Dryer Vent Cleaning

[Mike]

While doing some surfing online, I came across "Dryer Vent Cleaning" as a service offered by some companies in the residential cleaning industry. I was wondering if anyone here offers Dryer Vent Cleaning as one of their services and might be able to tell me how it's done? Are you basically taking a Vac and sucking all the lint out? Is there money to be made by offering this service?

Thanks in advance.

[Beth n Rod]

Yes there is, there is also the expansion avenue into household duct cleaning.
Seen a great deal of advertising and the prices they charge are not that bad considering that they just remove some air return screens and floor diverters and stick a long vac hose into them.

Check into it further.


btw, we only do it during post con cleanup and in our own home.
Rod~

[Mike]

This is from the Consumer Product Safety Commision: (www.cpsc.gov)

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that in 1998, clothes dryers were associated with 15,600 fires, which resulted in 20 deaths and 370 injuries. Fires can occur when lint builds up in the dryer or in the exhaust duct. Lint can block the flow of air, cause excessive heat build-up, and result in a fire in some dryers.

To help prevent fires:

• Clean the lint screen/filter before or after drying each load of clothes. If clothing is still damp at the end of a typical drying cycle or drying requires longer times than normal, this may be a sign that the lint screen or the exhaust duct is blocked.
• Clean the dryer vent and exhaust duct periodically. Check the outside dryer vent while the dryer is operating to make sure exhaust air is escaping. If it is not, the vent or the exhaust duct may be blocked. To remove a blockage in the exhaust path, it may be necessary to disconnect the exhaust duct from the dryer. Remember to reconnect the ducting to the dryer and outside vent before using the dryer again.
• Clean behind the dryer, where lint can build up. Have a qualified service person clean the interior of the dryer chassis periodically to minimize the amount of lint accumulation. Keep the area around the dryer clean and free of clutter.

• Replace plastic or foil, accordion-type ducting material with rigid or corrugated semi-rigid metal duct. Most manufacturers specify the use of a rigid or corrugated semi-rigid metal duct, which provides maximum airflow. The flexible plastic or foil type duct can more easily trap lint and is more susceptible to kinks or crushing, which can greatly reduce the airflow.
• Take special care when drying clothes that have been soiled with volatile chemicals such as gasoline, cooking oils, cleaning agents, or finishing oils and stains. If possible, wash the clothing more than once to minimize the amount of volatile chemicals on the clothes and, preferably, hang the clothes to dry. If using a dryer, use the lowest heat setting and a drying cycle that has a cool-down period at the end of the cycle. To prevent clothes from igniting after drying, do not leave the dried clothes in the dryer or piled in a laundry basket.

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Send the link for this page to a friend! Consumers can obtain this publication and additional publication information from the Publications section of CPSC's web site or by sending your publication request to info@cpsc.gov.

[Mike]

Does anyone out there offer a vent cleaning service? Hows it going?

[RyanH]

I've seen this offered in conjunction with air conditioning duct work cleaning. Several HVAC companies around here specialize in it (also do the visual camera inspection of the duct work, clean and disinfect, etc.). I think Sears also has some services.

[Henry B.]

I used to do it about 8 years ago but dropped it from our list of services. It pays well but I always had headaches setting up appointments and such. It's the same reason I dropped window cleaning. I may go back into it one day but if I do I'm going to buy one of the vacuum trucks this time and do A/C vent cleaning also. It might make a nice second company to run and I have been looking to add some other kind of challenge to my days...

[Mike]

Thats true, I guess it would be more up the alley of a guy who is set up to clean air vents in the house. I was just wondering, came across a web page a while back ago about it. Thanks Henry.

[Steve Small]

Just to let everyone out there know, we have added Air Duct & Dryer Vent cleaning. So far it has gone well, although it is slow with the holidays. So If any pressure washers out there, in the Maryland area need their Hvac Sytem cleaned give us a call.

Steve Small
Liberty Pressure Wash, LLC
301-696-1902

[tropical wave]

around here, the carpet cleaners offer the duct cleaning, don't know anybody doing dryer vents exclusivley..

[Rick Peters]

Hey Mike did you get my email? Rick

[Bayousbest]

I know this is an old post but if anyone is still searching on this subject I may be able to anwser any questions.

I have been in the appliance field for many years and have ran across blocked dryer vents many times and the only way I knew how to clean them was with a toilet brush on the end of a sewer snake and a leaf blower!

Well I still use a leaf blower but now also use a brush that scrapes the inside walls of the vent pipe.

I charge a min. of $75 for this service and it depends on the roof pitch (if i have to get up there) With my appliance background I also take the dryer apart and clean the inside walls and blower wheel.

This is a great up-sell if you have apartment complexes that you wash and an easy sell.

[Tmrrptr]

Okay!

Here's another post to an old thread ...

Just hired a plumber to help me w some REALLY awkward situations...
a friend, known him for a while...
Had not seen him in a while...
Where you been , Mike?

Well, sez Mike, "My house caught on fire and I've been busy repairing it."

The dryer vent had a long run and plugged up !
Much lint and HEAVY use of smell good fabric softeners created sticky gummy mess in the long run and it eventually got warm enough to ignite.

VERY GOOD idea to clean dryer vents!
r

[A and J POWERWASHING]

looking at starting busniess number 2 air duct and dryer vebt cleaning what is the going price for dryer vents in 08

[Adrian]

Has anyone had any luck with this as an add on?
I have some ???'s for you if this has been a successful add-on.
Do you have to be bonded, since you may have enter customers resi. ?
What does your equipment consist of? I'm sure a DVC rig can be put together at minimal cost.
Any info is appreciated.

[alvisishere]

Originally Posted by Adrian

Has anyone had any luck with this as an add on?
I have some ???'s for you if this has been a successful add-on.
Do you have to be bonded, since you may have enter customers resi. ?
What does your equipment consist of? I'm sure a DVC rig can be put together at minimal cost.
Any info is appreciated.

MUST BE A GOOD SIGN!!
It just so happens that I am just now adding the service to my business and I just got back from training in Texas this past weekend, so I am really excited about it.
Today I washed a couple homes and on the second one me and the home owner was walking around his home and out of the blue he asked me if I new any one the cleaned AC ducts and dryer vents, I about fell over...after 10 years of washing no one has ask me and the first day back on the job, I get asked, Now this old thread has come up....
MUST BE A GOOD SIGN!!