a degree of static cling on your clothing is to be expected. However, if your clothes seem more static-filled than usual, then that could be an indication that your dryer vent is clogged.
Now that you know how to recognize the signs of a dirty dryer vent, you can do your part to look out for the problem and nip it in the bud before it causes major destruction. Remember, a clogged dryer vent can serve not only as a source of inconvenience, but as an actual safety hazard; so if you do come to realize that your dryer vent needs a cleaning, then call in a professional as soon as possible.
