OT: Cleaning out dryer vent pipe

Re: OT: Cleaning out dryer vent pipe

Barry Irby

>Ted you have hit upon something that is imprtant to do. If the vent is stopped up, the dryer can't dry the cloths as well as it shoud becasue it can't move the air to blow away the moisture. It will aslo over heat and probably bow the heat and moisture back into the hosue. If it's a gas dryer, It's especially dangerous becasue the vent is in effect the flue for the fire. Also, this is a source of vent fires that can set the hosue on fire.

I think you can get brushes to clean out the vent similar to the ones use by chimney sweeps. I don't know for sure. I started cleaning mine and was stunned to see it was nearly stopped up, so I took it apart. It was so bad I just replaced it, so I did not have to find the brushes. I believe there are cleaning services that will rod them out for you. If all else fails you might try a chimney sweep. Don't let it go, not only is it dangerous, it made a huge difference in the operation of the dryer.

PS....

Barry Irby

>You should have a smooth wall metal vent (galvanized duct). If you have one of those plastic vent hoses, you should replace it. In the event of a lent fire they will burn through and it probably won't stand up to cleaning.

You might also consider leaving a cord or string all the way throguh if you can, to pull the next cleaning brush back and forth with nest time you clean it.

Re: OT: Cleaning out dryer vent pipe

peter kolb

>Ted, What I did is to use a shop vac in the blower mode.

Disconnect the vac hose from the normal sucking port and put it

on the blowing outlet. This is the outlet thats always blowing

in your face. I than put on a length of the plastic vac extension wand and duct taped a PVC elbow on the extension. I think I used a 2 inch elbow.The volume of air that comes off the vac is incredible and it should blow out all the lent. In my case the ducting was rigid i.e. stove pipe and the run was 16 ft. Peter in south central nj

Re: OT: Cleaning out dryer vent pipe

peter kolb

>PS Barry is correct about the rigid metal ducting. My first attempt

was to use a chimney brush but I could not find it in 4 inch and looking at the 6 inch the bristles looked too stiff. Shopped around for several

months and found a 6 inch diameter medium bristle brush and cut off the

handle and rigged 1/4 flexible wire to the brush. I had to negotiate

a 90 degree elbow at my entree point and my rig would not do it.

peter in south central nj

Re: OT: Cleaning out dryer vent pipe

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>Perhaps a leaf blower might be a better choice that a shop vac due to the volume of air it'll put out. Just a thought.

I cannot imagine having such a long dryewr vent run. All the ones I've ever seen are just a few feet. Where mine sits it vents out of the wall to the outside. I have the plastic flex pipe that leads into a sheetmetal sleeve.

Once of the best defenses against this is to religously clean the dryer screen. I clean my constantly, but my wife and daughter don't and man o man it can build up a lot of lint in just a few loads.

Make sure to show this to any other family members to show them the dangers. As was mentioned, these lint lines a responsible for many, many, many house fires. Such an easy to prevent tragic event.

Good job on finding that Ted.

Todd O.

Re: OT: Cleaning out dryer vent pipe

Barry Irby

>I don't want to beat this to death, but if you can't inspect theh exterior of the vent and be sure it is continuous, be careful that you don't "blow" it apart with the shop vac or tear it up with the brushes. An open joint or hole in it could let warm wet air out in joist cavities or other enclosed spaces that could turn into a rot or mold night mare. (I find these occasionally as a Home Inspector)

It may be that the best you can do is to blow air in one end and try to see if it comes out he other.

My vent was so thoroughly plastered with lent I was having a hard time cleaning it with a stick and rag and it was only five feet long. (I got pics I show home inspectors.)

Re: OT: Thanks

Ted Wong

>Thanks for the suggestions. After a little googling I found a dryer vent lint brush that is much like a sewer snake, attaches to a drill and has a 15' reach. Kind of pricey at $60.00 but probably cheap insurance against a fire and given the length of my pipe (about 16' w/2 elbows) it'll make the job easier to do each time I have to do it.

Re: OT: Cleaning out dryer vent pipe

mike mcnerney

>good thing you found that blockage, but why would you send heated moist air outside in the winter time anyway if you are living in a cold & dry climate? As soon as My furnace is on most of the time, usually Nov. to april, I disconect the dryer & keep all that moist heated air in the house. You can buy a shut off valve with filter if you are concerned about the lint.

Mike McNerney in Ottawa

Re: OT: Cleaning out dryer vent pipe

Jim O in Davenport IA

>We used to have a long run also. I rerouted it a while back.

When we got build up I used an electrician's snake to run a string all the way thru the pipe, then tied a large foam sponge to the string and pulled it thru. I had to run it thru several times but it works like a charm.

Re: During heating season I divert the....

Jamie Donaldson

>... hot moist exhaust into my garage/shop area. I installed a "T" with a moveable gate and a mesh lint collector, and have also used a ladies nylon stocking as a lint trap. Sure helps to have the extra heat and moisture in the below grade shop, and I don't have to pay for it twice!

You're gonna LOVE this.... *LINK*

Tim Greif - West of Chicago

>I cleaned my dryer vent out a while back and it was a very memorable experience. Good luck.


Cleaning the Dryer Vent

Re: You're gonna LOVE this....

Bruce Wrenn

>I guess that you didn't see the "stupid light " come on? Dryer sheets cause a residue to build up in dryer vents, and allow for lint to accumulate. Make sure dryer vent in crawl spaces dosen't have a low spot. Evetually moisture will settle there. I have seen the plastic flex ones with multiple sags, all half full of moisture. Take an ice pick and punch a hole in them to drain the water. Then replace with a metal pipe, only taped at the joints. No screws to catch lint.

Did this last year.

Craig Daymon

>I had a bird's nest in the vent. (And quite a bit of lint.) I took the shop vac up to the dryer, disconnected the vent for the dryer, hooked the shop vac hose to the exhaust port, stuffed the hose in the outlet port and a rag around it for a tighter fit. When I turned the vac on, after a few seconds a large mass shot out the back of the house and all was clear. NOTE: I also took the vent cover off the back of the house before ejecting the mass (which was part of determining the problem).

-Craig

Re: OT: Cleaning out dryer vent pipe

David Sparks

>Several guys have mentioned using a leaf blower to clean the vent pipe. I haven't cleaned mine yet, but my leaf blower also works as a vacuum. I'm thinking it should suck plenty hard enough to clean the lint out. By hooking it up on the outside of the house I wouldn't have to move the dryer or take the discharge hose loose.

Re: During heating season I divert the....

Neal in San Jose

>I sure hope that's an electric dryer. If it is a gas dryer, you might end up dead from the carbon monoxide they put out.

Do you have any problems with rust from the damp air? I noticed I was suddenly getting a lot of rust on my expensive cast iron, and traced it to a broken dryer vent that was allowing hot, moist air into my gar...I mean, studio. The moisture condensed on the table saw, jointer, etc. and caused a lot of rust in a pretty short time.