Six Signs That It’s Time to Clean Your Dryer Vent

In addition to being Chicago’s best chimney sweep, Valley Chimney Sweep & Restoration also offers dryer vent cleaning and replacement services to the Western Suburbs. Sadly, many people never even realize that their dryer vent needs regular inspection and cleaning until it’s too late.

About 15,000 dryers catch fire every year, and most are caused by lint clogging the vents igniting on fire. So, to help you prevent a potentially catastrophic dryer fire in your home, we thought we’d provide you with six signs that it’s time for a dryer vent cleaning from the Certified Professionals at Valley Chimney Sweep & Restoration.

Too long For optimum efficiency and safety, dyer vents should be inspected annually.

Too stinky If your clothes have a rotten or musty smell when they come out of the dryer, that’s a sign there may be mold growing in and around the dryer vent system. Gross!

Too wet If your clothes are wet after a normal drying cycle, that’s not necessarily a sign that your dryer needs to be replaced. Fixing it could be as easy as a professional dryer vent cleaning.

Too long to dry If your clothes aren’t dry after 45 minutes, your dryer is not operating at maximum efficiency, which is normally caused by blockage in the venting system.

Too hot to handle A blocked venting system can cause restricted air flow in your dryer, causing it to overheat. An abnormally hot dryer is a major cause for concern and should be fixed immediately.

Too much lint If you’re noticing an abnormally large amount of lint in the lint trap, that’s another sign of a malfunctioning dryer vent system. Of course, we always recommend the lint trap be cleaned before every drying cycle, so if it seems like too much, it probably is.

At Valley Chimney Sweep & Restoration, we’ve inspected and cleaned hundreds of dryer vents in the past 25 years. We are experts in the field, and we cover much of Chicago’s western suburbs. To keep your dryer running safely and efficiently, contact us today to make a dryer vent inspection and cleaning appointment.