Professional dryer vent cleaning companies advise homeowners to clean their dryer vents after three after a year. However, if you notice dirt, dust, and mold in your system, you should not wait for the stated time to end but you should call a professional asap to do the cleaning of the entire system.
Some factors like the location and climate of your home will influence how long after the last dryer vent cleaning exercise you should clean the system.
What Happens During Dryer Vent Cleaning
Dryer vents are fragile and expensive, and if they are carelessly handled, some parts could break. It is costly to replace these parts, so experts discourage homeowners from DIYs. If you need your ductwork cleaned and you don’t know how to clean dryer vent, it is essential to contact a professional cleaning company to do the process. All the HVAC components need to be cleaned during this process. The parts of a dryer vent to be cleaned include the following:
a. All the diffusers, heating and cooling coils, and grills
b. Supply and return registers and air ducts
c. Fan monitor and housing
d. Heating and cooling coils
After you contact the cleaners, they will first inspect your system to see if there is dust, dead pests, and mold. This helps them to know the kind of tools they need to do an effective cleaning.
If there is mold, they will use special chemicals to kill the mold and prevent its growth in the future. Ensure you check the chemical components of the detergents not to get reactions after the cleaning process.
Professional cleaners will come with brushes to loosen up the dust and vacuum machines. This will ensure that all the dirt is sucked and your dryer vent is left clean.
Signs It Is Time To Clean Your Dryer Vent Duct
So when should you call a professional to clean your dryer vents? When you clean the dryer vent system, the air blown to the rooms will be clean and of good quality. Clean dryer vents also ensure there is a smooth flow of air and that the duct system works efficiently.
Although cleaning companies will advise you to schedule the next cleaning exercise three to five years after the last one, you could notice some signs that will need you to contact the cleaners as soon as possible.
a. Allergic Reactions
Your family members could get allergic reactions because of breathing contaminated air. These reactions are uncomfortable and expensive to treat. People with asthma may get more attacks, which endangers their lives. Getting your HVAC system cleaned will make your family more comfortable and reduce complaints.
b. Pests And Insects
If you notice pests and insects in your house, you need to call a cleaning company. These small animals crawl into the ductwork, and once inside, they loosen any dust that had settled. They could also cause illnesses. They also die and rot inside the system, causing odor.
c. Mold
Mold grows inside the dryer system and is spread to all the rooms through the air. This dangerous contaminant causes severe allergic reactions and respiratory complications. If you notice mold in your system, you should not wait for three or five years to contact a cleaning company.
d. Relocations And Renovations
If you just moved to a new home, you should clean the air duct before settling in. This is because you do not know who the previous owner was. If they had pets and they smoked, the air duct system could be highly contaminated. Another reason you need to clean is that you don’t know the last time they did it.
Renovations come with a lot of dust and dirt, which can be deposited in your ductwork. It is essential to contact a cleaning company to come and inspect your ductwork after a renovation and ensure there is no dirt accumulated in the dryer vent system.
e. High Energy Use
Your HVAC uses more energy because it is inefficient, which could be caused by dust and debris. Dust builds up around the fans and motors making it hard for these two to operate freely, leading to the use of more energy.
Dryer Vent Cleaning Conclusion
As you can see, it's essential to keep your dryer vents cleaned consistently. It's a matter of inhabitant health and preventing expensive repairs or replacement. Some of the work you can do yourself, and some of the cleaning you will need a professional for hire.