If you live in Austin, Georgetown, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, or Pflugerville, you’ve probably noticed your dryer needing two or three cycles to get clothes dry — even though it’s getting hot. You clean the lint screen every load, so what’s the problem?

How a Dryer Actually Dries Clothes

A dryer doesn’t “bake” clothes dry. It works by blowing hot air through the tumbling load, picking up moisture, and exhausting it outside through that big silver duct.

For that to work:

1. Hot air must flow freely through the clothes
2. Moist air must exit quickly through the vent

When lint clogs the path, hot, humid air gets trapped inside the drum. Clothes stay damp, cycles run longer, and the trapped heat + lint = a real fire risk.

Where Lint Hides (Even If You Clean the Screen Every Time)

• Inside the lint screen housing (deep behind the screen)
• In the blower wheel (under the drum)
• In every bend of the exhaust duct (especially flexible foil ones)
• Behind the drum in the heating element area

The Fire Danger Is Real

The U.S. Fire Administration estimates 2,900 dryer fires per year — most caused by lint buildup in places homeowners never clean. In tight Central Texas neighborhoods, a dryer fire can spread fast.

Quick Test You Can Do Right Now

1. Run a timed-dry cycle on high heat with a normal load
2. After 15 minutes, feel the outside exhaust vent
3. Strong, hot airflow → Vent is probably clear
4. Weak or lukewarm → Major restriction somewhere

How Often Should You Deep-Clean?

• Lint screen: Every load
• Exhaust duct & blower area: Every 1–2 years
• Full teardown & cleaning: Every 3–5 years or when drying time doubles

Pro Tip From Our Austin Techs

Never use flexible foil or plastic vents — they trap lint in the ridges. Rigid or semi-rigid metal duct is safer and lasts longer.

Proudly serving Austin, Georgetown, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Pflugerville, and all surrounding Central Texas communities with honest, expert appliance repair.