Is Your Dryer Shutting Off or Heat Not Coming On?

Dryers, especially gas ones, have a mechanism that keeps the heat from coming on when there is not proper air flow through the dryer ductwork.

Lint from towels, clothes and other items combined with the moist exhaust air from the dryer can cause a caked-on buildup of lint debris in your dryer vent ductwork.

Not only can this be a fire hazard, but can drastically reduce the efficiency of your dryer as the size of the ducting continues to shrink as moist lint collects on the walls. We have seen many ducts that have completely closed off air flow due to this buildup.

How Often Should Dryer Vents Be Cleaned?

The longer your dryer vent ductwork is, the more frequently it should be cleaned. This is because the velocity of airflow diminishes as it passes through the ductwork.

If you have very long ductwork of 15 to 30 feet, by the time the exhaust air reaches the outside vent it has slowed down considerably. This contributes to the moist lint more easily attaching to the walls of the dryer ducts.

Frequency of cleaning is going be dictated by the usage of your dryer and by the type of items that you dry. If you dry lots of lint producing towels, or other shedding items, you will need to clean them more often. We generally recommend cleaning your dryer vent every 2-3  years if you have a dryer vent shorter than 10 feet, but more often if it is longer.

You should consider having your dryer vents cleaned yearly if your vents are 20 feet or longer and if you are a commercial facility, you may need to clean them on a quarterly or semi-annual basis.

Dryer vent cleaning is a necessary maintenance item for all homeowners. It not only can prevent fires caused by lint buildup in the ductwork which can ignite under high temperatures, but it can also dramatically improve dryer efficiency which reduces utility costs by decreasing drying time.

How Do you Clean Dryer Vents?

We use professional duct cleaning equipment to clean dryer vents, this consists of rotating brushes and different agitation devices that dislodge the buildup of lint from the ductwork. This lint is then captured in a vacuum placed inside your home or blown through the ductwork to the exterior of the house with large volumes of compressed air with a tool called an air sweep.

We also clean out the dryer compartment of accumulated buildup of lint. This area can’t be accessed or cleaned thoroughly without the use of air tools.  A vacuum is attached to the venting of the dryer while compressed air is blown into the dryer to dislodge lint trapped internally in the dryer compartment.

The build-up of lint within the dryer compartment itself can also lead to dryer malfunction, as there is a sensor that can be covered over with lint. We found this out in our own facility, as a Maytag service technician was called out to diagnose our non-working dryer.  So, we always clean out the inside dryer vent compartment as well during the cleaning process, as this area is inaccessible to the customer. We also vacuum off the back side of the dryer and vacuum the floor underneath if we are able to move your dryer. If you have a stackable washer and dryer we may clean it without moving the unit by accessing it from the exhaust outlet, due to the difficulty in moving stackable machines or units in tight confines. Our YouTube video on this page shows the dryer vent cleaning process we use.

“We’ve been using Executive Cleaning Services for the past 20+ years and have to say, the service they give is excellent. They have been cleaning our windows twice each year and we have been very, very satisfied with the job they do. They also clean our dryer vent once a year. Last year we had them clean the carpeting and again, happy with their work. This past week, we had the grout in the kitchen cleaned and believe me, it looks like new! I highly recommend this company, not only for the great work they do, but for also having first-class equipment and courteous, professional people doing the job.”

– Merci M. Elkhorn

How Much Does Dryer Vent Cleaning Cost?

We charge $210 for the 1st 10 feet of dryer vent ducting and $49 for every 10 feet after that. So if you have 20 feet of ducting it would be $259 + sales tax. If you clean your dryer vent while we are doing your air ducts we discount the dryer vent cleaning $50.  If your ducting is extremely full our plugged or if there needs to be modifications made to the ductwork or if new flex duct needs to be installed to the back of the dryer there would be an additional charge.

To help prevent fires caused by dryer vents, we recommend you do the following:

• Clean the lint screen/filter before or after each load of clothes. If clothing is still damp at the end of a typical drying cycle, this may be a sign that the lint screen or the exhaust duct is blocked.
• Replace foil accordion-type ducting material with rigid or corrugated semi-rigid metal duct. Most manufacturers specify the use of a rigid or corrugated semi-rigid metal duct, which provides maximum airflow. The flexible plastic type duct can more easily trap lint and is more susceptible to kinks or crushing, which can greatly reduce airflow.
• Clean the dryer vent and exhaust duct every one to three years depending on dryer usage and overall length of ductwork. The longer the dryer ducting the more frequently they should be cleaned, because air flow is reduced in longer runs of ductwork causing more build-up of lint. Check the outside dryer vent while the dryer is operating to make sure exhaust air is escaping. If it is not, the vent or the exhaust duct may be blocked.
• Clean behind the dryer where lint can build up. Keep the area around the dryer clean and free of clutter.
• Take special care when drying clothes that have been soiled with volatile chemicals such as gasoline, cooking oils, cleaning agents, or finishing oils and stains. If possible, wash the clothing more than once to minimize the amount of volatile chemicals on the clothes and, preferably, hang the clothes to dry. If using a dryer, use the lowest heat setting and a drying cycle that has a cool-down period at the end of the cycle. To prevent clothes from igniting after drying, do not leave the dried clothes in the dryer or piled in a laundry basket.