Dryer Vent Cleaning in Alamogordo, NM
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Cold vents turn lint into a wall
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air, and that air has to travel through a metal vent before it reaches the outside. On a winter night here, that vent runs through cold space, and the air inside it cools fast. When it cools, the moisture in it lands on the vent walls instead of carrying on outside, and lint sticks to it. Over a season that buildup narrows the vent until the dryer is pushing air through a much smaller opening than it was built for.
A vent that cannot move air freely means a dryer that runs hotter and longer to get clothes dry. It also means lint sitting where it can catch, right at the point where warm air is trying to force its way out.
- 28°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 7 months
- October through April, the vent stays cold
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- How often should a dryer vent be cleaned?
- Once a year is the standard for most households. If you dry large loads several times a week, check it more often, since more lint moves through the vent. Yearly cleaning is the minimum that keeps lint from building up to the point where it blocks airflow.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the part you can reach, but that is usually only the first few feet. A flexible rod kit can pull lint out from the dryer end, and vacuuming the lint trap housing helps too. The trouble is the rest of the run, especially where it bends or passes through the wall to the outside vent hood. That section needs a longer rod system or a contractor with the right tools to clear it fully.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes taking longer than one cycle to dry is the clearest sign. Others include the outside of the dryer feeling hot to the touch, a burning smell during a cycle, and the vent hood flap outside barely moving or not opening when the dryer runs. Excess lint around the lint trap or behind the dryer is another sign the vent isn't clearing lint the way it should.