Dryer vent cleaning in San Mateo County
Dryer taking forever? Check the vent.
A dryer that needs extra cycles, runs hot or leaves the room humid usually has a vent full of lint. We clean the vent from the dryer to the outside, because a blocked one wastes energy and is a fire risk.
Why does a blocked dryer vent matter?
Because lint burns. The vent carries hot, damp air and the lint the filter missed. As lint builds up, the air can't get out, the dryer runs hotter and longer, and the heat and lint sit together in a place that can catch fire.
A blocked vent also costs you in everyday ways: clothes that stay damp after a cycle, a laundry room that feels humid, a hot smell, a dryer that wears out early, and a higher energy bill for the same load.
What a dryer vent cleaning covers
It's more than a brush at the back of the dryer. The vent has to be clear from end to end.
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We trace the vent run
Where it leaves the dryer, how far and how many bends it makes, what it's made of, and whether it has been crushed behind the machine.
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We clear the lint
A rotary brush and suction clear the run from the inside and the outside, including the elbows where lint packs hardest.
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We check the outside hood
The flap should open freely and the opening should be clear of lint and nests.
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We reconnect and confirm airflow
The dryer goes back, and we check that strong airflow reaches the outside.
How often should a dryer vent be cleaned?
About once a year for most households. Clean it more often if you do a lot of laundry, have pets, dry heavy items like towels and bedding, or have a long vent run with several bends.
Don't wait for the schedule if you see the signs: clothes still damp after a normal cycle, a dryer that's hot to the touch, a burning smell, lint around the outside hood, or a hood flap that doesn't open when the dryer runs.
Can I clean the dryer vent myself?
You can do the easy part. For the rest, the hidden run is where the lint is.
- Clean the lint screen after every load, and wash it now and then with warm water and a brush, because fabric softener leaves a film that blocks the mesh.
- Pull the dryer out and check that the duct behind it is not crushed or kinked.
- Look at the outside hood while the dryer runs. The flap should push open, with air coming out.
- Call us for the run in between, especially for a long vent, a vent through the roof, or one with plastic or foil flex, which traps lint and burns more easily than smooth metal.
Dryer running hot or slow?
Call and tell us, or book a visit online.
Does an AC condenser need space from the dryer vent?
In Menlo Park, yes: the city requires an AC condenser to sit at least 5 feet from a clothes dryer vent outlet. Warm, lint-laden air blowing at a condenser coats the coil, which cuts its cooling and shortens its life.
So if you're adding or replacing a condenser in Menlo Park, the dryer vent's outlet is part of where the unit can go.
Source: City of Menlo Park Community Development, Residential HVAC Alteration handout, checked 2026-10-17
Tell us what it's doing. We'll take it from there.
Call and describe the problem: the noise, the smell, the room that never warms up. Or book a visit online.
