Many people have never heard of a professional dryer vent cleaner before and they are skeptical if they really need a professional to clean their dryer vent. They wonder, “Is this a home maintenance task that I should do myself? Or am I better off hiring a professional company?”
Do I need a professional dryer vent cleaner to clean my dryer vent? It’s important to understand that not all dryer vents are the same. In our area (Tulsa, OK) we see 3 common types of dryer vents. There are dryer vents that exit the roof, dryer vents that exit the side of the home, and dryer vents that are installed in the slab of the foundation. Dryer vents are also not standard in length or in the number of turns they have, each one varies according to the construction of the home. In some parts of the country the laundry room is often situated on the outside wall and the dryer vent is very short, perhaps just one or two feet out the wall. These types of dryer vents are typically and fairly simple for homeowners to clean themselves with simple cleaning tools or even just a vacuum. However, dryer vents that exit the roof often present more challenges and it is often advisable to hire a professional dryer vent cleaner for the task.
Cleaning A Dryer Vent That Exits The Roof
Some people wanting to avoid the safety hazard of getting on their roof trying to clean their dryer vent from the bottom only, often using a dryer vent cleaning kit they have purchased from a home improvement store. These kits are usually a set of rods that screw together piece by piece and attach to a rotary drill. We have at this point rescued many homeowners from their cleaning attempts and these are some of the most common problems that people run into while trying to clean their dryer vent themselves.
Common DIY Problems
Roof Safety
Dryer vents that go through the roof can often prove challenging for homeowners to clean. We work on cleaning dryer vents that exit the roof every single day and we have the equipment and training to do it safely. Roofs that are at a very steep pitch are not safe to clean without proper safety equipment and training.
Breaking Or Losing Tools In The Cleaning Process
This is the most common problem that we run into with DIY cleaning attempts. People try to push the rotary brush cleaning tool they are using through too many sharp 90 elbows in the dryer vent and one of the rods break. The type of cleaning rods that you purchase at a home improvement store is designed to be fairly flexible but they still are vulnerable to snapping if put through stress. It is also common that people will accidentally spin the rods they have already inserted in the dryer vent off when they put another one on, this causes the cleaning rod to get stuck in the dryer vent.
Compacting The Lint In The Elbows Of The Dryer Vent
Another common problem we run into after a DIY cleaning attempt (and occasionally even after a dryer vent has been professionally cleaned by another company) is when the dryer vent was not actually cleaned all the way through. Sometimes the cleaning attempts from both directions compact the lint in the elbows of the dryer vent, even more, leading to a greater blockage of airflow than before.
The Advantage of Hiring A Professional Dryer Vent Cleaner
Personal Safety
You don’t have to worry about going on your roof or working on ladders if you choose to hire a professional. You can keep your feet on the ground and stay safe.
Convenience
Don’t waste any of your time with trips to the home improvement store to purchase equipment for the cleaning or spend time doing the cleaning yourself. You can simply schedule an appointment for a cleaning to be done and sit back and relax. You can even use our online scheduling system to set up an appointment from your phone or computer at any time.
Peace of Mind
Our full-service dryer vent cleaning appointment includes a digital report that includes an airflow test from before and after cleaning. This shows the difference in airflow the cleaning makes. Our full-service cleaning appointments also include cleaning the connection hose and dryer as well as the dryer vent. On the dryer, we clean out the lint trap, blower fan housing, blower fan, heating element and the interior of the dryer cabinet. Our digital report includes information on the condition of the connection hose, vent hood, length of the dryer vent, condition of joints, and equivalent length.
Our full-service cleaning appointment is designed to be a comprehensive process that gives you total peace of mind and maximizes your dryer’s efficiency.
The Elephant In The Room
You are reading this blog on the site of a professional dryer vent cleaning company. We are obviously a little biased when it comes to the idea of hiring a professional dryer vent cleaner.
For another post on this topic see this article on Angie’s List: Hiring VS DIY Dryer Vent Cleaning
We don’t want to discourage anyone from tackling a home maintenance task themselves but we want to make sure that people are prepared well for the task and can complete it safely.
If you have any questions regarding your dryer vent or want to set up a cleaning appointment. You can contact us at 918-605-8953 or set up a cleaning appointment online. Schedule Appointment.
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