Have you ever thought of where all the lint and hot air from your clothes dryer goes as it works to dry your laundry? You probably think about the lint trap, that part that you can pull out to remove the lint after each load is completed. Sure, some of it goes there, but that is not a one-stop catch all for all the lint that comes off of your clothes. You need to get closer acquainted with your dryer duct and vent pipe.
The duct and vent on your dryer are the things that take all that hot air, and some lint and dust from your dryer, through your laundry room and then vent it outside.
Depending on where the dryer is in your home, the path your vent pipe and ductwork have to take could be a long one. If you have a home where the laundry room is near an interior bathroom, there is a vent pipe from that point to the edge of your house, sometimes 20-30 feet away.
Stuck Dust and Lint
Consider what happens to the dust that is getting pushed through the dryer vent system. While some of it will make it all the way outside, not all of it will be this lucky. Some of it will start to stick to the walls of the dryer vent. A little of this is not a problem, but it seems lint likes company and more and more will continue to grab on to the first pieces and make a larger clog.
Solid Lint
If you are in a humid area or there are major temperature changes, moisture can start to seep into the dryer vent and mix with the lint. This is a lethal combination. Once dust and lint get wet and dry they become something similar to dried mud on the inside of your dryer vent. While dry lint can be brushed away, once it's wet and solidifies, it's a harder job.
The Solution
The only solution is prevention and maintenance. You should make sure that the whole duct and vent line gets a complete check at least once a year. Maybe you can add it on to your list of spring-cleaning items.
If you have a large family and are always running clothes through the system, you may want to clean dryer vents twice a year.
Webb Dickson of Dryer Vent Wizard provides dryer vent cleaning, dryer vent repair, dryer vent installation, dryer vent inspections and all dryer vent services for homes and businesses in New Hampshire, Nashua, Manchester, Concord, Portsmouth, Derry, Bedford, Keene, Milford, Middlesex and Essex County, Massachusetts, Billerica, Burlington, Westford, Concord, Stow, Marlborough, Natick, Hopkinton, Framingham, Gloucester, Middleton, Newburyport, Haverhill, Lawrence, Beverly and neighboring cities and communities.
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Middlesex and Essex County, Massachusetts, Billerica, Burlington, Westford, Concord, Stow, Marlborough, Natick, Hopkinton, Framingham, Gloucester, Middleton, Newburyport, Haverhill, Lawrence, Beverly and neighboring cities and communities.