Dryer vent cleaning in Cape Coral

Why Cape Coral vents clog

In a lot of slab homes the laundry sits in a garage or an interior closet, so the vent does not go straight out a nearby wall. It runs up through the attic and out a roof cap, or across the attic to a far wall. Every foot and every elbow gives lint a place to settle. A roof cap also collects things a wall flap does not: nests and storm debris.

Humidity makes it worse. Damp lint packs and sticks to the inside of the duct instead of blowing out, and a dryer pushing hot, wet air through an attic that is already hot does not dry anything fast. Flex foil duct that got crushed behind the dryer or sagged in the attic traps water and lint at the low spot.

Signs the vent needs attention:

• Clothes take longer than one cycle to dry.
• The dryer or the laundry room gets very hot while it runs.
• Little or no air comes out of the outside vent when the dryer is on.
• Lint collects around the outside flap or on the roof near the cap.
• A burning smell. Stop using the dryer until the vent is checked.

What the fire data says

The fire numbers are old, so read them with the year attached. NFPA estimated that in 2006, 17,700 home structure fires in the United States involved clothes dryers or washing machines, causing 15 deaths, 360 injuries and $194 million in property damage. Dust, fiber or lint was the most common item first ignited, in 27 percent of dryer fires from 2003 to 2006.

Lint is what burns. A clean vent keeps it moving out of the house instead of collecting where the dryer's heat can reach it.

What you can do yourself, and when to call a pro

You can handle the easy part:

1. Clean the lint screen every load, and wash it now and then if dryer sheets leave a film.
2. Pull the dryer out, unplug it (and shut the gas off if it is a gas dryer), and vacuum the lint trap housing and the back of the dryer.
3. Disconnect the transition duct and clear it. Replace crushed plastic or foil with rigid or semi-rigid metal duct.
4. For a short, straight run to a side wall, a brush kit from a hardware store reaches the whole length. Check that the outside flap opens and closes freely.

I'd call a pro for a roof vent (it means a ladder and a walk on a tile or shingle roof in the heat), a run long enough that a brush kit does not reach the end, a vent with a nest or a blockage you cannot clear, or a duct that is disconnected somewhere in the attic. A disconnected duct dumps hot, wet, linty air into the attic, which is a fire risk and a mold problem at the same time.

Cost

Service	Published range	Average
Dryer vent cleaning	$100 to $200	$150
Air duct cleaning (separate service)	$300 to $700	$500

Fixr national figures, not a Cape Coral average and not our quote.

A roof vent, a bird guard, or a damaged section of duct can add to the price. Ask for the price before the work starts, and ask what is included if they find damage. A dryer vent is a different job from the air ducts for your AC. If someone offers to bundle the two, look at the duct cleaning page first, since the EPA's advice on duct cleaning is narrower than most bundles suggest. If the AC is due for service too, our AC maintenance page covers what a tune-up should include.