You probably don’t think about your Irving home’s dryer vent until there’s a problem. This means that when you need to think about it, you’re generally going to be a bit out of your depth.
Maybe you’re in a situation where you need to know what kind of dryer vent you currently have, or perhaps you need to choose a new one. How do you do this? All of them vent hot air out of your Irving home’s dryer, right? Why are there different types, and what’s the difference between them?
Dryer vents are typically divided into three different types, each with its own flexibility. You need a vent cleaning service that understands them all. When looking into what type of dryer vents you have or need, you only need to know these three varieties and each of their advantages and disadvantages.
Rigid dryer vents
As you can imagine, rigid vents are the least flexible type. They’re made of galvanized steel and aluminum and are tricky to place around corners. They must be shaped into elbow-shaped pieces before they can be placed around corners properly. Special rectangular slim ducts can be used in tight spaces, but even these can be hard to install.
The upside to this is that there’s nothing for dryer lint to catch on. Dryer lint poses a fire hazard and can be extremely dangerous if dryer vent cleaning is not performed regularly. Rigid vents mitigate this risk. They’re more expensive than other types of dryer vents, but some believe the price is worth it.
That said, lint still builds up over time. It just takes longer in these types of vents.
Semi-rigid dryer vents
Semi-rigid is a middle ground when you want something sturdier than aluminum foil but still want to bend it around corners. Semi-rigid vents are also made of aluminum, but they’re more solid than aluminum foil ducts.
These ducts are typically only used from the dryer to the primary vent, as they can’t be hidden behind walls or floors like rigid vents.
Their flexibility leaves them somewhat ribbed, meaning they trap lint much faster than rigid dryer vents. Like all dryer vents, you must be careful with these and have them cleaned often so you don’t start a fire in your home.
Flexible dryer vents
Typically, when you think of dryer vents, you think of a flexible aluminum material. These are the most common type of dryer vents you’ll find in any home in Irving.
You can occasionally find these in plastic or vinyl, but this material is usually against building codes. These trap lint even faster than aluminum and have been deemed unsafe.
Flexible dryer vents, much like semi-rigid vents, are typically only found going from the dryer to the primary vent, and not the whole vent. Its main advantage is that it’s easy to work with. It’s even relatively easy to clean, even if it soaks up lint like a sponge.
And that’s something you definitely need to remember – its capacity for lint. Be very careful with this type of ductwork, and always call a duct cleaner when you need to.