Dryer Vent Cleaning in Fort Collins
If your dryer needs two cycles to dry a load, the dryer is probably fine and the vent is probably blocked. Clearing it is $125 and takes about an hour, and it is one of the few cheap jobs that is genuinely a safety item.
This is the least interesting job I do and one of the most worthwhile. It is cheap, it takes an hour, and it is genuinely a safety item rather than a comfort one.
What actually happens in there
Every load sheds lint. The filter catches most of it, and the rest goes into the duct. Over a few years the duct narrows, airflow drops, and the dryer starts running longer to shift the same amount of moisture. Longer cycles mean more heat sitting in a duct that is now lined with the most flammable material in your house.
That is the whole mechanism. It is slow, it is invisible, and it is why the first sign most people notice is the laundry taking two cycles.
The signs, in the order people notice them
- A load needs two cycles to dry
- The dryer casing is hot to touch when it runs
- The laundry room gets humid or smells warm during a cycle
- Little or no airflow at the outside vent hood while the dryer is running
- The outside vent flap does not open
Any one of those is worth an hour and $125.
What I do differently to a quick clean
The shortcut version is to brush an arm’s length in from each end and call it done. That gets the two bits you can see and leaves the middle of the run, which is where a long duct actually blocks.
I brush the full run, clear the outside hood, check the flap opens and closes properly, and then verify airflow at the outside with the dryer running. If the flexible connector behind the dryer is the foil concertina type, I will tell you: every ridge in it holds lint, and it crushes flat the moment somebody shoves the dryer back against the wall.
The gas line
If yours is a gas dryer I will clean the vent, but I will not disconnect or reconnect the gas. That is a licensed trade and it is on the list of things I do not do. In most laundry rooms the dryer can be moved far enough without touching it.
Worth pairing
It is an hour, so it is rarely worth a trip on its own unless it is overdue. Most people book it alongside gutter clearing or as part of a twice-yearly maintenance visit, which is the cheapest way to keep this sort of thing from being forgotten for six years.
What is included
- Pulling the dryer out and disconnecting the duct.
- Brushing the full run of duct, not just the first arm length from each end.
- Clearing the outside vent hood and checking the flap actually opens and closes.
- Vacuuming the lint that comes out rather than leaving it in the laundry room.
- Checking the duct for crushed sections, and replacing the flexible connector if it is the foil concertina type.
- Verifying airflow at the outside hood before I leave.
What it costs
| Job | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard dryer vent clean | $125 | Minimum call-out. Most laundry rooms |
| Long or multi-bend run | $150 to $190 | Basement or interior laundry rooms |
| Replace flexible connector | +$35 | Rigid or semi-rigid in place of foil |
| Replace outside vent hood | +$65 | Where the flap has failed |
Full rates, block pricing and the minimum call-out are on the pricing page.
What I do not do here
- Gas dryer connections. I will not touch a gas line.
- Appliance repair. If the dryer itself is faulty, that is an appliance technician.
- Re-routing a duct through walls or ceilings.
- Roof-terminated vents where the run is not safely reachable.
- Bathroom fan ducting that vents into an attic, which is a bigger fix than a clean.
Who to call instead: a licensed plumber or gas fitter for anything involving the gas connection, and an appliance technician if the dryer itself has failed.
The full list is on what I do not do.
How it works
- Send a photo. Text or email a picture. Most jobs get priced without a site visit.
- Get a flat price. Written and fixed before I start.
- I show up and finish. On the day I said, parts in the truck, swept up after.
Why a solo operator
The same person quotes the job, does the job and cleans up after it. There is no call centre, no dispatcher and no rotating crew who have not seen your house. The price you were given is the price, because the person who quoted it is the person holding the tools.
Related work
Dryer vent cleaning questions
How do I know if mine needs doing?
The reliable signs are a load taking two cycles to dry, the dryer being hot to the touch on the outside, the laundry room getting humid while it runs, or no strong airflow at the outside vent when the dryer is going. If you cannot remember it ever being done and the house is more than a few years old, it needs doing.
How often?
Once a year for most households. More often if you have a long duct run, a household with a lot of laundry, or pets that shed. A short straight run in a low-use house can go longer.
Is it really a fire risk?
Yes, and it is not a scare tactic. Lint is extremely flammable, and a blocked vent traps both lint and heat in the same place. It is one of the more common causes of house fires that start in a laundry room. It is also the cheapest one to eliminate.
My dryer is gas. Can you still do it?
I can clean the vent, yes. What I will not do is disconnect or reconnect the gas line. If the dryer has to be moved far enough to need the gas disconnected, that part goes to a licensed gas fitter and I work around it.
What about the foil concertina duct behind the dryer?
Those trap lint in every ridge and crush easily when the dryer is pushed back. If yours is that type I will suggest swapping it for semi-rigid, which is $35 on top and worth it.