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A long vent-cleaning brush and a lint screen laid on a laundry counter beside a dryer.

Keeping the dryer out of trouble

Maintenance and prevention
guides.

The few habits that prevent most dryer calls, from the lint screen to the vent run, and how often each is worth doing.

(844) 314-5837

Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm

  • Three guides
  • Read before you book
  • Says where to stop

Book a visit

Three short steps, about a minute.

or call (844) 314-5837

Maintenance and prevention,
guide by guide.

These guides cover the small, regular jobs that keep a dryer drying quickly and running cool: the lint screen and duct, the sensor strips that decide when a cycle ends, and the drive parts that carry the drum. None of them needs special tools, and each one says how often it is worth doing.

All 18 guides
A dryer pulled a short way from the wall in a US home laundry room, its rigid metal vent duct detached and a long vent-cleaning brush lying on the floor beside it.
4-minute read

Dryer vent cleaning schedule: screen, slot and duct

Every load, every few months, once or twice a year, and the signs that mean the duct cannot wait for the calendar.

A close view inside the open door of a white front-load dryer in a US home laundry room, showing the lint screen slot and two curved metal sensor strips below it, a folded cloth on the door edge.
5-minute read

The moisture sensor and dryer sheets: why cycles end damp

Softener film on two small metal strips can end an automatic cycle early; a wipe with alcohol usually fixes it.

A white front-load dryer in a US home laundry room with its top panel raised and the drum visible inside, a new ribbed drive belt and two small drum rollers laid on a towel on the lid.
4-minute read

Belt and roller wear: what the thump and squeal mean

The parts that carry and turn the drum wear by the hour, and each one makes a sound of its own before it quits.

Keeping the dryer out of trouble.

The common thread is airflow and running hours. A dryer that breathes freely finishes sooner, so its heater, fuse, belt and rollers each see fewer hours of work. A dryer that struggles for air wears out everything at once, and in the worst case sets lint alight.

Start here if drying has slowed, if you have just moved into a home with an unknown vent, or if you want a simple routine that heads off the most common service calls.

Not sure where to start?

The short answerDryer vent cleaning schedule: screen, slot and duct

A sensible dryer vent cleaning schedule has three layers: clear the lint screen every load, wash the screen when it stops passing water, and clean the whole duct once or twice a year.

The short answerThe moisture sensor and dryer sheets: why cycles end damp

A dryer moisture sensor is usually a pair of metal strips near the lint screen that read wetness when damp clothes touch them.

The short answerBelt and roller wear: what the thump and squeal mean

The dryer belt and rollers carry and turn the drum on every load, so they are wear parts rather than defects.

When reading
is not enough.

If the checks in these guides did not settle it, the visit picks up from there, stop by stop.

What repairs cost
  1. 01Test before touching
  2. 02The price comes first
  3. 03The right part
  4. 04Repair and a test load

The problems
these answer.

Each has a page of its own, with the causes in the order worth checking.

All 17 problems
An exterior dryer vent hood on the painted siding of a US single-family house, its flap half open and a mat of gray lint caught around the edge. Problem

Dryer Vent Clogged

5 causes, cheapest first

 A lint screen held under a running laundry sink faucet in a US home laundry room, water beading on the mesh instead of passing through. Problem

Dryer Takes Too Long to Dry

5 causes, cheapest first

 A crushed silver foil dryer duct pinched between the back of a dryer and a painted drywall in a US home laundry room, lint caught at the fold. Fire or gas risk

Dryer Overheating

5 causes, cheapest first

 A front-load dryer paused partway through a load in a US home laundry room, the door open and warm clothes half out of the drum. Problem

Dryer Stops Mid-Cycle

5 causes, cheapest first
A parent and a child folding warm towels together on top of a front-load dryer in a bright laundry room
For the heart of your home.

Questions about
maintenance and prevention.

What is the single most useful habit for a dryer?
Clearing the lint screen on every load. It costs seconds, keeps airflow up and is the first line of defense against lint reaching the duct.
Do ventless dryers need less maintenance?
Different, not less. They skip the duct, but their lint filters and condenser need regular cleaning, and a heat-pump model slows sharply when they clog.
When should maintenance give way to a service visit?
When a routine step does not bring back normal drying, when you find scorched lint or melted duct, or when the job means moving a gas dryer or opening the cabinet.

The other
sections.

Split by what you are trying to find out rather than by which part of the appliance it concerns.

All guides
A dryer door open with a load of towels still damp inside, a laundry basket on the floor in front of it.
Why the load came out like that

Common problems

A hand pulling the lint screen out of the door opening of a front-load dryer.
What an owner can safely check

Troubleshooting

A dryer pulled away from a laundry-room wall, its crushed foil duct and a small lint pile on the floor behind it.
Is it safe to keep using

Fire and gas safety

A gas dryer and an electric dryer side by side in a bright laundry room, doors closed.
Which dryer suits the house

Choosing and comparing

The rigid metal vent duct and the power cord behind a dryer pulled out from the wall.
Setting it up to last

Installation and setup

Not sure which section?

Start from your question

The four questions most visits start with, each with the guide that answers it.

18 guidesWhere to start Where to start

Back to your everyday

Let’s get your dryer working again.

Three short steps online, or one call. Tell us what you are seeing and pick a window that works.

Schedule a repair Call (844) 314-5837
(844) 314-5837 Schedule a repair