Dryer vent cleaning in Los Angeles
Clothes still damp after a full cycle, a dryer that runs hot, or a smell of warm lint. We clear the vent from the back of the dryer to the outside.
If a load takes two cycles to dry, the vent is usually the reason.
The dryer vent is the duct that carries hot, damp air and lint from the back of the dryer to the outside of the house. The lint screen catches a lot, but not all of it. The rest builds up inside the vent line, in the bends and at the hood on the outside wall or the roof. Cleaning means brushing that lint loose and vacuuming it out along the whole run.
We clean dryer vents in houses, townhomes and condos across Los Angeles County and eastern Ventura County, from Santa Monica and Culver City to Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks, Pasadena, Torrance and Simi Valley. Gas or electric, first floor or second, a vent through the wall or up through the roof. If the dryer is only one of the things bothering you, see all our heating and cooling services.
Why a clogged vent matters
A dryer works by pushing hot air through the clothes and out of the house. When lint narrows the vent, that air has nowhere to go.
- Longer dry times. Damp air stays in the drum, so clothes take longer to dry and the dryer runs longer on every load.
- Heat. Trapped heat makes the dryer run hot. That wears out the heating parts and the safety switches that shut it off when it overheats.
- Fire risk. Lint burns easily. A vent packed with lint next to a hot dryer is a real fire risk, which is why a clear vent matters as much as a clean lint screen.
The signs of a clogged dryer vent
You do not need to take anything apart to spot these. Run the dryer and pay attention.
Clothes still damp
A normal load that needs a second cycle, or towels that come out warm but damp, is the clearest sign.
A hot dryer or laundry room
The top of the dryer is hot to the touch, or the laundry room gets warm and humid while it runs.
A lint smell
A smell of warm or scorched lint while the dryer runs means heat is building up somewhere in the line.
A flap that does not open
Go outside while the dryer is running. The flap on the hood should lift and you should feel strong, warm air. If it barely moves, the line is blocked.
Cycles that stop early
A dryer that shuts itself off partway through a cycle may be tripping its high-heat safety switch.
Lint where it should not be
Lint around the outside hood, behind the dryer or on the floor of the laundry area.
Long runs through walls, roofs and second floors
The easiest vent is a few feet straight through an outside wall. Plenty of homes do not have that. A laundry in a hallway closet, an inner room or on a second floor needs a longer run, through a wall cavity, across the attic or out through the roof.
Long runs clog for simple reasons. Every bend slows the air and catches lint. A run that climbs to the roof lets lint fall back down and pile up at the bottom. Roof caps can hold a screen that clogs, and birds like to nest in them. The foil hose behind the dryer gets crushed when the dryer is pushed back against the wall. The longer the run, the harder the dryer has to push, and the faster lint builds up.
We clean dryer vents with the same kind of equipment we use on air ducts: rotating brushes on long flexible rods and a strong vacuum. That is what reaches the far end of a long run through a wall or up to the roof, where a hand brush stops short. If you are booking air duct cleaning, we can clean the dryer vent on the same visit. If a section of vent has come apart in the attic or been crushed flat, we show you and explain the fix. For the ducts that heat and cool the house, see duct repair and sealing.
What the visit involves
A dryer vent cleaning is a short, tidy job. This is what happens.
You call or send the form
Tell us where the dryer is, which floor it is on, where the vent comes out if you know (wall, roof or not sure), whether it is gas or electric, and what the dryer is doing.
We check the whole run
We pull the dryer out, check the hose behind it and find where the vent leaves the house. We look at the hood and the flap outside.
We clean it end to end
We brush and vacuum the line from inside and from the outside hood, clear the bends and clean out the hood and its flap.
We reconnect and test
We reconnect the dryer, push it back without crushing the hose, and run it to check that air flows strongly at the hood. A short wall run is a quick visit. A long run to the roof takes longer.
Why call Air Cove HVAC
Dryer vents are ducts, and ducts and airflow are what we work on every day. We know how a long run behaves, where lint collects and what a healthy flow at the hood feels like. We are licensed and insured.
Dryer vent cleaning questions
Should you get a dryer vent professionally cleaned?
Yes, if you see the signs, if the vent runs a long way or goes up to the roof, or if it has not been cleaned in years. A professional cleaning reaches the whole run, not just the few feet behind the dryer.
Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
You can do part of it. Clean the lint screen after every load, pull the dryer out now and then and clear the hose behind it, and check that the outside flap opens. Unplug the dryer first, and with a gas dryer take care not to strain the gas line. A short, straight run through the wall can be brushed with a kit. Long runs and roof exits are where a hand brush jams or packs the lint into a plug, and that is when to call us.
How much does it cost to have a dryer vent cleaned in Los Angeles?
It depends on the run. The length, the number of bends, whether it exits through a wall or the roof, whether the laundry is upstairs and how packed the line is all move the price. A crushed hose or a broken hood adds a part. Tell us where the vent comes out and we can explain what will move your price.
How long does dryer vent cleaning take?
A short run through an outside wall is usually a quick visit. A long run through the attic or up to the roof takes longer, because we clean it from both ends.
Do I need to be home?
Yes. We need to get to the dryer inside the house as well as the vent outside.
Dryer taking forever? Tell us where it is and where the vent comes out, and we will clear the run.
Get your dryer breathing again
Call us, or send the form and we will call you back. We clean dryer vents across Los Angeles, seven days a week.