Dryer Vent Cleaning & Sweeping in Chicago

Keep your Chicago home and family safe with a professional dryer vent cleaning and inspection from Capital Chimney Corp. We serve Chicago and the greater Chicagoland area including the western suburbs, northern suburbs, and the south side. Our team will thoroughly clean, sweep, and inspect your dryer ventilation system to identify and fix any safety hazards that could be a potential risk. Neglecting dryer vents can cause damage that can be devastating to you and your family.

• 13,775 Fires Per Year
• 418 Injuries Due To Fire
• 15 Deaths Due To Fire
• $196 Million In Property Damage

What Is A Dryer Vent?

A dryer vent is the exhaust system for your appliance that carries moisture and harmful gases like carbon monoxide out of your home. Expelling the hot, humid air prevents your laundry room from sustaining water damage, mold, and mildew growth to give you better air quality in the space.

Why Dryer Vent Cleaning Is Essential

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, clothes dryers cause an estimated 13,775 residential fires each year, resulting in injuries, deaths, and nearly $196 million in property damage. Failure to clean the dryer vent is the leading cause of these fires.

Possible Reasons For A Blocked Vent

• Lint
• Nests
• Rodents
• Birds

How Often Is Maintenance Required

You should have your dryer vent cleaned at least once a year to ensure it functions as intended. In the Chicago and Chicagoland area, where homes often have longer vent runs due to older building construction and basement laundry rooms, annual cleaning is especially important to prevent lint accumulation. You should also visually inspect the hose 2 – 3 times a year to check for damage and a tight seal on the dryer exhaust and vent duct leading outside your home.

When To Consider Replacement

Dryer vents are durable and typically don’t need to be replaced for up to 5 years. However, if you find any of the following issues, it is time to replace your vent hose.

• Large Holes That Let In Outdoor Air
• Mice, Rats & Birds Living In The Vent
• Foul Smells
• Air Not Traveling Out Of Vent
• No Longer Creates A Tight Seal

Dirty Dryer Vents Can Be A Health Risk

Depending on where the appliance is installed, there could be a lot of ductwork with multiple bends and sharp turns that can build up debris, causing an obstruction. If not vented correctly, the exhaust produced will be unable to be removed quickly enough to prevent a backup. The unexhausted fumes can return to the home and create potential health risks.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Although dryers have become more efficient in recent years, removing the backup of air and moisture into your laundry room, clogged vent lines still pose a danger of carbon monoxide poisoning, posing potential health dangers. Clogged vent lines still pose a danger of carbon monoxide poisoning; the same risk associated with unlined or damaged chimney flues.

Possible Water Damage

When you dry your laundry, large amounts of moisture must be vented out of the room. Signs of a musty, damp laundry room indicate that your vent is not clear of lint and debris. If you continue to run your dryer with a blockage, condensation can build up and lead to water damage and mold growth if it remains unresolved.

Fire Risk

Lint in the system is a significant fire risk and acts as the perfect fire starter. It is such a good fire starter it is often used by campers to get their fires going. Because of the flammability of lint, it doesn’t require a spark to start and can be lit by heat flowing through the system if there is enough lint trapped in the system.

BEFORE: Crushed, kinked, or damaged transitional ducting can lead to dangerous lint accumulation.

AFTER: New ducting installed.

How It Affects Your Dryer

Obstructed ventilation systems also affect the performance of your dryer and can cause you to replace it before you need to. Some common performance issues due to improper ventilation include:

• Overheating Damaging Parts
• Shortened Life Span
• Longer Dry Times Leading To Higher Energy Bills

Regular Cleanings Create More Efficiency

A clean dryer vent can create a more efficient dryer saving you from running multiple cycles. It also helps you with your energy bill. It gives a longer life to your appliance as it is not working harder for extended periods, which can cause additional wear on safety switches that help with overheating. When you put off regular cleanings and replacements, you are unknowingly adding cost to your energy bill every month.

Schedule Your Dryer Vent Cleaning In Chicago

When you get a dryer vent sweep and cleaning through Capital Chimney in Chicago, a certified technician will clean it out and perform a visual inspection. Our tech will ensure you have the right dryer vent installed correctly to ensure no pests can access it. Contact us today and schedule your service. Capital Chimney Corp also offers chimney sweep and cleaning, chimney inspections, and furnace vent cleaning to keep your entire home ventilation system in safe working order.