Dryer vent repair in Berkshire County
Not every vent problem is lint. Sometimes the hood has failed, the duct is the wrong material, or somebody fitted a screen that has been quietly closing the outlet ever since.
Termination replacement
$135
The hood on the outside wall, replaced with one whose flap opens under airflow and closes when the dryer stops. Price includes fitting.
Rigid metal ducting
Quoted on the run
Installed and sealed. Priced on what the run needs rather than by the foot, because two crawlspaces of the same length are rarely the same job.
Flex hose put right
With the clean
Crushed, kinked, or torn connectors replaced. Long flex runs converted to rigid where it is worth doing.
How to tell a repair from a clean
The test takes a minute and needs no tools. Run the dryer, go outside, and look at the hood on the wall.
- The flap opens and air comes out with force. The termination is doing its job. If the dryer is still slow, the problem is in the duct and a clean is what you need.
- The flap does not move. Either the run is almost completely blocked or the flap itself is seized. Both need looking at, and often it is both.
- There is mesh, a grille, or a cage across it. That is a repair regardless of how the dryer is performing. See why a dryer vent must not have a screen on it.
- The hood is missing, hanging, or painted shut. A repair, and usually one that has let something in — see birds nesting in a dryer vent.
Why the winter matters here
Terminations fail faster in a cold climate than the hardware is built for. Warm, wet exhaust hits a hood that is below freezing, the condensate refreezes around the hinge, and after a few seasons of that the flap no longer swings shut. A flap that does not close is an open cavity in a warm wall — which is how a winter nuisance becomes a blocked run and a nest in the spring. It is the single most common repair we do, and it is why the exterior hood gets checked on every visit rather than only when someone asks.
What we will not do
We will not fit a screen or a cage over a termination, because it is prohibited under IMC 504 and because it does not work. If you have an animal problem, the answer is a hood that closes, and we will fit one.
Repair questions
How much does it cost to replace a dryer vent hood?
A termination replacement is $135 fitted. That is the hood on the outside wall — the part with the flap. We show you the old one when it comes off.
Can you replace the hood without cleaning the vent?
We can, but it is rarely the right order. A failed hood means the run behind it has been restricted for a while, so replacing the hood alone tends to reveal a duct that is already loaded. If you are having both done we clean first and fit the new hood last.
My vent has a screen on it. Is that a repair?
Yes, and it is one of the more common ones here. Screens and cages are prohibited over a dryer vent termination under IMC 504, because lint catches on the mesh until the outlet closes. Replacing a screened cap with a proper flapped hood is the same flat $135.
Do you replace ducting as well as the hood?
Yes. Rigid metal duct, installed and sealed. The usual case is a crawlspace run made of flex hose, which collects lint on every ridge and was never the right material for a long run. Ducting is quoted on what the run actually needs rather than by the foot.
Is the flex hose behind my dryer a problem?
Not necessarily. A short flexible connector immediately behind the dryer is normal and lets the appliance be pulled out. It is a problem when it is crushed, kinked, torn, or when it has been used for the whole run instead of just the connection.
Do you charge to look?
No separate call-out for a look at the termination while we are there for a clean. If you want us out specifically to assess a repair, book a Basic Clean at $245 — the vent gets cleaned either way and you get an answer about the repair.
Book a vent repair
Hoods are priced up front. Ducting is quoted once we see the run.