Dryer Vent Cover – Essential Guide to Choose and Install

Protect your home from dust, debris, and pests, and make your dryer system efficient with the best dryer vent cover that maintains the perfect airflow.

Dryer Vent Cover

Are you threatening your home’s peace? Of course, leaving the dryer vent open lets unwanted objects into the home. The open vent welcomes insects, birds, leaves, dust, and debris, causing blockage and affecting your home and dryer’s efficiency, maintenance, and safety. Thus, maintaining the indoor temperature in varying weather conditions with an uncovered dryer vent can also be challenging. 

Do you know about any solution? Don’t worry; nothing can be more beneficial and economical than a dryer vent cover, which prevents noise, animals, dust, and more from entering your space. Covering the dryer vent makes your home energy-efficient and maintains the proper airflow. So, look for the right material, size, type, compatibility, price, and quality to make the right investment. 

What Is The Dryer Vent Cover?

The dryer system at home is common nowadays, but a little ignorance can damage the appliance and your home’s efficiency. The dryer system is a complete mechanism that drys the clothes after removing the moisture and has an exterior vent. The open vent can enter unwanted airflow from the outside environment, affecting the home’s temperature. This way, the dryer vent guard enters the game and protects your dryer system and home from dust, leaves, lint, animals, and more. 

As the name implies, an exterior dryer vent cover covers the exterior vent. You can look for different designs and structures for the cover, and the most common type is hooded. Some structures have a dome-like appearance, while others have slats. Similarly, some designs use magnets. In short, you have various options; select the right one and make your dryer system safe, efficient, and maintained. 

Why Do You Need The Dryer Vent Cover? 

Are you stuck in the debate about buying or not buying a vent cover for your dryer system? Don’t make things complex; buying a vent cover is necessary if you have a household dryer system. Otherwise, the insects and other animals can nest inside the tube and cause the blockage. 

Similarly, there is also the risk of animals entering your home, which is all about messiness, disturbance, and damage. So, it is recommended that you purchase a compatible vent cover for safe operability. 

Types Of Dryer Vent Cover

Let’s look at the following main types of dryer vent guards to make an efficient decision. 

Dryer Vent Guard with Slats 

One of the common types of vent guard is a louvered vent cover that closes the vent when the dryer is not working. When the dryer pushes the air, the cover gives the space to let the air outside. Meanwhile, the vent cover remains closed when the dryer stops pushing the air. In this case, the unwanted airflow from the outside environment gets no area to enter the home.  

Hooded Dryer Vent Guard 

The hooded vent guard has a dome-like structure, and the cover remains perpendicular to the vent, which is the exhaust vent. If you need an extra layer of protection, you can look for a design that uses another circular aluminum-based barrier inside the hood. As a result, the hodded structure lasts more than the dryer vent guard with slats. 

Bolt-on Dryer Vent Cover

If you want to double the vent guard’s efficiency, install a bolt-on vent guard. These guards can be made of plastic or steel, which makes them compact and long-lasting. The bolt-on vent covers are bolted into the bricks, leaving no drafts. This way, the wild animals cannot damage the cover or enter the vent. 

What To Consider For The Best Dryer Vent Covers?

Let’s explore the following factors, which help you to pick the right option at no time. 

Material

Dryer vent guard comes in different materials, and you get various options to meet your requirements. You can select between steel, plastic, aluminum, and more. Every type has varying advantages and disadvantages; for instance, if you choose the plastic vent cover, the animals can easily break the structure and enter the vent. So, you must consider the aluminum or stainless steel-based vent guard. 

Types

You can look for different vent covers, including louvered, hooded, bolt-on, and many other options. The main question is: Which type will be worthwhile? Selecting the right type is all about your requirements. If you choose the louvered vent cover, wild animals can damage the cover. On the other hand, the hooded vent cover offers more compactness over the vent cover with slats. 

Built-In Barriers

You must consider the vent cover with a built-in screen, preventing the small creatures from entering the vent. The small mesh design keeps the animals away from the vent, and the dryer system works properly. Otherwise, the birds or animals will make the nest inside the vent and become the cause of blockage. So, always look for the option of having a tight structure, leaving no space for unwanted objects. 

Simple Installation 

You must select the vent cover that is easy to install. You can choose the option that comes with a minimum number of screws adjusted with the basic tools. In this case, installing the dryer vent cover takes a few seconds. Before purchasing the vent cover, ensure that you are selecting the compatible option. In short, the cover must provide the complete vent coverage.  

Weather-Resistant

The vent cover is used to cover the exterior vent; it means that the vent will be outside. The weather-resistant property is most important in this case while considering different options. You must select a fully-tight structure to prevent the rain, snow, leaves, and other objects from entering the vent. The aluminum or steel-based mesh structure is the best one in this regard. 

How To Install The Dryer Vent Cover?

Turn Off the Dryer

• Always disconnect the dryer from the power supply as a measure of safety.

Remove the Old Vent Cover

• Go outside to find an air duct, particularly the dryer vent opening.
• The screws for the old vent cover should be unbolted by the use of a screwdriver or any drill.
• Remove the former lid carefully and brush the interior area around the hole.

Measure the Opening

• Curtain the vent’s opening to conform to the size of the new cover that will be installed. 
• Vents are normally standard-sized at 4 inches.

Prepare the New Vent Cover

• Prepare the new cover and use a bead of caulk around the edges of the vent hole to seal it to eliminate any leaks.

Install the New Cover

• Place the new dryer vent cover in the given position over the opening.
• The screws should be used to screw the cover to the siding of your home by using the screws to drill. 

Check the Fit and Seal

• Check whether the vent cover is properly fixed or not.
• In case of air leaks or water infiltration through the edges, you can apply more caulk to block these paths.

Test the Dryer

• Restore the connection of your dryer and operate it for a few minutes. Decide if the airflow at the new vent cover is unhampered and the flap is functioning properly.

Frequently Asked Questions 

What is the dryer vent cover? 

A dryer vent guard helps cover the exterior vent, preventing unwanted objects from entering the home. 

How do you choose the dryer vent guard? 

After selecting between the desired materials, structures, and compatibilities, you can personalize your purchase of a vent cover. 

What is the best way to vent a dryer?

Look for the exterior vent associated with your household dryer system and install the vent cover without leaving any drafts.

Is a dryer vent guard economical? 

You can select the vent cover according to your requirements because there are different options with varying prices. 

Is a dryer vent guard recommended by experts? 

Experts always suggest using the dryer vent guard for proper airflow inside the dryer system. 

Final Verdict 

A dryer vent cover is as important as any other component of the dryer system; it maintains its safety to the highest efficiency level. It guards the vent opening from insects, dirt, and moisture that may hinder airflow or cause fire from accumulated lint. A proper cover improves circulation and your dryer’s efficiency, which will help you save energy and prolong the dryer’s lifespan. 

Selecting the right vent cover can greatly affect your dryer; it must be made of sturdy materials and should suit the climate. When the dryer is not in use, you must close the vent to prevent cold air or even rain from being sucked into your duct system. So, select a good dryer vent exterior cover since it increases safety and efficiency and optimizes your home.

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