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Data from the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) show that there are approximately 15,000 home fires associated with clothes dryers every year in the United States. This makes dryers responsible for around 4–5% of home fires in the nation.

It’s important to regularly clean the lint trap and dryer vent to help prevent dryer fires. This guide will walk you through how to clean a dryer vent so that you can keep your risk of accidental fire to an absolute minimum.

Why Dryer Vents Are a Fire Hazard

The turbulence and heat of a dryer causes clothes to shed tiny fibers. These small bits of cotton, wool, and synthetic fabrics mix with hair and other fine particles, resulting in a dry mass of lint that is highly flammable. Lint traps catch the majority of this material, but some inevitably finds its way through or around the trap, where it can cling to the interior surfaces of the dryer vent, the duct that channels heated air outside the home. 

Over time, the amount of lint inside the dryer vent accumulates. In sufficient quantities, it begins to inhibit the passage of heated air through the duct. Without adequate exhaust, the hot air the dryer produces becomes trapped inside the duct and dryer itself. The resulting increase in temperature can ignite the very dry and very flammable lint, causing a sudden and serious fire.

Warning Signs of a Clogged Dryer Vent

A dryer with a clogged vent usually presents other symptoms well before a fire starts. Here are some important clogged dryer vent signs to look for.

• Clothes take longer to dry.

A clogged vent can inhibit a dryer’s performance. If it seems as though your dryer is not heating or cycles are taking longer and longer to produce dry clothes, it’s possible that a buildup of lint is impeding airflow through the vent.

• Clothes are hot, but still damp.

As wet clothes tumble in a hot dryer, the resulting warm and humid air needs to escape the appliance. Vent clogs trap that steamy air in the dryer, so clothes will still be damp even if they feel warm.

• The dryer is overheating or is hot to the touch.

Poor ventilation also leads to trapped heat, which can cause the dryer itself to feel unusually hot.

• The laundry room gets excessively hot or steamy.

Hot, humid air that can’t escape through the dryer vent will probably release into the laundry room instead. Steamy, stifling air indoors points to a blocked vent.

• There’s the smell of something burning after running the dryer.

Even if lint doesn’t smolder or ignite, it may get hot enough to give off the odor of something burning.

• Large accumulations of lint in the trap or in vent openings.

Lint deposits at the vent opening outside the home or increasingly large amounts of lint in the trap after every cycle might be due to a larger volume of lint inside the duct.

• Automatic shutoffs.

Some dryers have safety measures that trigger an automatic shutoff if the dryer begins to overheat. If your dryer has this feature and is routinely turning off on its own in the middle of a cycle, a clogged vent could be the root cause.

How Often Dryer Vents Should Be Cleaned

Removing lint from the lint trap and dryer vent is an important dryer maintenance safety measure. Clear the lint trap after every single laundry cycle, without exception. Clean the dryer vent at least once per year, though you may want to do so more frequently if you move through a large volume of laundry in your household.

To thoroughly clear the vent and duct of lint, follow these steps:

1. Move the dryer away from the wall and unplug it.
2. Disconnect the vent hose from the back of the dryer and from the wall duct.
3. Use a vent cleaning brush to clear lint from the inside surfaces of the vent. 
4. Vacuum the loosened bits of lint and debris from the vent. Also vacuum any lint from the rear panel of the dryer and the duct opening in the wall.
5. Heading outside, remove the vent panel from the duct.
6. Use a vacuum’s extension attachment to remove lint from this end of the duct.
7. Reattach the vent panel and reconnect the vent hose to the dryer and interior duct opening.

How a Home Warranty Helps with Dryer Repairs

Home warranty coverage is an excellent way to stay on top of appliance repairs within a budget. As a homeowner, you can maintain an active policy by paying a monthly premium. If your dryer is covered by your policy and breaks down unexpectedly from general wear and tear, your warranty provider can arrange to have the dryer repaired or replaced in short order. Though you pay a small service fee, you are otherwise spared the out-of-pocket expense.

The average cost of dryer repair ranges from around $150 to $400. If your warranty policy has a $75 service fee on a $200 repair, for example, then you’ve saved $125.

It’s easier to realize greater savings when you broaden your coverage to include multiple home appliances and systems. A modest increase in premium price yields huge potential savings when there’s a malfunction or breakdown in the home.