Dryer Vent Cleaning in Raton, NM
Tell us about your home, and a licensed contractor who covers Colfax County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Cold air turns dryer lint into a wall inside your vent
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air every time it runs. Once that air hits the cold metal of the vent, it cools fast, and the moisture in it turns to dampness on the walls of the duct. Lint sticks to a damp surface far more than a dry one, so the buildup packs in tighter and faster than it would in a warmer month.
Winter nights here average 17°F from December through February, and the vent stays cold for most of the nine months your house needs heat. That is a long stretch for lint to collect and cling. A vent that is narrowing with buildup forces your dryer to push harder to get the air out, and it holds onto the heat and moisture that should be leaving your house.
- 17°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 9 months
- September through May, the vent stays cold
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- How often should a dryer vent be cleaned?
- Once a year is the general rule, and a contractor can tell you if your setup needs it more often. Lint builds up inside the vent run even when you clean the lint trap every load, because the trap never catches all of it. A longer vent run or one with more bends collects lint faster than a short, straight one.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clear the part you can reach, but most of the vent run is inside the wall and out of sight. A vacuum at the wall opening only pulls lint from the first foot or two. The rest takes a brush and rod system long enough to reach the outside hood, which is why most people have the full run done rather than just the visible end.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take longer than one cycle to dry, a dryer that runs hot to the touch, and a burnt smell when it's running are the main ones. Check the outside vent hood too. If the flap barely moves or you feel weak airflow when the dryer is on, lint is blocking the path. Lint collecting fast around the lint trap door is another sign, since it means more is escaping past the trap than usual.