Inspection and airflow test
A dryer vent inspection and airflow test show what is really in the wall
The run traced from the connection behind the dryer to the hood or roof cap, and the exhaust measured while the dryer runs. Useful before you buy a house, after a new dryer goes in, when something smells hot, or for a rental's yearly record.
Call (813) 544-7129Book an inspection
- Odessa and nearby communities
- Quotes are free, with no obligation
In brief
What does a dryer vent inspection involve, and when is it worth it?
It is the first and last part of every cleaning we do, offered on its own. The technician follows the duct from the connection behind the dryer to the point where it leaves the house, notes the material, the length, the number of bends and the condition of the outside hood and its flap, then runs the dryer and measures the airflow where the exhaust comes out. At the end the technician tells you plainly whether the duct is clear, needs cleaning or has a section that needs a repair or replacing.
Book one when you are buying a house in Odessa or nearby and the home inspection stopped at the laundry room door, or when a new dryer is about to go onto an old duct. It also makes sense when there is a hot or burning smell, when loads still need two cycles after a recent cleaning, or when a landlord wants a yearly record for a rental. If the inspection shows a cleaning is needed, ask whether it can be done on the same visit. Call (813) 544-7129 for a free quote.
When to book
When does an inspection make more sense than a cleaning?
In these six cases the useful thing is to know what is actually inside the duct.
You are buying a house
A general home inspection seldom goes further than the laundry room. Before closing, find out whether the duct is rigid metal or plastic, where it leaves the house and whether it was ever cleaned.
A new dryer is arriving
A new machine connected to an old, restricted duct dries no better than the one it replaced, and it has to work harder. Have the duct checked before the installers hook it up.
There is a burning smell
Stop using the dryer. Lint near the heater singes before it catches, and the inspection shows whether the cause is the duct, the connection or the dryer itself.
Still two cycles after a cleaning
If a cleaning did not shorten drying time, the problem is probably a flattened section, a loose joint or a stuck flap rather than lint. The airflow test finds out which.
A rental, every year
Landlords and managers get a yearly check on each unit, with a cleaning booked when the duct actually needs one rather than by guesswork.
After roof work, or a nest at the hood
Roofers can knock a roof cap out of place, and birds are drawn to a warm outlet. If either has happened, the end of the duct needs a look.
What gets checked
What does the technician examine?
Every part of the duct in order, from the dryer to the open air. In most Florida homes the duct is hidden for much of its length, so the airflow measurement at the end confirms what nobody can see.
- The connection behind the dryerA flattened or kinked hose, foil or plastic where metal should be, and joints fastened with screws that snag lint.
- Material and jointsWhether the duct is rigid metal, semi-rigid, foil or plastic, whether its joints are taped or screwed, and any piece that has come apart inside a wall or the attic.
- Length and bendsHow far the duct travels and how often it turns. Each bend catches lint and cuts into how far a dryer can push its air.
And the parts out of sight
- Hidden sectionsWhatever can be reached in the attic is checked by eye, and the rest is judged from the airflow at the outlet.
- The hood, the flap and any screenWhether the flap opens while the dryer runs, and whether a screen has been fitted. The Florida Building Code, Residential, section M1502.3, calls for a backdraft damper and no screen at the outlet.
- Airflow with the dryer runningMeasured at the outlet. A duct that looks clear but moves too little air has a problem somewhere in the middle.
The outcome
Three possible answers, and what comes next
The duct is clear
The airflow passes and the duct is sound, so there is nothing to sell you. You get the date of the check and a yearly interval to plan around.
The duct needs cleaning
Lint, debris or a blockage is holding back the exhaust. A dryer vent cleaning clears the whole run. Ask whether it can be done the same day.
A repair or a replacement is needed
A flattened section, a loose joint, the wrong material or a broken hood. The inspection identifies it, and the repair or replacement is quoted separately, with no obligation.
Questions
Common questions about dryer vent inspections
How long does an inspection take?
Less time than a cleaning. The duct is followed from the connection behind the dryer to the outlet, the hood and flap are looked at, and the exhaust is measured with the dryer on. If a cleaning follows on the same visit, you are told how long that part will take when you book.
Is the inspection free?
The quote is free and carries no obligation. Ask over the phone what an inspection costs for your duct, and if you think it will lead to a cleaning the same day, ask how the two are priced together. We do not print a flat rate, because a dryer in the garage venting through one wall and a dryer in a middle closet venting to the roof are very different inspections.
What exactly is an airflow test?
The dryer runs while the exhaust is measured at the outlet, so the answer is not that the duct looks clear but that it moves the air a dryer needs. A duct can look clean at both ends and still be choked in the middle by a flattened section, a loose joint or a pad of lint at a bend. The airflow test is what reveals it.
Can you inspect a duct I cannot see?
Yes. In most Florida homes the duct leaves the laundry room, crosses the attic or runs inside a wall, and comes out at the roof or an outside wall. The technician follows it from both ends, checks whatever the attic allows, and reads the rest from the airflow. A damaged section shows up as air that never makes it to the outlet.
Is a screen on the outside hood a problem?
Yes. A screen traps lint and blocks up, which is why section M1502.3 of the Florida Building Code, Residential, requires a backdraft damper and no screen where a dryer exhaust ends. Screens still get fitted to keep birds and pests out. The inspection records it, and the fix is a proper hood whose flap opens when the dryer runs.
Do you inspect dryer vents at businesses?
Yes. A laundromat, salon or rental laundry whose ducts have never been examined usually begins with an inspection, and the cleaning schedule follows from the results. See commercial dryer vent cleaning.
Find out what is behind the dryer before it becomes urgent.
Ask what an inspection costs for your duct. The quote is free, by phone or online, with no obligation.