Dryer Vent Inspection in Milpitas, CA

What does a dryer vent inspection look at?

Mostly the parts you cannot see. The inspection starts behind the dryer, at the transition duct. In Milpitas tract homes from the 1960s-70s build, that piece is often still original flexible foil or white vinyl. It sags between joists and holds packed lint. Closets built before deep-front dryers existed crush that duct flat against the wall. We measure the gap, not guess it.

Then the run itself. A camera goes down the duct where the geometry allows. We count elbows and estimate equivalent length, because long second-floor closet runs up through the attic to a roof jack often exceed what the manufacturer allows. Lint stalls partway and never reaches the exit. That is a design problem, not a cleaning problem, and cleaning alone will not fix it.

Outside, we check the cap. Roof jacks and stucco wall caps here collect lint plus dry-season dust, pollen and spider webbing. Damper flaps that no longer close invite birds and rodents, common on foothill-edge properties.

Townhome and condo stack runs through party walls or shafts get inspected differently, since access is limited and shared. Ground-floor apartments with stacked units usually need the unit pulled.

An inspection is worth skipping if you already know the duct is vinyl. Just replace it.