Get matched with top dryer vent cleaners in Sedgwick, ME

No, air ducts and dryer vents are not the same. The dryer vent is connected to a specific appliance, the dryer, and is meant to direct the hot, moist air from the washed clothes to the outside of the home. Air ducts move air from the HVAC system around the home. It’s essential to schedule cleanings for the dryer vent and the air ducts.

Call 911 immediately. If you have a fire extinguisher or fire blanket near the laundry room, you can attempt to extinguish the fire, but don’t open or touch the dryer. If you can’t put the fire out, evacuate yourself, your family, and your pets from the house, closing the laundry room door behind you. Turn off the electricity to your home via the outside fuse box, then wait for the fire department. After a dryer fire, have your home’s electrical system inspected to make sure there isn’t any damage.

Using a leaf blower to clean your dryer vent isn't a good idea. Theoretically, the leaf blower should push the lint and debris toward the exterior vent opening, helping it exit. That's usually not what happens, though. 

Instead, the lint can get stuck further in the vent, creating a blockage and making the problem worse. You need a scrubbing tool, such as the rotating brush head on a dryer cleaning kit, to push the lint out of the ductwork.

Dryer vents should be cleaned at least once a year or more frequently if the dryer is used heavily or drying times increase.