How Often Should Dryer Vents Be Cleaned Separately From HVAC Ducts?

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They're two different systems, not one

It's a common mix-up. Your HVAC ductwork moves heated or cooled air around the house and pulls return air back to the furnace or air handler. Your dryer vent does one job only: it pushes hot, moist, lint-filled air from the clothes dryer straight outside. The two never connect, they carry very different things, and they clog at very different rates. That's why they're cleaned on separate schedules.

How often each one actually needs cleaning

As a practical rule for most Metro Vancouver homes:

• Dryer vent: about once a year. Clean it more often if you do heavy laundry loads, have a large family, own pets that shed, or your vent has a long run with several bends to reach an exterior wall.
• HVAC ducts: much less frequently. Many homes go several years between cleanings. Cleaning is more about a specific reason — a renovation, visible mould, pest activity, or a musty smell — than a fixed annual date.
• Furnace filter (not the same as duct cleaning): check monthly and change it roughly every one to three months. This is the single biggest thing you can do yourself to keep your HVAC system clean.

The takeaway: don't let your dryer vent ride on your duct-cleaning schedule. A vent left uncleaned for years is the bigger day-to-day risk, because packed lint is both a fire hazard and a strain on the dryer.

Warning signs your dryer vent is overdue

• Clothes take two cycles to dry, or come out hot and damp
• The dryer itself feels very hot to the touch or the laundry room gets humid
• A burning or musty smell when the dryer runs
• Little or no air coming from the exterior vent hood while the dryer is on
• Lint building up around the door seal or the outside vent flap

If you're seeing these, clean the vent sooner rather than later. Restricted dryer exhaust makes the appliance work harder and is a genuine fire risk when lint packs up inside the duct.

What you can do yourself vs. when to call

You can handle the basics: clean the lint screen after every load, vacuum around the dryer, and pull the flexible transition hose off the back once a year to clear it out. That covers the easy part of the run. Longer vent runs, rigid ducting inside walls, or exhaust that travels through a ceiling or crawlspace are harder to reach fully and are where the stubborn buildup hides.

When to call CANRO

If you can't reach the full length of the vent, if drying performance hasn't improved after a basic clean, or if you'd rather have both the dryer vent and HVAC ducts assessed together, that's a good time to bring in a pro. CANRO Heating & Cooling has served Metro Vancouver since 1999 — Red Seal certified, WorkSafeBC and liability insured, with a 4.9-star rating from 85+ Google reviews. We'll take a look, tell you honestly what actually needs cleaning versus what doesn't, and give you a free written quote. Call (604) 359-1081 or email info@canroheat.ca.

Frequently asked questions

Reviewed by the CANRO Heating & Cooling service team — July 07, 2026. Technical Safety BC gas licence LGA0043870 · boiler licence LBP0046450 · Red Seal certified · WorkSafeBC and liability insured · 4.9★ from 85+ Google reviews · serving Metro Vancouver since 1999 · (604) 359-1081.