Dryer Vent Cleaning in San Luis Obispo, CA
Tell us about your home, and a licensed contractor who covers San Luis Obispo County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Step 1 of 3: Equipment
What cold vent walls do to lint
Every load pushes warm, damp air out through the vent. On a winter night when it's 38 degrees outside, that air cools fast against the cold metal, and the moisture in it turns to a damp film on the inside walls. Lint sticks to that film instead of blowing straight out. Over the months you heat the house, November through April, that buildup narrows the vent a little more each time.
A vent that can't push air out full force runs your dryer hotter and longer, and traps the moist air behind it. That damp air has to go somewhere, and it does not stop at the vent.
- 38°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 6 months
- November through April, the vent stays cold
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- How often should a dryer vent be cleaned?
- Once a year is the standard most contractors work to. Lint builds up along the whole length of the vent, not just in the trap, and that buildup is what slows the dryer down and makes it work harder to dry a load. A vent that runs long or has several bends can trap lint faster, so it is worth asking a contractor how your specific setup holds up between cleanings.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the lint trap and the first few feet of duct yourself, but that only reaches part of the vent run. Most vents bend through a wall or up through a roof, and a vacuum or brush from the inside will not reach a clog further down the line. A contractor uses a rod and brush system built to clean the full length, including the vent hood outside where lint often collects.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes coming out hotter than usual, or still damp after a full cycle, is the clearest sign. Others include a dryer that runs longer than it used to, a burning smell during the cycle, or lint collecting around the outside vent hood. Any of these mean airflow is restricted somewhere along the duct, and it is worth having it checked before running another load.