Dryer Vent Cleaning in Stillwater, OK
Tell us about your home, and a licensed contractor who covers Payne County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Cold nights make the lint stick
Your dryer pushes warm, damp air out through the vent, and from December through February that vent is running through a house where nights average 28°F. The air cools fast once it hits the cold metal, and the moisture in it settles on the walls of the duct. Lint sticks to damp surfaces far more than dry ones, so the buildup packs in tighter and faster than it would in mild weather.
A vent that is closing in on itself has to work against more resistance. That backs moist air up into the duct instead of pushing it outside, and it gives the lint somewhere to keep collecting.
- 28°F
- the average winter night, and cold vents catch damp lint
- 7 months
- October through April, 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 you run large loads often, or your vent run is long or has several turns, once a year may not be enough and a contractor can tell you after a look. Lint builds up inside the duct even when the lint trap looks clean, and that buildup is what causes the problems.
- Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
- You can clean the parts you can reach, but you likely cannot clean the whole run yourself. A vacuum and a brush kit will pull lint out of the first few feet near the dryer. The rest of the duct, especially where it bends or runs up through a wall or roof, needs a longer brush and someone who can get to the vent hood outside to check that air is actually moving through it.
- What are the signs of a clogged dryer vent?
- Clothes that take longer to dry than they used to, a dryer that runs hot to the touch, or a burning smell during the cycle. Check the outside vent hood while the dryer runs. If you feel little or no airflow there, the duct is likely blocked somewhere along its run.