Why is My Dryer Drying Slow?

Is your dryer taking forever to dry your laundry?

Doing your laundry is probably not your idea of a fun time, but it is even less fun when it takes several cycles just to dry one load of laundry. Thats time you could be spending with friends, family and/or doing literally anything else. But why is it taking so long to dry  your clothes?

Your dryers drying time and efficiency is strongly reliant on the air flow through its back exhaust and your homes dryer vent. If this airflow is restricted in anyway, the hot wet air will stay in the dryer causing it to dry much slower.

Restricted airflow is usually caused by a blockage within the dryer vent. These blockages are typically made from lint build up in the vent, but can also be from birds nest and anything else that finds its way into your vent. Other possible causes of restricted airflow can be a pinched dryer hose or duct, as well as a possible separation within your dryer vent.

Not having the proper air flow through your dryer is a major problem! Not only will it make it take forever to dry your laundry, costing you energy and possibly damaging your clothes, but it could also start a fire! Dryer fires do to dirty or clogged dryer vents are a leading cause of home fires in the USA. This is why the Fire Department and the NFPA recommend having your dryer vent cleaned and inspected at least once a year.

Here are some tell tale signs your dryer vent may be clogged:

1. Takes forever to dry the clothes.
2. Your dryer is hot to the touch.
3. Lots of lint around the dryer vent hood outside your home.
4. Weird burning smell in the laundry room as the dryer runs.
5. Your house is on fire!

If you notice signs 1-4 turn off your dryer right away and contact a local dryer vent cleaning pro to come clean it out for you. If you notice #5, stop reading this blog, get out of the house, and call the fire department!!!

Don't wait till your vent is clogged to clean it. If its clogged, its overdue!

When picking a dryer vent cleaning pro we recommend making sure they have specialized camera equipment so you can see if they got everything out. If you live in the Greater Phoenix area in Arizona and are looking for a pro, visit us at dryer.joefilter.com.