Dryer Vent Hose Replacement in La Mesa, CA

Why does the hose behind the dryer keep crushing?

Because the dryer sits too close to the wall. Flex duct folds into an S behind the cabinet. Pedestal-mounted and stacked units in La Mesa closets make this worse. Every fold traps lint at the ridge. We replace with rigid metal elbows and a short periscope where clearance is tight. The dryer can then move back without pinching anything.

Foil and plastic flex is the usual find in prewar bungalows here. It gets snaked through crawlspace or run along stucco. Over time it sags between supports. The low point becomes a moisture trap, and lint cakes there into a plug. Rigid pipe with supported joints solves what another flex hose repeats.

Longer runs need different thinking. Attic runs from interior hall closets fail at the joints, dumping warm lint onto insulation. We foil-tape and strap every connection, never screws into the airstream. Two-story roof-terminated runs may need a booster fan.

Check it yourself. Pull the dryer out and look at the hose shape. Kinks, tears, gray lint film on the wall, or a burnt-dust smell all mean replacement, not cleaning.

Towels needing three cycles usually trace to the duct, not the dryer.