Dryer Vent Cleaning in Boise City, ID
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Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold vents give lint somewhere to stick
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air every time it runs. Boise winters bring that air through a vent that sits close to freezing, with nights averaging 25°F from December through February. The air cools fast inside the vent, and the moisture in it settles on the walls of the duct. Lint sticks to damp metal instead of blowing straight through and out.
Over a cold season that runs October through May, that buildup narrows the vent a little at a time. A narrower vent holds in more heat and moisture from each load, which gives the next batch of lint even more to stick to.
- 25°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. Lint builds up along the whole duct, not just in the trap, and a year is usually enough for it to choke the airflow down. If more people are doing laundry in the house, or the dryer runs most days, have it checked more often.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the first few feet behind the dryer, but that is not the whole vent. Most runs go through a wall or up through the roof, with bends where lint collects out of reach of a home vacuum or a short brush. A contractor uses rods and a brush sized to the duct to clear the full run, including the vent hood outside where lint often packs in tight.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take two cycles to dry, a dryer that runs hot to the touch on the outside, and a musty smell in the laundry room are the main ones. Check the vent hood outside too. If the flap barely moves when the dryer is running, air is not getting through. A burning smell is different and means stop the dryer and have it looked at.