Most dryer vents don’t clog overnight. Lint builds up a little with every load, and the dryer slowly gets worse at its job. Because it happens gradually, people in Johnston often get used to two-cycle loads and a hot laundry room without connecting it to the vent. If any of the signs below sound familiar, the vent is the first place to look.
Top Notch Chimney Sweep & Services is family owned and has worked across Central Iowa since 2002, and every technician we send holds dryer vent cleaning certification.
Six Signs Your Dryer Vent Needs Cleaning
1. Clothes need more than one cycle
This is the most common one. When lint narrows the vent, the damp air can’t get out, so clothes stay damp longer. If towels used to dry in one cycle and now need two, the vent is likely restricted.
2. The dryer is hot to the touch
The top or sides of the dryer feel much hotter than usual during or after a load. Heat that should be leaving through the vent is building up inside the machine.
3. A burning or smoky smell
Stop using the dryer if you smell burning. Lint that gets hot enough can scorch, and that smell is a warning worth taking seriously.
4. Little or no air at the outside vent
With the dryer running, go outside and find the vent hood. You should feel a steady stream of warm air. A weak puff, or a flap that barely moves, points to a blockage.
5. Lint around the vent hood or behind the dryer
Lint collecting on the outside of the hood or on the floor behind the dryer means it isn’t getting out cleanly, or the connection has come loose.
6. It’s been more than a year
If you can’t remember the last time the vent was cleaned, it’s due. Busy households doing several loads a day build up lint faster.
Why Not to Put It Off
Clogged vents waste energy and wear out dryers early, but the bigger concern is fire. The National Fire Protection Association names clothes dryers as a leading cause of home laundry fires, with failure to clean as a leading factor. Gas dryers add carbon monoxide to the picture, since a blocked vent can keep it inside the home.
What We Do When We Arrive
We start by checking the vent for damage and anything causing poor airflow. We set up a powerful HEPA vacuum to contain the lint, then work specialized brushes through the line while the vacuum pulls everything out. We also check for animals and nesting material at the exterior end. For the full details, see our main dryer vent cleaning page.
More While We’re in Johnston
Pet owners in particular find that hair builds up in the return ducts along with the lint in the dryer vent. Our Johnston air duct cleaning can be done the same day. If you burn wood, ask about an annual chimney inspection as well.
Visit our Johnston service area page for everything else we do locally.
Seeing any of these signs? Call (515) 249-6337 or schedule your cleaning online.
