How often does my dryer vent need to be cleaned?

Flammable lint from inside a Wesley Chapel, Florida home dryer vent

One of the top questions we at Dirty Dryer Vent Cleaning answer from homeowners in Wesley Chapel, Land O Lakes, Lutz, Odessa and Trinity, Florida is "How often should I clean my dryer vent?" Below are some important points that homeowners must consider to keep their dryer vent clean, safe and properly venting air for their dryer:

1. Amount of use - the number of loads of laundry your household does per week makes a big difference in how often you should have your dryer vent cleaned. If your dryer is used for 4 loads per week versus 10 loads per week, there is a substantial difference in the amount of dryer lint that builds up in your venting.

2. Type of laundry - certain fabrics create more dryer lint than others, as does new fabrics. If you launder a lot of towels, sheets, and other lint-creating fabrics, you will need to have your dryer vent cleaned more often.

3. Hair / Pet hair - human and pet hair can easily collect inside your dryer, transition duct, dryer vent and exterior hood/exit causing dryer lint to more quickly build up as well. The more hair in your home, the more often you need to have your dryer vent cleaned.

4. Dryer vent length & location of exit - many homes built since 2000 in the high-growth area's of Wesley Chapel, Land O Lakes, Lutz, Odessa, Trinity, New Tampa and the surrounding Tampa, Florida neighborhoods have dryer vent exhausts that are built into an interior wall routed up thru and exiting the roof. This type of exhaust can often range in length of 12 feet to 21 feet or more - requiring your dryer to have to work hard to push the hot air, moisture and lint out the exit - even when your vent is perfectly clean. The longer the dryer vent, the more often you should have it professionally cleaned by Dirty Dryer Vent Cleaning to prevent restriction or clogging from excess lint.

General recommendations for how often to have your dryer vent cleaned:

> Every 12 months : high use households / roof exhaust exit / pets

> Every 18 months : moderate to low use households

> Every 24 months : low to very low use households / no pets

If you have not had your dryer vent professionally cleaned in over 24 months, it is likely you are overdue and should schedule an appointment with us today. Not only does excess dryer lint build up add extra dry time to drying your laundry (costing you more money in gas or electric utilities), it also creates a fire hazard, and prematurely wears out expensive parts on your dryer - requiring repair or complete dryer replacement.