Inspection · airflow test · Cherry Hill, NJ
Dryer vent inspection and airflow test, before a cleaning or a repair is needed
The whole run examined, from the connection behind the dryer to the cap outside, and the exhaust measured while the dryer runs, for a home purchase, a new dryer, a scorched smell or a landlord's annual check.
Call (434) 419-2084Book an inspection
- Daily, 7 AM to 9 PM
- Free, no-obligation quote
The short answer
What does a dryer vent inspection involve, and when is one needed?
A dryer vent inspection is the first and last step of every Eco Fresh cleaning, performed alone. The technician follows the run from the connection behind the dryer to the point where it leaves the building, checks the material, the length, the count of elbows and the condition of the cap and flap, then runs the dryer and tests airflow at the outlet. You receive a straight answer: the vent is clear, the vent wants cleaning, or part of the run calls for repair or replacement.
It is the right call when you are buying a house or a condo and the home inspector only glanced at the laundry area; when a new dryer is about to go in and the old run is an unknown; when there is a burning smell; when loads still need two cycles following a recent cleaning, or when a landlord or property manager wants a yearly check on a unit. Should the inspection call for a cleaning, you can ask for it during that same visit. Phone (434) 419-2084 to get a free quote.
When to book one
When does an inspection make more sense than a cleaning?
Six situations in which the question is less "is it dirty" than "what is really back there"."
Buying a house or a condo
A home inspection seldom goes beyond the laundry area. Before closing, find out if the run is rigid metal or foil, the point where it exits, and if anyone ever cleaned it.
A new dryer going in
A new machine on an old, choked run dries no better than its predecessor and works harder. Have the run checked before the delivery crew connects it.
A burning smell
Stop using the dryer. Lint near the heating element chars before it burns, and the inspection finds out if the cause lies in the run, the connection or the machine.
Still two cycles after a cleaning
If cleaning left the drying time unchanged, lint is not what restricts it: it may be a crushed section, a disconnected joint or a jammed flap; the airflow test shows which.
A rental, once a year
Landlords and property managers receive an annual check on every unit, with cleaning when the check calls for it instead of on a hunch.
After roof work, or a nest in the cap
Roof work can disturb a cap, and birds like a warm vent. If either has happened, the cap and the top of the run need a look.
What gets checked
What does the technician look at in a dryer vent inspection?
Each part of the run in sequence, from the machine out to the open air. Much of a run is hidden, behind walls and above ceilings, so it is the airflow test at the end that confirms what the eye cannot reach.
- The connection behind the dryerCrushed or kinked flex hose, foil or vinyl in places where rigid metal belongs, and joints fastened with screws that snag lint.
- The material and the jointsRigid metal, semi-rigid metal, foil or plastic, taped or fastened with screws, and any stretch that has pulled apart inside a wall, a ceiling or a chase.
- The length and the elbowsThe distance the run covers and the number of turns it makes. Each elbow traps lint and cuts the distance over which a dryer can drive air.
And the parts nobody sees
- The hidden sectionsWhat can be reached through an access panel or at the cap gets a visual check, and the rest is judged from the airflow at the outlet.
- The cap, the flap and any screenIf the flap opens as the dryer runs, if the hood is bent, pitted or corroded shut, and if a screen is catching lint.
- The airflow, with the dryer runningMeasured at the outlet. A run that looks clear but moves too little air has a problem somewhere in the middle.
What you get
Three possible answers, and what happens next
The run is clear
The airflow test is passed and the run is in good shape. Nothing is sold, and you receive the date and a yearly interval to work from.
The run needs cleaning
Lint, debris or a blockage is choking the exhaust. A cleaning clears the entire run, and it can be booked for the same visit.
Something needs a repair or replacing
A crushed stretch, a loose joint, a material that does not belong or a hood that has failed. The inspection points it out, and the repair or replacement gets its own quote, with no obligation.
Good questions
What people ask before they book an inspection
How long does a dryer vent inspection take?
Shorter than a cleaning. The run is followed from the connection behind the dryer to the outlet, the cap and flap are examined and the exhaust is tested while the dryer runs. If a cleaning follows, a typical one needs about an hour, so the full visit usually fits well inside a morning or an afternoon.
Is the quote free?
Yes, the quote costs nothing and carries no obligation. Phone to find out what an inspection covers for your run, and if it may grow into a cleaning during the same visit, ask how the two are priced together. No two runs are alike: a short wall vent and a basement laundry venting up through the house to the roof are not the same inspection.
What is an airflow test?
The dryer is started and the exhaust is gauged at the outlet, so the answer is not "it looks clear" but that it moves air the way a dryer requires." A run may look clean at both ends and yet be choked by a crushed stretch, a loose joint or a mat of lint at an elbow midway along; finding that is what the airflow test is for.
Can you inspect a vent I cannot see?
Yes. Much of a run is hidden: it leaves the laundry area, crosses a ceiling or climbs a wall and comes out at a side wall or the roof. The technician follows it from both ends, inspects whatever the access points allow and judges the rest from the airflow. When a section is damaged, it appears as air that fails to arrive at the outlet.
Is a screen on the vent hood a problem?
Yes. A screen snags lint and clogs, which explains why dryer exhaust caps are usually fitted with a flap rather than a screen. Screens still go on to keep birds out; the inspection records it, and the remedy is a proper hood whose flap swings open when the dryer runs.
Do you inspect commercial dryer vents?
Yes. A laundromat, salon or hotel laundry whose runs were never examined normally begins with an inspection, and the cleaning calendar is built from the findings. Details are on the commercial dryer vent page.
Learn what is behind the dryer before it becomes a problem.
Ask what an inspection involves for your run. The quote costs nothing by phone or form, and commits you to nothing.