Dryer Vent Cleaning in Jefferson City, MO
Tell us about your home, and a licensed contractor who covers Cole County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold vents catch more lint
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air every load. From October through April, that vent runs through a house sitting in nights that average 25°F. The air cools fast against the cold metal, and the moisture in it turns to damp on the inside walls of the vent. Lint sticks to damp better than it sticks to dry.
That buildup narrows the vent a little more each month. Air backs up, the dryer takes longer to dry a load, and the exhaust has to push harder to get outside. A vent that stays clear moves that warm air out before it has a chance to cool and stick.
- 25°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 7 months
- October through April, the vent stays cold
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- How often should a dryer vent be cleaned?
- Once a year for most households. If you run big loads often, or you have a longer duct run from the dryer to the outside wall, check it more often than that. A vent that takes longer than it should to clear lint is telling you it needs attention sooner.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the lint trap and the first few feet of duct yourself, but most of the vent run is harder to reach. The duct usually travels through a wall or ceiling before it reaches outside, and lint builds up around bends where a vacuum hose or brush from either end will not reach. A contractor uses rods and a brush sized to the duct to clear the whole run, not just the ends.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take more than one cycle to dry is the clearest sign. Others include the outside vent hood flap barely moving or not opening at all when the dryer runs, a burning smell during a cycle, and the dryer itself getting hot to the touch. Lint collecting around the lint trap door or behind the dryer is also worth checking.