F.A.Q
I keep the lint screen in my dryer clean. I remove the lint after each load. Isn’t that adequate?
Absolutely not! Lint is extremely fine and a significant amount gets past the lint screen. Every couple of months you should put the lint screen in the dishwasher. Fabric softener detergent etc. collects on the lint screen closing off the openings reducing the amount of air that can flow through.
What is all this scary talk about dryer fires?
Inside Edition reported that over 15,000 house fires are started each year by dryers. Once the vent becomes clogged the dryer will overheat and it can ignite the extremely flammable lint. There are clues when a vent is getting clogged. Holding your hand at the outside vent you will feel very little air flow. I use an anemometer to measure airflow in miles per hour. If yours does not read ten or more then I know you have a problem.
How frequently should dryer vents be cleaned?
The common answer is annually. That is a good answer, with an exception. If the dryer is on the opposite of the wall where the exterior vent is located I tell people that every two years is sufficient. Vents that are long and have turns are the most troublesome and dangerous. I have had to go over 30 feet into some homes and that is simply a terrible design.
How do you, the Lint Liberator clean the dryer vent?
In most cases I do all of my work from outside the home. I keep adding short sections of highly flexible wands to the one with the brush. I spin the brush at a high speed as I push it into the vent. Because of the design I am able to make 90 degree turns. I keep adding wands until I am forced to stop. At this point I know that I have reached the dryer. As I extract the cleaning tool I see very little lint coming out. This assures me that the vent is completely clean. The comments that I receive are very rewarding. The I almost always get is, “Oh I cannot believe how much faster my clothes get dry”. “What used to take three cycles now only takes one.”
You live in Fairfield, do you go outside of Fairfield?
Besides Fairfield I service Hamilton, West Chester, Forest Park, Fairfield Township, Liberty Township, Greenhills, Ross, and Colerain Township. A small travel charge is added for homes located more than ten miles from the Fairfield City Building.
How much do you charge.
In a weak moment I paid over $300.00 to a company that advertises heavily. The more I thought about it afterwards the angrier I became. That was a big part of my motivation saying to myself there has got to be a better way. I do not think anyone should have to live with a fire hazard because of the cost. For me it is a hobby job which I enjoy. I have fun watching the vents puke up copious amounts of lint and am happy charging only half of what the other Professional Vent Dryer Cleaner Company charge.
What if I can get some neighbors to have their vents cleaned when I have mine serviced would there be a discount.
Well certainly. I would save on travel time and expense and I would pass that savings along. The more neighbors you add the more I subtract. Occasionally I enter a contract to clean an apartment complex. Obviously, those individuals will get the best rate.
How long does it take you to clean a dryer vent.
Let me answer it this way. Without complications I can normally complete the process in less than thirty minutes. There are complications rarely, the brush comes detached from the wands in the middle of the vent or the brush knocks the vent off of the drier. I have been almost two hours in the very worst cases perhaps crawling on my belly in a tight crawl space. My charge, still half of what the other Professional Vent Dryer Cleaner Company charge.