FAQs

The drying process produces moisture and heat. When your dryer vent becomes clogged, heat and moisture will have difficulty getting out. This will result in the dryer overheating (which can lead to a fire). It can also result in the moisture hitting the obstruction, turning into a liquid, and finding a seam in the vent. This often leads to water marks where the dryer vent runs.

A dryer has a fan at the base of the machine. The fan sucks the heat and moisture produced in the drying process and expels it through the vent. The fan also sucks pieces of clothing (i.e. lint) through the filter. The lint will work its way into the vent and it will usually get stuck along various bends or imperfections in the vent.

Annual cleanings are always recommended as a preventative means of preventing drying problems. Having an annual cleaning is unlikely to produce a large amount of debris, but it will prevent dryer fires and ensure that your dryer is working at its optimal level.

The factors that lead to a dryer vent clogging are the length of the vent, the number of bends, the material used, and how the vent is connected.

When installing/replacing dryer vents we strive to make the vent as short as possible. A dryer vent is allowed to be 35 feet long per most building codes. For every 90-degree bend 5 feet is subtracted. For every 45-degree bend 2.5 feet is subtracted.

The optimal material for a dryer vent is hard steel pipe with an aluminum flexible line at the very end. The hard pipe is sturdy, durable, and has the smoothest interior (leading to better airflow. The aluminum flexible line at the very end will allow the homeowner to move the dryer without breaking the pipe (to allow access to the rear of the machine). All seams in the hard pipe should be taped with a foil tape to prevent leakage and ensure optimal airflow. All connection points (where two pipes come together) should be connected with foil tape. We do NOT suggest connecting piping with screws as this creates a sharp object that will collect lint.

A booster fan is exactly what it sounds like. It is a fan that is installed along a dryer vent that “boosts” airflow. A booster fan is typically found, or suggested, in long vents that exceed the 35 foot maximum.

Our company is one of only a handful that use metrics to determine cleanliness. The metric we use is airspeed. A properly working dryer vent should be exhausting air from the dryer to the exhaust (where the vent stops outside your home). The airspeed should be 1200+ FPM (feet per minute). We measure airflow before and after cleaning to ensure that airflow is exiting your home.

i. Please note that there are several factors that can cause a lower than expected airflow such as material used, vent length, dryer age, number of bends, vent size, etc.

In most cases we clean dryer vents from the outside. An articulating rubber tool is inserted into the dryer vent. The tool, which operates under the power of an air compressor, loosens the debris that is inside of the vent. A combination of compressed air and the dryer’s fan then proceed to blow the debris out of the vent. For these reasons we need to access the exterior exhaust to perform an effective cleaning.

Many people we service believe that a dryer that is not running well needs to be replaced. Often times a repairman or replacement team will come in to fix/replace the machine only to notice that the vent is clogged. A new machine will not work with a clogged vent, and we suggest that a cleaning be done in these scenarios.

For residential cleaning services, we have a range of factors that go into our pricing model. We pride ourselves on offering an exceptional service at an affordable price. For more information on what goes into the cost of our service, check out our blog article on pricing.