Why is Cleaning your Dryer Vent Important?

As time goes by, your dryer vent would become dirty and clogged. This is because the lint from clothing, as well as the human and animal hair would get to the vent. As the clothes will tumble on the dryer, the lint as well as the debris will accumulate on the vent until it becomes clogged. The lint has the tendency to stick right through the outer portion of the ventilation system and over time, it will limit the air flow and will restrict the air from escaping out of the dryer. All these are enough reasons why cleaning the dryer vent is absolutely important.

Warning Signs that the Dryer Vent Needs Cleaning

Aside from making your dryer inefficient due to the lack of air flow, a clogged vent will result to hefty electricity bills. The dryer will end up consuming more energy so you will have to pay higher electricity than the usual.
Furthermore, a clogged dryer vent could actually pose a potential hazard to fire. Remember that the lint that gets clogged to the vent is highly flammable. As the dryer would suck in more air to be heated, the lint will also be sucked up and when it gets to the heating element, fire could erupt.
So when is the best time to seek dryer vent cleaning services? If you notice that the clothes are still damp right after a cycle, and that the dryer is hotter to touch than the usual, then this could be an indication that your dryer needs to be cleaned.
Another indication is when the outside vent will not open up even when the dryer is turned on and if you feel that the required waiting for your clothes to dry is becoming longer than the usual cycle length. If these things are happening, then there is something wrong with your dryer and you need to take the necessary steps to address this.
In some instances, your clothes might develop some moldy smell right after the dryer cycle. The reason for this is because of the accumulated moisture on the duct of the dryer.

Hire a Professional for Repair and Servicing of your Dryer Vent

Aside from cleaning, the dryer might actually need to be repaired as well as it might have gotten damaged due to the clogging of the lint. If you feel that your dryer vent needs to be repaired or perhaps it needs to be replaced, then you should hire a professional for the job.
You can have a professional dryer vent repair done on your equipment and you are assured of high quality work along with warranty on the equipment. These specialists will make use of a special kind of equipment that is made specifically for dryer vent repair/service. They will first do some inspections on your dryer vent before doing any kind of repair. They will assess the damages and will determine what caused the problem so they could address the issues well.
Of course, the technicians will inform you on how they are going to repair the equipment and on how much it will cost you. Repairing the dryer vent yourself is not recommended as this might just escalate to an even bigger problem. Remember, you were not trained for this job so you could end up damaging the equipment even more if you attempt to resolve the issue yourself.
The most practical solution is to call a professional for the dryer vent repair. Regardless of the nature of the damage, they will be able to address the problem and will make sure to bring your dryer vent back to excellent condition.

The Process Involved in the Installation of Dryer Vent

Make sure to call a specialist for the replacement and installation of your dryer vent. Installing a dryer vent is not easy and it is for this reason why it is important to hire a professional for the job, someone who is knowledgeable and was trained for it.
When you call a company for the dryer vent installation, they will send a team of professionals for the task. First of all, they will do the necessary measurements on the area where the vent is to be installed. After that they will drill a hole on that area and then they will screw the dryer vent in place.
Once that’s done, they will have to connect the ducts with the use of some special tools and when they're done, they will test the dryer to make sure that it is functioning. Since they are trained well for the job, you can be assured of excellent quality of work.
They can even finish the installation within the day, although this will also depend on some factors. While others would think that they can handle the installation themselves, the process is not that easy and you might just end up damaging the vent since you were not trained for the task. Although you will need to pay for the installation of the dryer vent, doing so will be worth it.

For more information about dryer vent safety and importance:

Consumer Reports - Truths and myths of dryer fires
Overheated Clothes Dryers Can Cause Fires - (PDF File)
Dryer Vent Safety Tips
National Fire Protection Association Saftey Tips Sheet - (PDF File)