Yes. Lint is flammable, and a restricted vent traps heat and lint in the dryer. Cleaning the vent is one of the most useful safety steps a homeowner can take, and it is easy to put off.
Warning Signs
- Clothes are hot at the end of a cycle but still damp.
- The room or the outside of the dryer feels unusually warm.
- A burning or scorched smell while the dryer is operating.
- Lint collecting around the vent flap outside, or none coming out at all.
What to Do
- If you smell burning, stop using the dryer.
- Unplug it before you reach behind it.
- Clean the lint filter, and the opening where the filter sits, with a vacuum hose.
- Disconnect the vent hose and clear it, and clear the duct to the outside with a brush made for dryer vents.
- Replace a flexible vinyl or foil hose that is crushed or torn.
What We Look At
During a repair visit, we check that the dryer itself heats and shuts off correctly, including its thermostats and limit switches. We do not clean or rebuild the house duct system, so if your vent is long or goes through a wall or attic, a vent cleaning company or a builder may be the next step.
Older ASKO dryers are sturdy, but they depend on clean airflow. See our dryer repair page.
Lint is not the only fuel. Dryer sheets, oily rags and clothes with vegetable oil, gasoline or paint on them should never go in a dryer. Wash them separately, let them air dry, and keep them out of the machine entirely.
If the dryer is overheating, call us or use the online form, and we will confirm a three-hour arrival window.