Dryer lint filters
Published February 22, 2012 | 
The lint screen on the typical dryer plays an important role in ensuring your dryer is operating properly and preventing dangerous lint buildup in the venting. Most people don’t give this frame of screen door material much of a thought other than to clean it between loads. But since all the air drawn by the dryer moves past this screen, ensuring it is working as designed can make the difference between dryer function and failure.
It is true the purpose of the screen is to catch lint from clothing. As the fabric wears, bits and pieces will come loose and without the lint screen the vent tube would soon be coated in a soft fluffy pillow of lint. And it is this lint that poses the greatest potential for a dryer fire.
Simple enough but as the lint screen ages, it can deform or develop small tears which allows more lint to get by. With years of use, the openings in the screen can change shape or become blocked by buildup from detergents and fabric softeners resulting in reduced airflow. And as we have learned, it is the airflow that gets our clothes dry, so we want to keep it moving.
When cleaning the lint screen, inspect its surface for damage. Check the frame for breaks and bows where lint may be getting by. Run it under a water faucet to see if there are places that may be restricting the flow. If anything seems less than perfect, get yourself a new lint screen. The few dollars spent on replacement every few years will more than pay for itself in better efficiency and less lint out the vent.