Every year, dryers start roughly 2,900 house fires in the United States. The U.S. Fire Administration puts the leading cause of those fires in writing: "failure to clean them." Not faulty equipment. Not electrical. Lint.

If you just bought a home in the Bay Area, the previous owner almost certainly didn't clean the dryer vent. If you're in an older home — especially an Eichler or mid-century ranch with a long exhaust run — the risk is higher. Here's what to know.

Five warning signs

  • Clothes take 2+ cycles to dry. The single most reliable early warning — and the one most people dismiss as "the dryer's getting old."
  • The dryer gets noticeably hot to the touch. Restricted airflow means heat stays in the cabinet, stressing the heating element and raising fire risk.
  • Burning smell during or after a cycle. Stop the cycle. Don't run it again until the line has been inspected.
  • Excess lint piling up outside the vent hood. Lint accumulating on the exterior means airflow is restricted inside.
  • Dryer shuts off mid-cycle. Modern dryers have thermal fuses. If yours is tripping, the exhaust is the first thing to check — not the dryer.

What a real cleaning involves

A legitimate dryer vent cleaning takes about 45 minutes and involves six steps:

  • Disconnecting the dryer and photographing the flex-duct connection point
  • Running a motorized rotary brush from both ends of the exhaust line
  • HEPA vacuum extraction through the exterior vent hood
  • Cleaning the lint-trap cabinet interior (where 40% of the lint actually lives)
  • Manometer airflow test on the exhaust
  • Reconnecting with foil tape — never screws (they catch lint) and never duct tape (it fails)

What a fake cleaning looks like

A $69 "dryer vent special" is almost always a leaf-blower job. The tech points a leaf blower up the duct from one end, pushes lint further down the line, and charges you $69 for theater. The line is still blocked. The fire risk is unchanged. The tech is down the driveway in fifteen minutes.

How often

Annually for most Bay Area households. Every six months for heavy laundry loads (kids, multiple pets, home gyms). Multi-unit buildings should be on an annual schedule by code. If you can't remember the last time it was done — do it now.

Standard residential dryer vent cleaning is $149. Stacked washer/dryer units are $299 (more labor to access). Book online — most appointments are same-week.