Can Anyone Recommend Dryer Vent Cleaners? (insurance, townhouse, landlord) - City-Data Forum

NJmmadude · 09-07-2010, 05:08 PM

I'm completely at the end of our rope with this problem. We had someone come out a week ago and 'clean' our dryer vents, and now the dryer does not dry, unless we unplug the dryer from the vent. It's obvious that the vent is now completely stopped up. We called and asked them to please come back out and they are extremely nasty and belligerent and it sounds like they are planning on charging us again. I looked at reviews online and it sounds like they have a history of this. Does anyone know of anyone in the Central NJ area who is reliable and won't cost an arm and a leg to come out and clean the vent? Thanks for any help that you can give.

Ninasimonejr · 09-07-2010, 05:52 PM

I do ours myself. You just take the vent cover off and remove the lint. It takes about 30 seconds. I guess if you wanted a deeper cleaning you could stick a vacuum cleaner hose up it. That's all they do, at least the only one I've seen.

jerseyj · 09-07-2010, 07:45 PM

Is your vent (duct) exposed or hidden behind a wall or ceiling?

If exposed, remove the vent, clean it out or replace it. Clean out the dryer outlet and the cap at the exterior wall.

If hidden, then disconnect the duct from the dryer and (as recommended by Ninasimonejr) vacuum it out and reconnect.

NJmmadude · 09-08-2010, 11:53 AM

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your suggestions. I wish I could do that, but I live in a townhome and our vent is about 16 feet long and leads up to the roof. I'm afraid that it would be too long to do myself-what do you think?

Dryerventwizard · 09-08-2010, 05:41 PM

That is why it is important to hire some one that is licensed or C-DET certified. Sometimes people only care about the price. And the sad thing is there is bad company's out there. That are not licensed or certified. Call Dryer vent wizard they are professional and they will do the job right. If you have problems after they leave they do not charge to come back out and fix the problem. Because a good company knows it should of been fixed right the first time. That is what you pay for. Not to pay money and still not work right. That is just wrong. You should report that company. well good luck i hope that helps.

Ninasimonejr · 09-08-2010, 09:23 PM

When I clean our vent, I don't usually clean the whole thing, just the end where the external cap is. (For us, it's on the outer wall of the house.) I just scoop the lint out by hand. In our case, that's all it takes to make the dryer work well. And when I watched the guy our landlord hired, that's all he did! Anyway, let us know what works for you.

captne76 · 09-09-2010, 10:00 AM

Dryer vent cleaners, do you mean they weren't sober when they arrived?

RUNYYfan · 09-09-2010, 09:23 PM

I've used Antczak Services in the past and have been quite satisfied. Straight-forward pricing and superior service.

Since you are in a townhouse, I'd suggest checking with your association to make certain you don't need a certification of the work being done. The insurance company that holds the general policy is now requiring a certification of the work having been done.

If you are still able to do it yourself, I'd suggest taking a look at the duct work leading into the wall. Just below where the flexible tube attaches to the duct, there should be another cap. That is for the lint trap. Pull that cap off and use a vacuum to suck out the lint in there first. While there are all kinds of contraptions on the market for this job, the easiest thing to do is to get a vent brush from Home Depot with a flexible handle. Most ducts are standardized at 4" dia. but check the width before you buy. While I haven't used this company's product and I will not recommend it at this point, it will give you a sense of what you are looking for.

I hope this helps!