A dryer has one job that matters for safety: move hot, wet air out of the house. Everything in dryer maintenance protects that path. The U.S. Fire Administration links clogged dryer vents to roughly 2,900 home fires a year, and packed lint is what feeds them.
The good news is that most of the work is free and takes a minute. The lint screen after every load, a wash of that screen once a month, a vacuum behind the machine every few months. The one job that needs a professional is the vent line itself, once a year, and that is what a dryer maintenance visit is built around.
Keep the airflow open and a dryer dries in one cycle, runs cooler, and lasts longer. Let it close up and you get the long dry times, the hot cabinet and the burning smell that bring most dryer calls to us.
After Every Load: The Lint Screen
Pull the screen, peel off the lint, put it back. That is the whole habit, and it is the most important thing you can do for a dryer. A screen half covered in lint cuts the airflow the same way a half-closed vent does, so the load runs longer and the cabinet runs hotter.
What the screen misses ends up in two places: the lint trap housing below it, and the vent line behind the machine. Both fill up slowly, which is why the monthly and yearly jobs exist.
Monthly and Quarterly: Screen Wash, Behind the Dryer
Wash the screen monthly. Dryer sheet residue leaves a film on the mesh that you cannot see and that air cannot pass through. Wash it with dish soap and a soft brush, rinse, and let it dry fully before it goes back in.
Vacuum behind and under the dryer every 3 months. Lint that gets past the screen collects on the floor, around the transition hose and inside the cabinet near the motor and heating element. While the dryer is pulled out, check that the flexible hose behind it is not crushed or kinked.
Never run the dryer overnight or when leaving the house. A vent fire starts inside the machine or the duct, where nobody sees it.
Once a Year: The Vent Line
The National Fire Protection Association recommends a professional vent cleaning at least once a year, and that is the right cadence for a full dryer tune-up too. The part you can reach yourself is the short flexible hose behind the dryer and the exterior vent cap outside: the cap's flap should open when the dryer runs and close when it stops, and a cap packed with lint or a bird's nest blocks the whole line.
The run inside the wall or ceiling is the professional part. On a maintenance visit we clean the accessible portion of the vent line, from the dryer connection through the section reachable inside the home, plus the lint trap housing and the lint inside the cabinet, and then we measure the exhaust airflow to confirm the line is open. A vent that exits through the roof needs a dedicated vent cleaning service, and we tell you on the spot if yours does.
Gas and Electric Dryers Age Differently
Electric: the heating element and thermostat do the work. A partially failed element gives long dry times and uneven heat, and an overheating dryer trips the thermal fuse, a from-$250 fix. On a visit we test the element and thermostat and measure the operating temperature.
Gas: the burner, igniter and gas valve coils. A weak igniter is the most common gas dryer failure, and we flag it while the dryer still lights. Gas models also get the gas connection safety check every visit, because a blocked vent on a gas dryer traps combustion gases as well as heat.
Both: the drive belt, drum rollers and bearings wear with every cycle. A belt that snaps mid-cycle can score the drum and bearings and turn a tune-up into a from-$350 repair, so we check belt tension and listen for bearing noise on every visit. The moisture sensors inside the drum get a wipe too: mineral buildup on them makes the dryer stop before the clothes are dry.
Signs Your Dryer Needs Service
- Loads need a second cycle to dry (restricted vent or clogged lint housing)
- The dryer or the clothes feel very hot at the end (heat is not venting)
- A burning or musty smell during a cycle (lint near the heating element, stop and check the vent)
- Thumping or squealing from the drum (rollers or belt wearing out)
- Lint on clothes after drying (damaged screen or gaps in the lint trap housing)
The first three are airflow and belong on a maintenance visit. A dryer that tumbles with no heat at all, or does not start, is a repair: the $80 diagnostic covers the visit and a written estimate, and it comes off the total if you go ahead.
| Maintenance / Repair | Cost | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Lint screen cleaning (DIY) | $0 | Every load |
| Screen wash, vacuum behind the dryer (DIY) | $0 | Monthly / every 3 months |
| Professional maintenance visit | from $195 | Once a year, every 6 months for heavy use or long ducts |
| Diagnostic, when something is broken | $80, credited toward the repair ($100 commercial) | As needed |
| Thermal fuse after overheating | from $250 | If the vent was left clogged |
| Belt replacement after a snap | from $350 | If wear was not caught |
What a Maintenance Visit Covers
A dryer tune-up is mostly airflow work, with the heat and the moving parts checked while the cabinet is open. On a visit we do the following, and anything worth replacing goes on a written estimate before we touch it:
- Vent duct cleaning (accessible portion; roof exits require dedicated service)
- Lint trap housing deep clean
- Exhaust airflow measurement
- Heating element and thermostat test (electric)
- Gas connection safety check, burner and igniter inspection (gas)
- Belt tension and wear check
- Drum seal inspection and motor bearing check
- Moisture sensor wipe and door seal inspection
- Exterior vent cap check
Any part we replace carries a 180-day warranty on parts and labor. If a part has to be ordered, common ones arrive in 2 to 4 business days and the return visit carries no second diagnostic fee. Book a dryer maintenance visit, from $195.
Dryer Maintenance, Answered
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Want the vent line done properly?
A licensed technician (BHGS #51001) across San Francisco, the Peninsula and Marin. Maintenance visits from $195; the $80 diagnostic is credited toward the work.
