Clean your dryer vent pipe!

[KGMtech]

Like any good BITOG'r I have a checklist of to-do's before the winter sets in, this time around I did one of the tasks a bit more carefully than in past years.

My natural gas dryer is pretty easy to open up and clean the burner zone, did that 1 week ago. Next was the vent pipe.
Saturday I took a rag and some spare house wiring NMD90 14/3 and snaked out the tube to the outdoor exit. I was surprised at how much had collected! we don't use fabric softener sheets, but even so the lint boulders were significantly rewarding.

The total pipe run is less than 11 feet, all smooth metal ducting, 2 ninety degree bends, no screws, taped together with aluminum foil tape.

So I encourage others to snake their dryer pipe!

 

[4WD]

Fisher Paykel top load gas dryer - major fire hazard since it has to be opened up to get all the funk out.

 

[Danno]

Mine is about 10" back of dryer to outside. Just checked it and it is clean - thanks for the reminder in general.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I replaced a vinyl slinky hose with foil slinky. You just collapse the slinky and run a giant " biottle brush duster through there. Got about 1 cu ft midly compressed fluff.

My basement is cold so the vent pipe is going to condense moisture and collect fine dust.

You should have a water trap so it doesn't roll back into the dryer outlet.

Also leave some link coating on the outklet screen filter to keep the lint in the filter and not on the pipe.. My wife disagrees,and will not comply, but she's no "Engineer"

Dang Modern women!

 

[69GTX]

If you have a flap/check valve at the end of the duct that keeps cold winter air out, be sure to clean around and behind the flapper hinges. Just a little bit of lint can get in there and restrict the opening of that flapper. The first time that happened to us it restricted the flow so much that the dryer needed double cycles to do its normal work. Hard to see it unless you get a mirror and flashlight----and poke out that stuff with a screw driver.

As an aside, my elderly neighbor wasn't servicing his dryer filter screen. I noticed it when he didn't even have his duct connected to outside! After fixing his vent line I asked him when was the last time he cleaned the dryer lint screen? He didn't know it had one...or had forgot. When he went to find it, he couldn't. I had a tough time sliding that out because it was so compacted. When finally removed, it was like a piece of foam cushion 3-4" thick! It was amazing.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

I do ours twice a year-spring and fall.

I have one of the kits that fits over the vent pipe on the outside. It attaches to the shop vac, and it has a brush that attaches to a drill. Put the cover on, turn on the dryer (no heat setting), turn on the shop vac, run the brush up and down the line a few times and it's clean as a whistle. It takes maybe 10 minutes each time to do it.

 

[SHOZ]

I worked on a ladies electric dryer once. The exhaust high temp fuse link had blown open.

I took the back of the dryer and it was plugged solid. No way was any air moving through it. It took her about 30 minutes to clean the thing out. Lucky the duct was straight through the wall and a short run.

 

[Bud]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
I do ours twice a year-spring and fall.

I have one of the kits that fits over the vent pipe on the outside. It attaches to the shop vac, and it has a brush that attaches to a drill. Put the cover on, turn on the dryer (no heat setting), turn on the shop vac, run the brush up and down the line a few times and it's clean as a whistle. It takes maybe 10 minutes each time to do it.


I have the same thing. Works like a charm.

 

[DemoFly]

Borescope is useful for this

For those on the fence about purchasing one for automotive work...maybe this can convince the missus this holiday season...

 

[Lyman]

I disconnect mine and stick my cordless leaf blower down it. It blows everything out real well. I only have a short 6' run.

 

[larryinnewyork]

Also good to do is;
Clean the Blades of the squirrel cage fan.
They load up with lint.

 

[hemitom]

House fire in my neck of the woods last week , fire inspector is targeting the dryer vent as a possible cause ....

 

[BalticBob]

Originally Posted By: Blkstanger
I disconnect mine and stick my cordless leaf blower down it. It blows everything out real well. I only have a short 6' run.


That is a great idea!