Have you ever noticed your clothes dryer feeling cold in the winter and warm in the summer? If so, your dryer's vent pipe is likely not sealing properly, and you are wasting energy as outside air leaks into your home. To prevent this, you should consider installing a new style of dryer vent closure.

One that we particularly like is the HEARTLAND 21000 Dryer Vent Closure. The Heartland 21000 is a good buy for under $38. Installing this type of tight-sealing dryer vent can save you up to 1% on your home's energy bill or about $14 annually. So this is an investment that can pay for itself in under 3 years.

This easy-to-install vent lets your dryer's hot air exhaust escape when the dryer is operating, and uses gravity to seal it tight to keep outside air from leaking into your home when the dryer is not operating. The way this vent closure works is that inside the cylinder part, there is a plastic cup-like apparatus that rises when hot air is flowing out of your dryer. And then when the flow of hot air stops, the cup floats back creating a nice seal which prevents outside air infiltration. And further, it tightly blocks the path for insects or pests which might try to crawl in.

When you install the dryer vent closure, you will want to be sure to install it absolutely vertical, otherwise, it may not work properly. Also, you may want to paint your vent closure as ultraviolet light from the sun can damage the unprotected plastic.

The Heartland 21000 dryer vent closure is simple and effective, but it does require some maintenance from time to time. You will need to remove the vent lid periodically to clean out any lint built-up, especially as it may affect the free movement of the floating cup.