Boosting Efficiency: How Clean Vents Can Lower Your Energy Bills

If your dryer seems to run forever just to get a load of towels dry, it is easy to assume the dryer itself is getting old. Sometimes that is the problem, but the vent is worth checking before you start shopping for a new appliance. A dryer has to move hot, damp air out of the drum and all the way outside the house. When lint builds up inside the dryer vent, the hose gets pinched behind the machine, or a long vent run with several turns becomes restricted, that air cannot get out as easily. The dryer may still heat and tumble like normal, but the clothes stay damp longer and the machine has to keep running to finish the job. That extra run time is extra energy being used for the same load of laundry.

Cleaning a restricted dryer vent gives that hot, moist air a clearer path outside. When airflow improves, a dryer that was being slowed down by lint or debris may be able to dry the same load in less time instead of running another long cycle. That is where dryer vent cleaning can improve dryer efficiency and reduce unnecessary energy use. It does not mean every high electric bill is caused by a clogged dryer vent, and it will not fix a bad heating element, overloaded dryer, moisture sensor problem, or clothes coming out of the washer soaking wet. But if your dryer is taking longer than it used to, clothes are still damp when the cycle ends, or you clean the lint screen every load and the dryer still seems slow, checking the rest of the vent system is a sensible place to start.