What does a dryer duct cleaning company do?
As one of the top rated Brushvac Air Systems dryer duct cleaning and air duct cleaning companies, we start by measuring both the airflow and temperature at an outlet from your dryer, these measurements will be notated for reference. We do this at both the beginning and end of our visit. This gives us the improvements as a result of the cleaning as well as establishes a relationship with your particular system and its day to day operations and capacity. In our notes, we will begin tracking your system and will have accurate notes to compare your system back to itself at future visits to determine if it needs a cleaning.
Our dryer duct cleaning process starts with the visible duct after disconnecting the duct from your dryer. We will thoroughly clean the entire duct as well as the entry and exit points, provided that we are able to access both. After the visible duct, we will work deep within the duct work with special tools to scrub out any lint build up that commonly occurs. It is hidden from sight and thus an unknown danger.
The whole purpose of this cleaning is to clear out any particles or buildup that is preventing the air from properly flowing through the duct work of dryer. These particles can be responsible for excess heat in your dryer that not only damages your clothing but can start dangerous fires. When scrubbing, we use a rotating brush and a powerful vacuum to remove all loose or stuck debris. The rotating brush scrapes buildup off the inside walls of the dryer duct while the vacuum pulls them out of the system leaving an unobstructed airway. Our Technician will use his experience and expertise to clean out even the hard to reach places with care. He will be cleaning out your dryers duct work that can reach up to 40 feet!
Do you really need your dryer vent cleaned?
Dryer duct cleaning prevents dangerous levels of build up and greatly reduces the risk of a fire. Dryer vents should be cleaned by a professional specializing in cleaning dryer ducts. These professionals have the proper training and tools to properly reach deep into the dryers duct work in order to clean all the lint and debris build up of that occurs along the inside of the dryer duct.- Is Your Dryer Putting Your Home at Risk? If you meet one or more of the below criteria we highly recommend having your system inspected as soon as possible.
- When was your dryer duct work last cleaned or inspected? If your dryer duct has not been inspected and cleaned in over a year, it can become clogged and/or crushed, causing lint to build up.
- Is your dryer duct length is greater than 25 feet? This actually slows the airflow. Many newer homes often are designed with the laundry room away from an exterior wall. For example, in a closet in a hallway. While this is a convenient placement for the homeowner it can be a potential hazard. With this setup the vents run greater distances with more turns, which makes your dryer work harder and creates more places for lint to collect. Add five feet for each 90-degree bend when calculating your duct length.
- Do you have a large family and use the dryer often?
- Does your dryer has flexible plastic or vinyl ducts? It’s inexpensive, but plastic duct work is no longer code-approved.
- Does your dryer have a thin, flexible foil duct? These can kink and stop air flow. We highly recommend using solid metal tubing at least four inches in diameter for better airflow, but we can clean any setup you currently have.
Dangers of a clogged dryer duct.
One of the most used appliances in a home is your dryer, but it is also the most forgotten when it comes to maintenance. Most people honestly don’t even know that a dryer needs maintenance. It isn’t as simple as just removing the lint from the lint trap. While yes, that is also necessary, it is important to clean the areas that you can’t see or easily get to. That is where our dryer duct cleaning Technicians come in. Dust, debris and even chemical residue can build up in your unseen ducts and become a highly flammable danger in your home without you even knowing.
According to a report by the U.S. Fire Administration, clothes dryers are responsible for approximately 15,500 structure fires in our country every year. A staggering 80% of these fires start with a clogged dryer duct! Sadly, these have resulted in up to 15 deaths and 400 injuries a year. Thousands of other homeowners and/or occupants are treated for symptoms of poisonous gas fumes, also caused by a blocked dryer duct.
Dryer fires usually start after a the lint has built up in the dryer duct to a point where the airflow is restricted causing the motor to overheat and ignite the highly flammable lint throughout your dryer ducts. Any airflow pushes the fire through the duct causing the fire to spread. Like wind on a wildfire. Depending on how the dryer duct is constructed through the house it’s not uncommon for the fire to spread through the walls of the house causing catastrophic property damage, personal injury and possibly loss of life.
Cleaning your lint trap every 2 – 3 loads is great practice, but unfortunately it’s not enough to prevent lint clogging up the vent. Keeping the dryer vent cleaned is essential to the performance and safety of the dryer. Our skilled all Bay Area dryer duct Technicians can help you get your dryer running safely.
Sometimes the dryer’s lint trap is broken or incorrectly placed which allows lint to skip past the trap and into the duct. When this happens there is a greater possibility of the dryer vent getting clogged over time. Another common clog is actually caused by a crushed dryer duct. This happens when people move the dryer around and accidentally crush the flexible duct behind the machine.
This can also be caused by animals building nests or taking refuge inside the warm duct. This is quite common. We have cleaned many, many, many dryer ducts that have been inhabited by animals or clogged by bird’s nests.
The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommend annual dryer duct inspections and/or cleanings to ensure safer and often cheaper operation of your appliance. Frequency of duct cleaning will depend on several factors including how often it is used, if there are pets, how long the appliance is run and how many bends are in the ducts.
Here is a general guideline based on how many loads you dry per week:
1 – 3 loads a week, should be cleaned approximately every 2 years.
4 – 7 loads a week, should be cleaned annually.
8+ a week should receive cleanings about every 6 months. But this can change based on the layout of your dryer duct…
Warning signs to get your dryer duct cleaned.
Every clothes dryer duct system is different, but one thing is certain: A clogged dryer duct can increase the amount of time it takes to dry clothing by double or triple the time. What once used to take a thirty minute dry cycle now is taking sometimes up to two hours to dry. Most people don’t quite experience those extreme time differences but in our experience 60-70% of people will notice that after one cycle that their clothes aren’t quite dry yet and will restart the cycle again. Clothing that takes twice as long to dry is not only an energy waster, but also a fire hazard. This also adds much more wear and tear on the machine and cut the life of your dryer in half.