Dryer Vent Cleaning in Warwick, RI
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Step 1 of 3: Equipment
What Rhode Island winters do to your dryer vent
Warm, damp air leaves your dryer and travels through a vent that runs through cold space, sometimes an attic or an exterior wall. On a night that averages 23°F, that vent is cold all the way through. The moisture in the exhaust cools fast against those walls, and lint sticks to the damp surface instead of blowing outside.
Over a winter that runs from October through May, that buildup narrows the vent a little at a time. A narrower vent means the dryer has to push harder to move the same air, and the exhaust has further to travel before it clears the house.
- 23°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 8 months
- October through May, the vent stays cold
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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 dry towels and bedding a lot, it is worth checking more often than that. A vent that takes longer to clear lint than it used to is telling you the schedule needs to move up.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the lint trap and the first few feet behind the dryer yourself, and you should do that regularly. The full run to the outside vent hood is harder to reach and often has bends where lint packs tight, so a contractor with the right brush and rod setup can clear the whole length. If your vent run is long or has more than one turn, that's the part worth having someone look at.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take more than one cycle to dry, a dryer that runs hot to the touch, and a burning smell are the main ones. Check the outside vent hood too. If the flap barely moves or lint is visible around it while the dryer is running, air isn't getting out the way it should.