Inspection · airflow test · Somerville, NJ
Dryer vent inspection and airflow test, before it turns into a cleaning or a repair
We look at everything between the back of the dryer and the outside hood, then measure what actually comes out while the machine runs. Useful before buying a home, when a new dryer arrives, after a burnt smell, or as a yearly check.
Call (908) 554-4522Book an inspection
- Mon-Sat, 9 AM-8 PM
- Free, no-obligation quote
The short answer
What is a dryer vent inspection, and who needs one?
An inspection is the first and last stage of an Eco Fresh cleaning, sold separately. The technician traces the vent from behind the machine out to where it exits the house and notes what it is made of, how long it is, how many bends it has and what shape the outside cap and flap are in. Then the dryer is started and the air leaving the vent is measured. The answer is simple: the vent is fine, it needs cleaning, or part of it needs fixing or replacing.
People book one when they are about to buy a house or a condo whose inspector barely looked at the laundry area, when a new dryer is about to be installed on a vent nobody has seen, when something smells scorched, when loads still take two cycles right after a cleaning, or when a landlord or property manager wants an annual look at a unit. If the inspection finds lint, ask whether we can clean it right then. Phone (908) 554-4522 for a free quote.
When to book one
Inspection or cleaning: which one fits?
Six situations where you are asking not whether the vent is dirty, but what is really inside it.
Buying a house or a condo
Home inspections tend to stop at the laundry area. Before you sign, find out what the vent is made of, where it comes out and whether anyone has ever cleaned it.
A new dryer arriving
A new dryer connected to an old, narrowed vent will not dry any better and will work harder. Have the vent checked before the delivery crew connects it.
A burning smell
Stop using the machine. Lint beside the heating element scorches before it flames, and the inspection tells you whether the vent, the hookup or the dryer itself is to blame.
Still two cycles after a cleaning
When a cleaning has not shortened the drying time, lint is not the problem. Think of a crushed section, a loose joint or a stuck flap; the airflow test points to the culprit.
A rental, once a year
Landlords and property managers get a yearly check on each unit, with the cleaning done when it is needed and not on a guess.
After roof work, or a nest at the cap
Roofing can disturb a termination, 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 gets looked at during a dryer vent inspection?
The technician goes through each part of the vent from the machine to the open air. Most of it hides in walls and above ceilings, so the airflow reading at the end is what tells you about the stretches no one can see.
- The connection behind the dryerA kinked or crushed flexible hose, foil or vinyl where metal should be, and screws sticking into the airway where lint can snag.
- The material and the jointsSolid metal, semi-rigid, foil or plastic; joints taped or screwed; any stretch that has come loose in a wall, ceiling or floor cavity.
- The length and the elbowsThe total distance and the number of turns. Each elbow traps lint and reduces how far a dryer can push its air.
And the parts nobody sees
- The hidden sectionsWhatever shows through an access panel or at the cap gets a visual check; for the rest we rely on the air reading at the outlet.
- The cap, the flap and any screenDoes the flap lift while the dryer runs, is the hood dented, pitted or rusted closed, and is a screen collecting lint?
- The airflow, with the dryer runningRead at the outlet. If the vent looks clear yet delivers little air, something is wrong in the part you cannot see.
What you get
Three possible answers, and what happens next
The run is clear
The airflow reading is good and the vent is sound. Nothing is sold. You leave with the date and a yearly interval to plan around.
The run needs cleaning
Lint, debris or a blockage is choking the exhaust. A cleaning takes care of the full vent; ask whether it can happen on the same visit.
Something needs a repair or replacing
Maybe a crushed stretch, a loose joint, the wrong duct material or a broken hood. The inspection pins it down, and fixing it, or a 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?
Less time than a cleaning. The technician follows the vent from behind the dryer to the outlet, looks over the cap and flap, and measures the air with the machine running. A cleaning afterwards typically takes about an hour, so a whole visit usually fits in a morning or an afternoon.
Is the quote free?
Yes, it is free and you are not committed. Phone us to learn what an inspection covers for your vent, and if you think it will turn into a cleaning, ask how the two are priced together. Vents differ: a short side-wall run is a different job from a basement laundry venting to the roof.
What is an airflow test?
We run the dryer and measure the air at the outlet, so the answer is a reading, not an impression. A vent can look clear at both ends and still be choked by a flattened section, a loose joint or a pad of lint at a bend in the middle. The reading is how we find those.
Can you inspect a vent I cannot see?
Yes. Plenty of vents are out of sight: they leave the laundry, run across a ceiling or between joists and exit through a wall or roof. The technician traces them from each end, checks what can be reached through access points, and judges the remainder by the airflow. Damage shows up as air that never reaches the outlet.
Is a screen on the vent hood a problem?
Yes. Screens catch lint and clog, so dryer outlets are normally fitted with a flap and nothing else. People still add screens to keep birds out. The inspection records it, and the cure is a proper hood with a flap that opens when the dryer runs.
Do you inspect commercial dryer vents?
Yes. A laundromat, salon or restaurant whose vents have never been examined generally begins with an inspection, and the cleaning plan comes from the findings. See commercial dryer vent cleaning.
Find out what is behind the dryer before it matters.
Ask what an inspection would cost for your vent. The quote is free by phone or by form and carries no obligation.