Dryer Vent Cleaning in Madison, SD
Tell us about your home, and a licensed contractor who covers Lake County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold vent walls trap lint before it reaches outside
Your dryer pushes out warm, damp air. In Madison, winter nights average 9°F from December through February, and that cold reaches the metal of the vent running through your house. The warm air hits those cold walls and cools fast, and the moisture left behind gives lint something to stick to instead of blowing on through.
Once lint builds up along the vent, airflow slows. Less air moving out means the moisture that's left has more time to soak into the buildup, and the clog grows from there.
- 9°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 9 months
- September through May, the vent stays cold
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- How often should a dryer vent be cleaned?
- Once a year for most households. If the vent run is long or has several turns in it, have it checked more often, since lint catches at every bend before it ever reaches the outside hood. A yearly cleaning is enough to keep the duct clear and the dryer running the way it should.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the first few feet behind the dryer and the vent hood outside, and that part is worth doing yourself. What you cannot reach by hand is the lint packed further down the duct, especially past any bends, and that is the part that starts fires. A rigid or semi-rigid run with turns in it needs a brush and rod system fed from both ends to clear all the way through.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that need a second cycle to dry, a dryer that runs hotter than usual, and a burning smell are the signs to watch for. Check the outside vent hood while the dryer is running. If the airflow there is weak or you feel almost nothing, lint is blocking the duct somewhere between the dryer and the outside wall.