Cleaning dryer vent

[spasm3]

My clothes dryer is upstairs and in the center of the house. House is 20 years old. The dryer itself is not that old but was not drying well. I cleaned the exterior vent flaps and reached inside. I could not feel much buildup of lint. I had checked this way each year. I decided to buy a deflecto vent brush and a pack of extensions from amazon and clean the vent anyway.


OH MY GOSH!! The amount of lint removed was scary. Almost a small wastebasket full. If this had ever got hot enough, I imagine it could have caused a fire. The vent runs horizontal about 17 feet.

Interestingly enough there was not much in the flexible connector.

I would advise anyone with a home, to do this. The brush is for solid vent pipe not flex pipe.

I ran the flexible extensions into the vent from outside, then connected the brush inside at the dryer location. Using my cordless drill, i spun the brush while withdrawing.

It took good 6 passes to stop getting handfuls of lint.

This is what I used.

$16.50 brush kit
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IB4BMDQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

$17.41 extension kit
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001652LO6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you have not done this , seriously you need to.

 

[Leo99]

I cleaned my mother in laws a few years ago. It was a lost cause to clean the vent pipe, I just replaced it. There was only about an inch opening left. Looked like a clogged artery. My mother in law understood that analogy.

 

[Rolla07]

Great advice. Bought my house 3 years ago and only got around to it recently. I didnt find too much lint but glad I got some removed and its super easy to clean with the brush and might save a fire. I will likely clean it every 6 months to a year.

 

[c502cid]

I have always used a 25' tape measure but this vent brush is pretty cool!

 

[Donald]

So people have tried to make the piping secure with sheet metal screws but they catch lint.

My current dryer vent is about 2' long and I can see in and reach any lint with my hand. Annoyingly it vents into the garage. Helps with heat to keep dog warm in winter.

 

[andyd]

Laundry is upstairs with the bedrooms. In order to save space it is in a stud bay. I use schedule 20? 4" PVC totaling about 12". My cleaner is an Orville Reddanbacker plastic popcorn bottle. on about 15' of a pole made from black plastic 1 1/4"tubing. I try to clean it annually or when Marina noticess a longer time to dry loads.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

I inspected/cleaned our dryer this week after four years of operation and there was very little lint buildup. I think having a short ten or so foot discharge duct helps to keep lint cleared out. Been doing this for years and know first hand that there is sheet metal in the dryer that can inflict serious injuries. Guess what? Trail of blood from laundry to bathroom. Vacuuming inside of fan duct did it. Nice one inch cut to the bone on finger. One inch surgical like incision to the bone. Eighty one grain aspirin every other day doesn't help when one does this.

 

[David2431]

Modern dryers should have a heat limit switch that cuts power to the heating element to prevent fires.

This is why it takes longer to dry clothes when lint blocks the airflow. The switch is cycling the heating element on and off and
consequently the heating is limited.

 

[MParr]

Has anyone tried an electric leaf blower?

 

[spasm3]

Originally Posted By: MParr
Has anyone tried an electric leaf blower?



I have previously, and obviously it did not work. It looked clean near the end of the house but back at the dryer end it must have been caked on. The lint is damp at that end so it sticks to the vent line. A leaf blower won't remove caked on lint that was deposited when damp.

 

[MasterSolenoid]

I also remove the 'front' of the Dryer and clean around the Fan.

This is the price we pay for not liking Polyester Cloths and Disco Music.

 

[spasm3]

Originally Posted By: MasterSolenoid


This is the price we pay for not liking Polyester Cloths and Disco Music.

 

[PSS]

Did you notice shorter drying time?

 

[JLawrence08648]

I remove the top and front and do a thorough job cleaning. If it's never been done before, you will get a bucket full. The lint catches fire around the flame, it needs to be cleaned!

 

[SevenBizzos]

Just after I moved into my house I wanted to reseat the dryer vent junction to the roof. Glad I did. The entire vent was packed with lint. The flex hose was too. Then I took off the front of the dryer (it came with the house) and the entire front and inside of the dryer was packed. I couldn't believe a) there was that much lint that could ever accumulate and b) how there wasn't a fire. Now it's an annual thing. Full cleaning. One of the years I found a dead bird in there. Not that a bird carcass would catch on fire, but geez.

 

[mightymousetech]

Or just get a ventless dryer and never have to worry about it again.

Bonus, you are not blowing all your heated/cooled interior air out the vent when using the dryer.