Clothes still damp after a normal cycle, a "Check Vent" code on the dryer, weak air at the outside hood and a laundry room that runs hot all point to a dryer vent that needs cleaning. Here are seven signs to watch for in a Morristown home, what each one points to, and what dryer vent cleaning in Morristown costs with us.
1. Clothes are still damp after a normal cycle
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's dryer fire safety sheet says that if clothing is still damp at the end of a typical drying cycle, or drying takes longer than normal, the lint screen or the exhaust duct may be blocked. Clean the screen first. If a normal load still needs a second cycle, the vent is the next suspect.
2. The dryer shows a "Check Vent" or "AF" code
Some dryers tell you outright. Whirlpool's help page on long dry times says an AF (Restricted Air Flow) or "Check Vent" code means the lint screen or vent is clogged, or the vent is crushed, kinked or has too many turns. The dryer keeps running with the code showing, so it is easy to clear it and forget about it.
One of our Google reviews came from a customer whose dryer showed an "N 95 error" for the second time after an earlier service had cleaned only the pipes in the laundry room. We checked the laundry room piping, cleaned the run through the attic crawlspace and checked the vent to the outside.
3. Little or no air comes out of the outside hood
Go outside while the dryer runs. The CPSC says to check that exhaust air is escaping, and if it is not, the vent or the exhaust duct may be blocked. The U.S. Fire Administration's clothes dryer fire safety flyer adds that the outdoor vent covering should open when the dryer is operating. A flap that stays shut, or barely moves, is worth a call.
4. The dryer or the laundry room feels hot
When lint blocks the flow of air, the CPSC says it can cause excessive heat build-up, and in some dryers that ends in a fire. A dryer that is hot to the touch on the outside, or a laundry room that warms up every time a load runs, is the heat with nowhere to go.
5. A burning or musty smell
Both are on the list of signs we give every customer. If you smell burning while the dryer runs, call us before you run the next load.
6. Lint around the outside vent, or a bird nest in it
Lint collecting around the exterior vent is on our list too. Nests are the other thing that blocks a hood. Whirlpool's page says debris such as animal nests can obstruct the venting. Rob wrote up one Morristown job where a bird's nest packed the entire vent pipe and cut off airflow almost completely. Nest or item removal is $100 on top of the cleaning, and we show it to you and quote it before we touch it. Our page on bird nest removal covers the rest.
7. The duct behind the dryer is crushed, foil or plastic
Pull the dryer forward and look. The USFA flyer says to make sure the venting behind the dryer is not damaged, crushed or restricted. The CPSC recommends replacing plastic or foil accordion-type duct with rigid or corrugated semi-rigid metal duct, because the flexible types trap lint more easily and kink or crush. Behind the dryer, a kink collapses the duct, restricts airflow and traps lint. We replace that hose with a DryerFlex transition hose for $75.
Snow is a Morristown problem too
NOAA's 1991-2020 normals for its weather station at Canoe Brook show 24.0 inches of snow in an average year. NFPA tells homeowners to check that the outdoor dryer vent flap is not covered by snow. After a storm, check the hood is clear before you run a load.
What a cleaning costs in Morristown
Our prices are flat and set by where your vent leaves the house: $185 for a first-story cleaning, $225 for a second-story vent that needs a ladder, and $265 for roof access dryer vent cleaning. Every cleaning runs from the dryer connection to the exterior cap, with an airflow check before and after and a camera scope so you see the inside of your own vent. We promise your dryer dries in one cycle afterward, or your money back.
Not sure which of these you are seeing? A dryer vent inspection is $79, a camera and airflow check of the whole run with a report of what we found.
We are a family-owned company based in Mendham, and Morristown is one of the 15 Morris County towns we serve. To book, Schedule a Cleaning or call (973) 906-9677.
Need help with this at your house? See our dryer vent cleaning in Morristown.