08 Oct Dryer Vents: Four Common Problems To Look For

How many days out of the year would you say you stop and think about how your dryer vent is performing? Is it clean? Clogged? Or working just fine? Dryer vents are one of those problems we don’t consider to affect our lives at all until it comes crashing and burning down on us (which can literally be the case). Even routinely cleaning the vent filter doesn’t cover all your bases. Here are the most common problems associated with dryer vents.

Vent Hose Is Not Connected

Making sure your hose is attached to the dryer is a simple and quick task that can really save you from a disaster in the future. Home inspectors talk about the horrors of a disconnected vent hose when they start to see the dust behind the dryer and just know, once they look behind the dryer it’s going to be a Narnia of grey globs. Dust is the telltale sign of a disconnected or broken hose.

Birds, Wasps, and Mice, Oh My!

Critters can crawl up into the nice warm confines of your dryer. Usually you’ll have flap covers over the exit of your vent (like in the picture) that open when the dryer is running and close when the dryer is off, but sometimes these get damaged or broken and a big open hole sits and waits to become a home. What’s worse is that these critters can sometimes fall back into your vent hose and die, causing a rotting carcass to fumigate your house. Be sure to check your flap covers and for any critters that might have found their way inside the vent.

Vent System Is Too Lengthy

Simple physics: if you are drinking water from a straw, it flows rather effortlessly into your mouth. Now imagine if you were drinking from the same glass, but it was fifty feet away from you and you were using a garden hose. How hard do you think you would have to suck before the water finally got to your purple, swollen lips? Same idea works in dryer ventilation systems. It is recommended that you keep your system no longer than 3 feet to ventilate efficiently and prevent clogged systems.

Clogged and Dirty Vents

Here is where the heart of problems with your dryer vent beats like a loud tribal drum. Clogged and dirty vents are caused by the three problems we just listed and from the routine, general use of your dryer. A clogged vent can lead to multiple problems:

• Carbon Monoxide Leakage
• Houes fires
• Mold
• Termites

Carbon monoxide leakage happens when the vent is too clogged and the vapor from the vents flows out of cracks or broken openings in the system, some of which can flow right into your house and give you a dose of carbon monoxide. House fires are caused by the build-up of lint and debris that get really hot because the air is becomes so stagnant and causes the machine to heat dangerously. Mold and termites result from the abundance of moisture and dust, a habitat they look for.

Ventilate Your Anxiety: Dryer Vent Cleaning

Getting your dryer vent professionally cleaned once a year, or even just once in a blue moon (like after reading this blog), will greatly decrease your chances and make you aware of any problems that can result from a dirty dryer vent. If your utility bills are higher than normal and your dryer is not functioning like it used to, call us. We have the equipment and technicians you need to have a clean, safe home.