Our dryer vents had not been cleaned for many, many years and we had long suspected that this could create a hazardous condition. However, finding a competent, honest and reliable contractor to clean your dryer vent is surprisingly difficult.While there are many businesses that offer this service, there are also many homeowner stories of vent cleanings that were done in a slapdash manner, or the service technicians were incompetent or untrained.
Enter HomeStars!
We found Tyler Johnson through HomeStars and had him come out to our house. Tyler is an extremely knowledgeable and personable gentleman who knows his business inside out. His entire approach is professional from start to finish.
He inspected the vents and took "before" photos of the duct interiors to identify areas of serious blockage. He then used an airflow meter to test the "before" air flow rate coming out of the vent. He showed us the before photos and took me outside to show me the air flow reading with the dryer running. He explained that the air flow rate was three to four times less than what would be considered normal.
He then explained how he was going to clean the vents, and he recommended installing an upgraded one-way vent door on the outside wall of the house so as to prevent small animals from nesting in the duct. A simple visual inspection of his vent door solution easily convinced me that it was far superior to the standard vent door flaps available in most retail hardware stores.
Tyler then set to work to clean the vents. After he was finished he took a set of "after" photos and ran another air flow test. The differences were amazing! The interior of the duct and the duct walls had been completely cleared and cleaned out. The air flow rate had been increased by 3.5 times what it previously was. And the upgraded vent door was securely installed.
Tyler explained that inadequate venting was not just a fire hazard, but would also reduce the life of the dryer which would have to work harder to expel the same volume of air. He also told us that we could expect to see shorter drying cycles and less electricity use due to the improved venting. Both of these claims proved to be true. Our dyer is now taking about 50% less time to dry a comparable load of clothes, and we have noticed a definite reduction in our electricity usage. We also notice significantly less lint accumulation in the dryer's lint trap, and there is no longer any residual lint accumulation on the interior of the dryer door as there was before.
All in all, I have nothing but the highest recommendation for Tyler. He certainly delivered results over an above my expectations. I would have no reservation whatsoever in using his services again. He is one of the very best professionals that we have ever used to do work on our house, and it was true a pleasure to deal with him.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $275.00
- Company Response
Jerry, Thank you for taking the time during this busy season to provide others with your feedback. My biggest challenge is educating the public on the importance of dryer maintenance from both a fire safety and energy efficiency perspective. Your detailed and informative review will certainly educate readers on what to expect and the positive impacts my service can have. It was my pleasure to serve you. All the best in 2015.