Why Is My Dryer Not Drying My Clothes?
Are you having trouble with your dryer?
When your dryer isn’t working, getting the laundry done is a major pain. It slows the entire process down, and most people are worried about expensive repair bills.
Even though dryers look fancy and now come with a lot more integrated technology, the mechanics of dryers are still fairly simple. Typically, dryer problems stem from issues around overheating, clogged dryer vents, broken motors, and other issues. Simple troubleshooting makes finding your dryer problems easy and can guide you in fixing the problem yourself. It’s also a big help in determining when you need professional repairs.
The length you’ll go to finding the root cause of a dryer not working depends on how handy you are with basic tools and whether you’re OK moving your dryer away from the wall to look at the dryer vent. Here are some common problems with dryers and dryer vents that could lead to performance issues with your appliance. .
Common Issues with Dryer Vents
Dryers must have somewhere that vents the hot air inside the appliance. Otherwise, all that hot air ends up inside your laundry room. In addition to hot and humid air, a lack of proper venting will send dust, hair, and lint flying around your home.
Unfortunately, dryers cause various problems that, without proper maintenance, present fire risks and affect the appliance’s performance. In addition, the vent and duct can become clogged without regular cleaning, making it much more difficult to dry your clothes.
Here are some of the main problems caused by a clogged dryer vent:
Elevated Fire Risk - A clogged dryer vent means there’s nowhere for hot air to escape. Also, lint and other debris accumulating from many dryer cycles tend to be very flammable. It often doesn’t take much for it to catch fire. If a dryer even has a partial clog, the intense heat generated by the appliance can spark a fire. Unfortunately, many property owners turn on their dryers and leave the house to do chores like grocery shopping, work, or picking the kids up from school. As a result, no one’s home when the fire in the laundry room ignites.
Poor Dryer Performance - One of the main issues with clogged or occluded dryer vents is that your appliance won’t work as well as it should. Unfortunately, this is a sign you’ve got dryer vent problems that many property owners don’t notice for months or years. Instead, they struggle with dryers that don’t get clothes dry. If you have to run clothes through multiple cycles, or your clothes come out still smelling musty, then it’s possible your dryer vent needs professional cleaning. Problems like a dryer not drying or a dryer not working correctly should be a sign you should call for service.
Dryer Not Heating - Although a dryer not heating is technically a performance problem, we’re separating this out because it usually has to do with a safety mechanism in the appliance. A clogged dryer vent leads to rapid heat buildup inside the appliance because the hot air has nowhere to escape. As a result, things inside get too hot, and the machine will trigger off to protect the appliance and prevent fires. These types of safety features and built into many modern dryers. If you are frustrated that your dryer keeps turning off when you run it and don’t know why it could be because your dryer vent is clogged.
Burning Smells - Foul odors are another problem caused by a clogged dryer vent. When lint or hair is stuck inside the duct and vent, they’ll stink when they heat up and burn. You should schedule a dryer vent cleaning service if you smell something strange from behind your dryer or laundry room.
These are just some of the most common dryer vent problems. Anytime you experience difficulty with your dryer or clothes not getting dry, inspect your vent or call for professional assistance. It could be the key to restoring proper performance and preventing fires at home.
Inspecting Dryer Vents for Clogs
Once you encounter dryer performance problems, how can you narrow it down to a clogged dryer vent?
Here are some tips:
Look for where the vent exits the property - Find where your vent exits your home. Many properties have a vent close to the laundry room. Whether on the roof or a wall, you should see steam from the vent and smell the laundry detergent when the dryer is running. If you don’t see anything coming from the vent, it’s probably clogged.
Visually inspect the duct - If your duct is very short, you should be able to inspect it behind the dryer to see if there are any obvious clogs. However, the clog could be deeper inside the ductwork if your duct is several feet long.
Check your dryer’s safety features - If your dryer is frequently turning off mid-cycle, check your manual or look online to see whether it has built-in safety features that shut the appliance off if things get too hot inside. If so, you probably have a clogged dryer vent stopping the heat from escaping.
The Dryer Vent Cleaning Process
Professional dryer vent cleaning services use specialized tools to look deep inside your vent and ducts to find and eliminate clogs. Total clogs are hazardous because no heat can escape from the vent. As a result, things get very hot when you run your dryer, which can eventually ignite. In addition, partial clogs are also a risk and will affect your appliance performance.
When a technician arrives, they’ll conduct a visual inspection of the dryer vent and ductwork to gauge which tools they need and how to approach the repair best. Some dryer vent services use video camera inspection equipment to look inside the ducts to find out how much lint is inside or if anything else is causing the problems.
Property owners are often surprised when they find that birds are nesting inside dryer vents or rodents are the culprit. Lint and dust are the most common issues, but small animals can also cause dryer vent problems for homeowners.
Once the technicians know where the clogs are, they will start pulling out the debris and cleaning the duct walls to prevent clogs in the future. Pure Air Duct Cleaning Services uses powerful vacuums with bristles that suck dirt out and scrape the ducts to get mold, dust, and stubborn dirt out. We also provide before and after pictures to demonstrate what was inside your ducts.
After the dryer vent is clean, the technicians guarantee that the connections to your appliance and the vent are secure and ready for regular appliance use.
Summary
Regular dryer vent cleaning is essential for good long-term appliance performance. In addition, the best dryer vent cleaning companies offer emergency cleaning services when your dryer stops working well or you smell something burning when you turn your dryer on. This helps reduce the chances of fires and keeps your appliance working longer. On the other hand, clogged vents can make your dryer work harder and, as a result, shorten its lifespan. Get professional support to keep your dryer vent clear and protect your home or commercial property.
At Pure Air Duct Cleaning Services, we’ve spent years helping homeowners in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. get fast repairs that keep dryers and air ducts in great shape. Give us a call if you need help finding what’s wrong with your appliance.