Dryer vent cleaning is a crucial part of home maintenance. The lint that builds up in your dryer each time you dry a load of laundry can cause your dryer to overheat and catch fire. It can also burn out your dryer prematurely. Finally, it can cause the carbon monoxide produced by your dryer’s combustion to build up to dangerous levels within your home. This summer, you can save money while keeping your home and family safe from the dangers posed by clogged dryer vents. When you schedule a summer dryer vent cleaning with Total Chimney Care, you’ll save $50!

So how do you know if your dryer vents are due for a cleaning? Professionals recommend annual dryer vent cleanings and inspections to prevent dryer fires. Here are the most common signs that your dryer vents require immediate cleaning:

 Longer Drying Times

The first sign that your dryer vents require cleaning usually is longer drying times. When your dryer isn’t exhausting properly, the moisture will be trapped in your dryer with your laundry, and clothes and linens won’t dry as quickly as they should. Generally, a load of clothes should take no more than 40 minutes to dry. A load of towels or heavier items shouldn’t take longer than 50 minutes to dry.

Lint Buildup

Is your dryer spewing lint? If your vents are clogged, the lint generated by your clothes will have nowhere to go. You’ll see lint building up around the lint trap, in the dryer drum, at the back of your dryer where the vent attaches to the dryer, and even outside your home where the dryer vent exhausts.

Overheating

Clogged dryer vents cause your dryer’s heating element to work overtime, and as a result, the dryer overheats as it works to dry your laundry. If your vents are clogged, you might notice that clothes seem abnormally hot when they come out of the dryer. The dryer itself may also feel hot to the touch or the entire laundry room may heat up significantly during operation.

Odors

Your laundry should smell nothing but fresh, and clogged dryer vents can bring out all sorts of odors in your laundry and in your laundry room. You might smell a musty odor because laundry isn’t drying fast enough, a burning smell because of dryer overheating, or the abnormally strong smell of fabric softener because the scent isn’t escaping through your dryer vents.

Closed Dryer Vent Flap

The dryer vent flap located outside your home on the dryer exhaust should flap open to let air out during use. When running the dryer, check to see if the vent flap is opening. A closed flap means your dryer vent is completely clogged.

If your dryer is showing signs of clogged dryer vents or if your vents are overdue for a cleaning and inspection, call Total Chimney Care today to schedule your summer dryer vent cleaning and enjoy $50 in savings!