Whether you are purchasing a new home or simply doing maintenance tasks around your current home, making sure that you do a thorough inspection of dryer venting is important. While you should always contract professionally licensed dryer vent experts to work on, clean, and properly inspect dryer vents, there are some things you can look for that can alert you to serious issues.
Below are three important things to inspect when it comes to your home’s dryer vent cleaning in NJ.
1. Look carefully at the termination port of the dryer, as well as the roof cap and wall. You should be on alert for things that can potentially cause clogs in the opening, such as built-up debris, leaves, and bird nests. As you do this, you can check that the vent is functioning properly by checking the air’s velocity as it exits. If you don’t feel air, or if it feels very weak, it could mean you have a clog that needs to be cleaned out by a professional.
2. Look for signs that your vent system has been lengthened. Professionals recommend that dryer vent ducts should be straight and short, at least as much as is practically possible. If you’ve extended your dryer vent system or if the previous owners of your home has, it could not only make drying your clothes take longer, but it could impact how well it works and how frequently it gets clogged.
3. Metal tape should be used to hold joints in place. While duct tape is a handy fix-it tool around the home, it should not be used on dryer vent duct joints. In this case, metal tape should be used. If you see other hardware holding joints together, like screws, you should contact a professional to help you remove them and get them back together properly.
