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Dryer Vent Cleaning & Accessories
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Dryer vent cleaning is absolutely necessary because the vent will build up lint that gets trapped in the vent pipe and needs periodic cleaning in order to keep your dryer running safe and efficiently. This requires cleaning out the dryer vent and the lint trap that is on your dryer. Most of you of course clean out the lint trap that is usually that little pull out drawer that is on the top of your dryer.
But just as important and maybe more so is the dryer vent that attaches to the back of your dryer and leads to the outside through a pipe or flexible vent tube usually 4″ in diameter. Over time this will get clogged with lint buildup and must be removed to prevent possible fire and also to make your dryer dry your clothes more efficiently. In some cases this cleaning can be done from the outside where the vent outlet is accessible. In some cases the vent outlet is high up or on the roof where it is hard to get to. In these cases the vent can be cleaned from the inside by pulling the dryer out and removing the pipe from the back of the dryer to access the vent from there. You will need special dryer vent cleaning tools to do the job in either case. Or you can call a dryer vent cleaning service to do the job for you.
This service is generally not too expensive and well worth the cost to assure that your dryer is safe from being a fire hazard. Costs can range from $30 to up to $150 or more if you have long and inaccessible vent pipe. This is not a highly technical process but can get dirty and dusty and can require ladders to get to high or hard to reach places. Also as I mention there are special brushes and extender shafts that extend into the pipe that must be rotated and moved back and forth throughout the pipe to loosen the lint so that it can be blown or sucked out of the pipe. These can be purchased at various places online or even at some home improvement stores. The price you pay for these tools and the time and effort spent locating these tools could be as much as you would pay for a dryer vent cleaning service to come and do it for you. So you have to decide which way is best for you.
Dryer fires caused by clogged dryer vents are the single most highest cause of house fires in the US. Dryer vent cleaning should be done every 6 months to a year depending on the configuration of your vent and the usage of your dryer. Dryer vent cleaning is not something that you should put off and take lightly as it could save you from the tradgedy of a house fire.
