Maintaining clothes dryer vents – Most clothes dryer vent ducts are of short length and can be cleaned by the home owner. However, there are some long runs of twenty feet or more that may run in crawl spaces or in non-floored attics. It is recommended that these type ducts be cleaned by a professional with special duct cleaning equipment.
Tell-tale signs that the vent needs cleaning:
- Clothes are still damp at the end of a normal cycle.
- Clothes are hotter than usual at the end of the cycle.
- Clothes have a musty smell after drying.
- There is a great deal of lint escaping from the back of the dryer.
- The flapper on the vent exhaust hood doesn’t open when the dryer is running or there is a lot of lint covering the vent exhaust hood.
