Inspection and airflow check
Dryer vent inspection to find out what is in the wall before it becomes a problem
We follow the vent from behind the dryer to where it leaves the house, look at the hood and the flap, and check the airflow with the dryer on. Useful before buying a house, when a new dryer arrives, when something smells hot, or for a yearly rental check.
Call (727) 349-4573Ask for an inspection
- Office 7 AM to 11 PM daily, book online 24/7
- Free, no-obligation quote
In brief
What does a dryer vent inspection tell you?
An inspection is the looking-and-checking part of a cleaning, done on its own. The technician follows the vent from the connection behind the dryer to the outside, notes what it is made of, how long it is and how many bends it has, looks at the hood and the flap, and then checks the airflow with the dryer running. You get a plain answer. The vent is fine, it needs a cleaning, or part of it needs repair or replacement.
It makes sense in a few situations. You are buying a house in west Pasco and the home inspection barely looked at the laundry area. A new dryer is coming and nobody knows the state of the old vent. There is a burning smell, or loads still take two cycles after a cleaning. A landlord may also want a yearly record. If a cleaning turns out to be needed, ask whether it can be done on the same visit. Call (727) 349-4573 for a free quote.
Good times to book
When does an inspection make more sense than a cleaning?
Six moments when the real question is what is behind the wall, not whether it is dirty.
You are buying a house
Most home inspections stop at the laundry closet. Before closing, find out what the vent is made of, where it comes out, and whether anyone has cleaned it.
A new dryer is on the way
A new machine on an old, blocked vent dries no better than the old one and works harder doing it. Check the vent before it is hooked up.
Something smells hot
Turn the dryer off first. The inspection finds whether the cause is the vent, the connection or the machine itself.
Still slow after a cleaning
If a cleaning did not fix drying times, lint is not the problem. It may be a crushed section, a loose joint or a stuck flap.
A yearly rental check
Landlords and managers get a yearly look at each unit, and a cleaning only where it is actually needed.
After roof work or a bird nest
Roof work can disturb a roof vent, and birds like a warm opening. Either way, the top end of the vent needs checking.
The checklist
What does the technician check?
Every piece of the vent, in order, from the dryer to the outdoors. Much of it is hidden inside walls or the attic, so the airflow check at the end confirms what cannot be seen.
- The hookup behind the dryerA flattened or kinked hose, foil or plastic where metal should be, and screws at the joints that snag lint.
- Material and jointsWhether it is rigid metal, semi-rigid, foil or plastic, whether the joints are taped or screwed, and any section that has come apart in the wall or the attic.
- Length and bendsHow far the vent runs and how many turns it makes. Each bend holds lint and cuts the distance a dryer can push air.
And what you cannot see
- Hidden sectionsWhat can be reached in the attic is checked by eye. The rest shows up in the airflow at the outside end.
- Hood, flap and screensWhether the flap lifts with the dryer on, whether it is jammed or corroded, and whether a screen is trapping lint.
- Airflow with the dryer runningChecked where the air leaves the house. A vent that looks clear but moves little air has a blockage in between.
The result
Three possible answers, and what comes next
The vent is fine
The airflow is good and the vent is sound. There is nothing to sell you. You get the date and a reminder to check again in a year.
It needs a cleaning
Lint, debris or a blockage is holding the air back. A cleaning clears the whole vent. Ask whether it can be done the same day.
Part of it needs fixing
A crushed section, a loose joint, the wrong material or a broken hood. We tell you what it is, and the repair or replacement is quoted separately.
Questions
Asked before booking an inspection
How long does an inspection take?
Less than a cleaning. The vent is followed from the dryer to the outside, the hood and flap are looked at, and the airflow is checked. If a cleaning follows the same day, most cleanings take 1 to 3 hours.
Is the inspection free?
The quote is free and you are not committed. Ask on the phone what an inspection of your vent costs, and, if you expect a cleaning too, how the two are priced together. A dryer in the garage with a short vent and one in an inside closet venting to the roof are not the same job.
What is an airflow check?
The dryer is turned on and the air is checked where it leaves the house. A vent can look clean at both ends and still be blocked in the middle by a crushed section, a loose joint or packed lint at a bend. The airflow check is what catches that.
Can you check a vent that is hidden?
Yes. Most vents here leave the laundry area, cross the attic or a wall and come out at the roof or a side wall. The technician traces them from both ends, looks at what can be reached, and reads the rest from the airflow.
Is a screen on the outside hood a problem?
Yes. A screen catches lint and clogs, which is why the residential code calls for a backdraft damper with no screen at the end of a dryer exhaust. Some are still fitted to keep birds out. The inspection points it out, and the fix is a proper hood with a flap that opens when the dryer runs.
Do you inspect business dryer vents?
Yes. A salon, laundromat or rental laundry whose vents have never been checked often starts with an inspection, and the cleaning schedule follows. See commercial dryer vent cleaning.
See what is in the wall before it costs you.
Ask what checking your vent would cost. The quote is free by phone or by form, and you are not committed.