Inspection in Orange County, FL
Dryer vent inspection with an airflow test, for the part of the vent inside the wall
We trace the vent from the dryer connector to the exterior hood and read the exhaust while the dryer runs. Worth doing before a home purchase, when a new dryer is installed, or when you notice an odd smell.
Call (321) 321-2977Book an inspection
- Orange County, FL
- Free quote, no obligation
- Every
- part of the vent, inside and out
- 3
- possible results, in plain words
- Free
- quote before any work
In short
What is a dryer vent inspection, and when is it worth booking?
Think of an inspection as the opening and closing checks of a cleaning, booked without the cleaning in between. We start at the connector behind the machine and follow the vent to its exit, noting what it is made of, how long it runs, how many elbows it has and what shape the outside hood and flap are in. Then the dryer goes on and we read the airflow where the vent ends. You come away with one of three clear verdicts: nothing to do, a cleaning is due, or a section should be repaired or replaced.
Book one when you are buying in Orange County and the home inspector went no further than the laundry closet, when a brand-new dryer is about to go onto an old vent, when you smell scorching, when clothes still need two cycles even after a cleaning, or when you rent out a property and want a record each year. Should the vent need cleaning, ask whether we can handle both in one trip. For a free quote, call (321) 321-2977.
When to book one
When is an inspection better than going straight to a cleaning?
Six cases where you need to know what the vent looks like inside, more than how dirty it is.
Buying a house
Most home inspections stop at the laundry closet door. Before you close, learn whether the vent is rigid metal or plastic, where it exits and whether anyone has ever cleaned it.
A new dryer arriving
Put a new dryer on a tired, restricted vent and it will dry no faster than the one it replaced, while working harder. Get the vent checked before installation.
A scorched smell
Switch the dryer off. Lint close to the heating element scorches before it catches, and an inspection pins down whether the vent, the connector or the dryer itself is to blame.
Still slow after a cleaning
When drying times stay long after a cleaning, lint is not what is holding things up. Think crushed duct, a joint that has pulled apart or a flap that sticks. The airflow test tells you which.
A rental, every year
Property owners and managers get each unit checked yearly and cleaned when the reading says so, not by guesswork.
A new roof, or birds at the vent
A roofing crew can knock a roof vent out of place, and nesting birds love a warm hole. After either one, the outside end and the upper stretch of the vent should be checked.
What is checked
What gets looked at during a dryer vent inspection?
We work through the vent from the dryer to open air, step by step. A lot of any vent runs out of sight through walls or the attic, which is why the airflow reading at the end matters. It confirms what cannot be seen.
- The connector behind the dryerCrushed or kinked hose, foil or vinyl where metal belongs, and screws through the duct that catch lint.
- Material and jointsRigid or semi-rigid metal, foil or plastic, joints that are taped or screwed, and any length that has separated inside a wall or up in the attic.
- Length and bendsHow far the vent travels and how many turns it makes. Every bend collects lint and cuts how far a dryer can push air.
The parts out of sight
- Hidden sectionsAttic sections within reach get a visual check. Everything else is judged from the airflow at the exit.
- Hood, flap and any screenWhether the flap opens when the dryer runs, and whether a screen has been fitted that traps lint. The residential code calls for no screen at a dryer exhaust termination.
- Airflow with the dryer onRead at the exit. When a vent seems clear yet barely moves air, something along the middle is wrong.
What you get
Three possible results, and what comes next
The vent is clear
The airflow test passes and the vent is sound. Nothing is sold. You get the date and a yearly interval to plan around.
The vent needs cleaning
Lint, debris or a clog is slowing the exhaust down. A cleaning clears the full length, and you can ask for it on the same trip.
Part of it needs a repair or replacing
A flattened section, a separated joint, unsuitable material or a hood that has failed. We tell you which, and quote the repair or replacement on its own, with no obligation.
Questions
Before you book an inspection
What does an inspection involve?
We trace the vent from the connector behind the dryer to its exit, look over the hood and flap, and test the exhaust while the dryer runs. If a cleaning is needed afterwards, it can often happen during the same visit, so mention it when you book.
Is the inspection free?
Quoting is free and carries no commitment. Call to ask what an inspection of your particular vent costs and, if you expect it to lead to a cleaning that day, how the two are priced as a pair. We do not have one flat fee: a garage dryer venting through a wall and a closet dryer venting up through the roof are very different jobs.
What does the airflow test measure?
With the dryer running, we measure the exhaust at the end of the vent. That shows whether the vent actually moves the air a dryer needs, which matters more than how clean it looks. Both ends can look spotless while a crushed stretch, a loose joint or a lint mat in a middle elbow chokes it.
My vent is hidden in the walls. Can you still inspect it?
Yes. Most vents run where you cannot see them: out of the laundry room, across the attic or through a wall cavity, and out at the roof or a side wall. We trace it from each end, inspect whatever the attic lets us reach, and read the rest from the airflow. A damaged stretch shows up as air that never makes it outside.
Is a screen on the outside hood a problem?
Yes. Screens catch lint and clog up, which is why the residential code (IRC M1502.3, and the Florida Building Code’s residential volume) requires a backdraft damper and forbids a screen at a dryer exhaust termination. People still add them to keep birds out. We note it during the inspection. The fix is a proper hood whose flap opens when the dryer runs.
Do you inspect dryer vents at businesses?
Yes. Laundromats, salons and hotel laundries whose vents have never been checked usually begin with an inspection, and the cleaning schedule is set from what we find. More on commercial dryer vent cleaning.
Find out what is behind the dryer before it matters.
Ask what inspecting your vent would cost. Quotes are free by phone or form, and you are not committed to anything.