Dryer Vent Cleaning in Asheville, NC
Tell us about your home, and a licensed contractor who covers Buncombe County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold vents turn lint into a bigger problem
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air every time it runs. In a vent that runs through cold space, that air cools fast, and the moisture in it turns lint into a paste that clings to the vent walls instead of blowing outside. Winter nights here average 28°F, cold enough that this cooling happens fast, most months of the year.
Over a winter that paste dries and thickens, and the vent narrows. A narrow vent makes the dryer work harder to push air through, and the heat and lint it can't get outside stay behind the wall instead.
- 28°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 7 months
- October 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 for most households. If you run large loads often, or you have a long duct run between the dryer and the outside wall, check it sooner. A vent that is clean lets the dryer push hot air straight outside instead of fighting to force it through lint buildup.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the lint trap and the first few feet of duct behind the dryer yourself, and you should do that often. The rest of the run, especially where it bends or passes through a wall or the roof, needs a brush and rod long enough to reach the outside vent hood. Most homeowners do not own that equipment, and pulling the dryer out to access the duct can also disconnect it wrong if you have not done it before.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take more than one cycle to dry is the clearest sign. Others are a dryer that runs hotter than usual, a burnt smell during the cycle, or the outside vent hood flap barely moving when the dryer is on. If you notice any of these, have the vent checked before running the dryer again, since a blocked vent traps heat inside the duct.