Dryer Vent Cleaning for North Shore MA and Seacoast NH Homes
If your clothes need two cycles to dry, the lint has already won. We clear the whole vent run, check the outside hood, and show you photos of what came out. Family-owned in Salisbury since 1993.
Get a Free Quote Call (978) 961-4513Our Dryer Vent Cleaning Process: Safer Airflow, Verified Results
Kealey's Duct and Dryer Cleaning provides residential dryer vent cleaning across Essex County, MA, Rockingham County, NH, and parts of York County, ME. We clear the full vent run from the back of the dryer to the exterior hood, pull lint out of the dryer cabinet and the space behind it, clear nests and blocked flaps at the outside cap, then confirm airflow and hand you before and after photos. Family-owned and founded in 1993 by mechanical engineer Brian Kealey. Upfront pricing, no upsell, and we will tell you over the phone if you do not need us yet.
How do you know your dryer vent is clogged?
Most people call us because the laundry stopped drying in one cycle. That is the obvious sign. The others are quieter, and they usually show up first.
- Two cycles for one load. A normal load should be dry in about 40 minutes. When it takes 90, the moist air has nowhere to go.
- The dryer is hot to the touch and the laundry room feels humid or warm while it runs.
- A "check vent" or restricted airflow light on newer machines. Homeowners often assume the dryer is failing. Usually it is the line.
- A burning smell, or clothes that come out smelling musty instead of clean.
- Lint piled at the outside hood, or a flap that no longer swings open when the dryer runs.
Any one of those is worth a look. Two or more and the vent is restricted enough that lint is packing in faster than it can blow out.
Can a clogged dryer vent really start a fire?
Yes, and the reason is simple. Lint is dry, fine, and flammable. When it packs into a vent line, hot air backs up into the dryer cabinet where the heating element is. The National Fire Protection Association points to failure to clean the vent as the leading cause of home dryer fires.
Gas dryers carry a second risk. A blocked vent can push carbon monoxide back into the house instead of out through the wall. That is worth knowing if your dryer is gas and your laundry is in a finished basement.
Why do North Shore and Seacoast homes give dryer vents so much trouble?
We have been cleaning vents from Georgetown up through the Seacoast and into southern Maine since 1993. The same handful of problems come up again and again, and most of them trace back to how the houses around here were built.
Long runs in Colonials and Capes
Older homes rarely put the laundry near an exterior wall. The vent snakes through joist bays and wall cavities for twenty feet or more before it gets outside. Every elbow along that run is a place lint stops moving.
Second-floor and closet laundry
Newer builds and renovated homes often put the dryer upstairs or in a hallway closet, venting up and out through the roof. Those vertical runs need a roof visit, and plenty of companies will not go up there. We will.
Coastal damp and standing water
Humid coastal air plus a long cold duct equals condensation. Wet lint turns into a dense plug that a shop vacuum will not touch. We have cleared lines that another company walked away from because there was water in them.
Birds, nests, and pest screens
Exterior hoods are a favorite nesting spot in spring. Some homeowners add a screen to keep animals out, and the screen then catches lint until nothing moves. We clear both and leave the flap working.
Ducts knocked loose by other trades
New flooring, a basement finish, a washer swap. The flexible duct behind the dryer gets bumped off the floor connection and nobody notices until the laundry stops drying. We check the connection before we blame the line.
Foil and plastic transition duct
Older laundry rooms still have flexible foil or plastic behind the dryer. It sags, it traps lint in the low spots, and it is no longer what code calls for. If yours is that type, we will point it out.
How does Kealey's clean a dryer vent?
Brian Kealey trained as a mechanical engineer, and he built the process around one idea. Clear the entire run, then prove it is clear. A vacuum stuck in the end of the pipe for five minutes is not a cleaning.
Look at the whole run first
Inside and outside. We find where the line goes, how long it is, how many turns it takes, and where it terminates. That decides how we clean it.
Pull the dryer out
Lint collects behind and underneath the machine, and inside the cabinet around the blower. Skipping that step leaves the part closest to the heat source dirty.
Clear the full line
Rotating brush rods and compressed air work the length of the duct, not just the first few feet. Packed lint gets broken up and pulled out rather than pushed further in.
Clear the exterior hood
Nests, screens, and matted lint come out of the cap. We make sure the flap opens and closes the way it should, because a stuck flap undoes the whole job.
Confirm airflow and reconnect
The dryer runs while we check flow at the outside hood, and the transition duct gets reconnected properly. You should feel the difference on the next load.
Show you the photos
Before and after, every job. If we found damage, a crushed section, or a duct that should be replaced, you hear about it and see it before anything else happens.
What the inside of a neglected vent actually looks like
Homeowners rarely see inside their own vent line, which is exactly why the industry has a trust problem. Here is a run from a recent job, photographed before we started and again when we finished.
You get the same pair for your own home, sent after the job. No guessing about whether the work got done.
What does dryer vent cleaning cost?
Price depends on the job, and any company that quotes you a firm number before knowing your setup is guessing. Four things move it: how long the run is, whether it exits through a side wall or the roof, how easy the dryer is to reach, and whether anything is damaged or needs replacing.
What we can promise is that the number you are quoted is the number you pay. If we open things up and find a problem the quote did not cover, work stops and you decide before we go any further. Nothing gets added to your bill without a conversation first. You can see our general service pricing on the pricing page, or request a quote and we will give you a real number for your house.
One more thing worth saying out loud. Call us and describe the problem, and there is a fair chance we talk you through a fix instead of booking a visit. Brian has done it plenty of times, and turning down a service call has never once cost us money in the long run.
What Kealey's customers say about dryer vent jobs
"Had a national chain come to our house and say they couldn't clean our dryer vent due to water. Brian and his son came and cleared out our vent no problem, dryer works great now."
Eric D."Fantastic service! Our dryer vent was blocked by a nest and Brian came out to fix it extremely quickly as well as provided some troubleshooting advice in the meantime. They went above and beyond, highly recommend!!"
Erin M."Brian and his son Keenan did a FANTASTIC job! They were easy to book with, done in an hour, and not only did they do the vents but they left my wash closet even cleaner than they found it. 10/10 service!"
Allison O.Dryer vent cleaning questions we get asked
Once a year covers most single-family homes. Go to twice a year if you have a big family, pets that shed, or a long vent run with several turns. Households running one or two loads a week can usually stretch it longer, and we will tell you that rather than book you in.
Yes. Second-floor laundry rooms and roof terminations are common across the Seacoast and we are equipped for them. This is one of the jobs other companies turn down, so if you have been told no before, it is worth calling us.
No. Lint gets captured as it comes out rather than blown around the room, we protect the floor, and we put the dryer back where it belongs. Customers regularly tell us the laundry area was cleaner when we left than when we arrived, which is the standard we hold ourselves to.
A standard dryer vent cleaning usually runs about an hour. Longer runs, roof exits, and repairs add time. Someone should be home to let us in and to hear what we found, though we work around your schedule and will text ahead so you are not waiting all morning.
It happens. Crushed sections, disconnected joints behind the dryer, sagging foil duct, and broken exterior flaps are all things we find regularly. We show you the problem, explain what it would take to fix, and let you decide. Repairs are quoted separately and never added on quietly.
Often the vent. We have had customers replace or repair a dryer, see no improvement, and only then check the line. If your machine is fairly new and suddenly stopped drying well, call before you spend money on an appliance repair. We are happy to help you narrow it down over the phone.
Yes, and plenty of homeowners do both together to save a second appointment. If you are already having air duct cleaning done, adding the dryer vent is straightforward. Mention it when you request your quote.
Essex County MA from Georgetown north, Rockingham County NH across the Seacoast, and parts of York County ME. The full list is on our service areas page, and if your town is not named there it is still worth asking.
Dryer vent cleaning by town
Local pages with the details for each area we cover most often.
Air Duct Cleaning
Dust, pollen, and pet dander cleared out of your HVAC system with truck-mounted equipment, plus the same before and after photos. Many homeowners book both services on one visit.
More from homeowners we have worked with
"I was very happy with Brian and Keenan. They came to install a brand new dryer vent. They found some mold and presented a solution to the problem. They are knowledgeable, professional and clean. Even cleaned my neighbors deck after. Would recommend this company without hesitation!"
Gail W."Brian & Keenan were at my house recently to clear my dryer vent and replace the covering. They were flexible with scheduling, prompt, explained everything, did not leave a trace of a mess, were kind & thorough. Reasonable pricing as well! I highly recommend Kealey's and I will certainly hire them for my future needs."
Jackie R."Kealey's Duct and Dryer Cleaning was outstanding from start to finish. Communication was clear and timely, the quality of work was excellent, and their attention to detail really stood out. Everything was handled professionally and efficiently. 10/10, would absolutely recommend."
Zach B.Request your dryer vent cleaning quote
Tell us about your setup and we will get back to you with a real number and a time that works. No obligation, and no one will chase you.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (978) 961-4513 or email kealeys@bkductdryercleaning.com.
Stop running the dryer twice
A quick phone consult, clear pricing, and photo proof after the job. Serving Essex County MA, Rockingham County NH, and parts of York County ME from our shop in Salisbury.
Get Your Cleaning Quote Call (978) 961-4513