denisew
Community Expert
Posts: 9241
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 02-18-02
|
09-15-08 01:54 PM - Post#61998
It seems everytime I do this, I want to remind people to keep the lint cleaned out of the dryer vent. I cleaned our dryer vent today by dropping a rag tied to a heavy object down the tube from the attic and pulled it through. I did this twice. I also cleaned out where the hot air exits through the roof. There was a lot of lint and I felt like a dust bunny when I was done. Lint is very flamable so it is important to keep this cleaned out occasionally. It also helps the dryer perform more efficiently. Yes, we have talked about getting one of those electric vent vans to shoot it out the top, but haven't done it yet. In the meantime, I'll keep cleaning it and will dust off my shirt when I'm all done. Actually, I had to change my shirt when I was done. I'm not even going to mention all the lint and junk I found under the dryer when I pulled it out -oops! I just did!
|
Al C
enthusiast
Posts: 5920
Loc: McKinney/Allen, TX
Reg: 02-16-01
|
09-15-08 02:01 PM - Post#62000
In response to denisew
Thanks for the reminder. I've been meaning to do this ... just haven't got around to it yet.
|
mspam3
enthusiast
Posts: 2379
Loc: Allen TX
Reg: 03-10-07
|
09-15-08 03:11 PM - Post#62010
In response to denisew
We fianlly cleaned ours out and have noticed alot less dust collecting around the house. A little extra effort one day saves alot of effort alot of days! (dusting!)
|
monita
enthusiast
Posts: 443
Reg: 06-05-08
|
09-15-08 09:53 PM - Post#62063
In response to mspam3
How is this done? You actually go to the attic? Sorry new home owner not familiar with the process. Any other tips? I have been pouring some enzymes down my sinks once a month and changing my filter, using soakers for the foundation I am sure I am forgetting or not doing tons of things.
Thanks
|
civicminded
Community Guide
Posts: 9574
Loc: Lone Star State
Reg: 04-24-02
|
09-16-08 02:35 AM - Post#62083
In response to denisew
A very wise thing to do. I promise there are many fires in dryers, or related to them. The lint is often out of sight and mind, but builds up over time. For some it will even reduce the drying efficiency, until they do these simple cleaning steps.
Great post denisew, and reminds me that I want to do a safety reminder soon (October stuff). This fits with Preparedness month for September.
|
denisew
Community Expert
Posts: 9241
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 02-18-02
|
09-16-08 09:00 AM - Post#62099
In response to monita
monita - Yes, I do have to go up into the attic to do this. There is a separate section of pipe that is attached at the roof line and to the pipe that comes up into the attic. I have to pull the duct tape off, pull the pipe out and clean that separately. I rigged a heavy wrench to a rope and on the other end tied some rages. I drop the wrench end down first then go back down behind the dryer to pull it through. Usually two or three passes cleans it out really well. I do the same thing for the tube that I removed, but do this outside on the driveway. I also reach up where the vent is at the roof line to pull out as much of the compacted lint as possible. I put all the lint into a plastic bag. Believe it or not, I brought it to our Boy Scout troop meeting last night and gave it to them. They store it in with their camping gear and use it as a fire starter. The stuff is very flammable, so works out great for the scouts, but I just don't want it as a fire starter in my house. 
|
eilish
enthusiast
Posts: 821
Loc: Allen's Alliterative Aven...
Reg: 04-02-06
|
09-16-08 10:10 AM - Post#62109
In response to denisew
I think I have recommended the following on here before, but it may bear repeating.
IF you use fabric softener or softener dryer sheets, take the lint screen from your dryer and lightly scrub it with a toothbrush under running water. Allow the screen to dry, then replace it in the dryer. Fabric softeners deposit a waxy substance on the screens, cleaning this off periodically helps the screens work better. This also saves you a little money.
| To err is human, to forgive is canine. To remember every little slight, real & imagined, is feline. |
|
monita
enthusiast
Posts: 443
Reg: 06-05-08
|
09-16-08 02:36 PM - Post#62172
In response to eilish
Thanks for the tip!
|
monita
enthusiast
Posts: 443
Reg: 06-05-08
|
09-16-08 02:37 PM - Post#62173
In response to denisew
Thank you I really appreciate all the details!
|
Al C
enthusiast
Posts: 5920
Loc: McKinney/Allen, TX
Reg: 02-16-01
|
09-16-08 03:08 PM - Post#62180
In response to denisew
monita - Yes, I do have to go up into the attic to do this. There is a separate section of pipe that is attached at the roof line and to the pipe that comes up into the attic. I have to pull the duct tape off, pull the pipe out and clean that separately. I rigged a heavy wrench to a rope and on the other end tied some rages. I drop the wrench end down first then go back down behind the dryer to pull it through. Usually two or three passes cleans it out really well. I do the same thing for the tube that I removed, but do this outside on the driveway. I also reach up where the vent is at the roof line to pull out as much of the compacted lint as possible. I put all the lint into a plastic bag. Believe it or not, I brought it to our Boy Scout troop meeting last night and gave it to them. They store it in with their camping gear and use it as a fire starter. The stuff is very flammable, so works out great for the scouts, but I just don't want it as a fire starter in my house.
Sounds great ... but mine goes into a wall, up, and then between floors out to the vent on the side of the house. Not an easy clean.
|
denisew
Community Expert
Posts: 9241
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 02-18-02
|
09-16-08 03:15 PM - Post#62183
In response to Al C
Yes, mine goes up in the wall too. Then the pipe that is hooked to where it comes into the attic is angled, so it is a bit tricky to get that unhooked.
I'm wondering if there is a way to send something down your dryer tube from the side of the house? Is it a straight shot down?
My husband has mentioned hiring an electrician to install a plug on the wall that is an outside wall of our house, then put a hold through the wall to the outside to run the vent straight out. Right now the dryer is on an inside wall. If it were moved it would be less than 2 feet of pipe and would definitely cut down on having to clean it. I imagine we could have a flap over the vent on the outside that would keep the hot/cold air out when it isn't in use. But, that expense will have to wait.
|
Al C
enthusiast
Posts: 5920
Loc: McKinney/Allen, TX
Reg: 02-16-01
|
09-16-08 03:29 PM - Post#62187
In response to denisew
Not a straight shot down. Horizontal for about 10-15 feet, then down, then angled back through the wall behind the dryer.
|
civicminded
Community Guide
Posts: 9574
Loc: Lone Star State
Reg: 04-24-02
|
09-16-08 05:23 PM - Post#62213
In response to denisew
Maybe like a plumb bob or weight on a line, to draw down whatever you can pull from the other end?
|
monita
enthusiast
Posts: 443
Reg: 06-05-08
|
09-16-08 08:10 PM - Post#62228
In response to denisew
Mine goes directly outside (I think) I have a vent going right to my back yard. So if I stick something in there that will get me to the tube that connects to my dryer making for easy cleaning right? Do you do this with every season change or yearly.
|
denisew
Community Expert
Posts: 9241
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 02-18-02
|
09-16-08 08:41 PM - Post#62229
In response to monita
I check mine in the spring and in the fall, but it all depends on how much laundry you do. I would hate to do it in the summer when the attic is so darned hot. I do laundry for a family of five, so we're pretty hard on our washer and dryer. It sounds like your dryer vent is fairly easy to keep clean, so you might be able to do it more often - maybe check it quarterly. That is what I want our dryer vent to do when we get a chance - go directly through the wall to the outside.
Speaking of washers - mine needs replacing because it is leaking from where the tub is connected to the transmission - too expensive to fix this time. I already called Adam the Answer Man on this one. 
|
monita
enthusiast
Posts: 443
Reg: 06-05-08
|
09-16-08 09:26 PM - Post#62233
In response to denisew
Thanks again! Good luck with that washer...
|
phantomcobra
enthusiast
Posts: 1437
Loc: Between Canada and Mexico...
Reg: 06-18-02
|
09-19-08 01:04 PM - Post#62599
In response to monita
Seems like a good job for a trained gerbel or hamster. Attach a bunch of rags to it by a collar or preferably a harness and send it down the pipe. Then it wouldn't matter how many turns or curves, the little rodent could pull the rags along and meet you on the other end. Or maybe I've just seen too many science fiction movies.
|
denisew
Community Expert
Posts: 9241
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 02-18-02
|
09-19-08 01:51 PM - Post#62611
In response to phantomcobra
Or it might get stuck and die . . .
|
chickypez
enthusiast
Posts: 506
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 02-13-07
|
12-20-10 01:26 PM - Post#122598
In response to denisew
Ok, I am going to resurrect this very old thread. Denise, when you said you tied a wrench and rags to the rope, then lowered it down the pipe, was the intention to push the lint down to the bottom so you could get it out there or to get it to the bottom, then pull it back up with a bunch of stuff? We had some plumbing/drain problems over the weekend, and when my husband was up on the roof making sure the drain vents weren't clogged, he pulled what he could out of the top of the dryer vent pipe. Now the dryer is drying clothes quite a bit faster. I am thinking we need to make sure the rest of the pipe is not full of kindling also. From the looks of it, the vent pipe just goes straight up from the dryer to the roof. The pipe on the roof is directly above where the hose on the back of the dryer connects to the wall, so it should be easy, right?
|
texmomma
enthusiast
Posts: 534
Reg: 10-02-06
|
12-20-10 04:44 PM - Post#122605
In response to chickypez
I recently was having trouble with my dryer just not drying. The appliance guy referred me to a fireman who as a side line cleans the whole vent out the way it should be, he has the proper tools to do so. It was about $100, and the dryer works great now. Since he's not an advertiser here, pm me if you are interested in his information.
|
denisew
Community Expert
Posts: 9241
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 02-18-02
|
12-20-10 07:08 PM - Post#122613
In response to chickypez
It sounds like you have the same brilliant (not) set-up we have. We have two ways to clean it. The first is to tie the rope to the wrench (or something else heavy and narrow) and the other end to the rags and drop it down from the vent tube in the attic. This is to clean any lint that has built up on the inside of the tube. We also have to pull the vent tube off where it attaches to the roof and reach up into the vent cap to remove the lint that has built up in there too. I can never get it all out of the roof vent cap area, but do get most of it. Whatever is blocking the air movement should be cleared. I have been told that some places that do appliance repairs (try Rodenbaugh's) would have a motor to help blow the lint out so it keeps it from building up. A few years ago, the cost was between $200-$300 for something like that and I am not sure about the installation and electrical work, etc. Be sure to have some duct tape ready where you have to reattach the pipe.
|
denisew
Community Expert
Posts: 9241
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 02-18-02
|
12-20-10 07:09 PM - Post#122614
In response to texmomma
texmomma - That is good to know that people out there do that type of work.
|
texmomma
enthusiast
Posts: 534
Reg: 10-02-06
|
12-20-10 07:25 PM - Post#122616
In response to denisew
He seemed to be a really good guy. He's a firefighter who does this on the side, keeps the price low because it can be such a fire hazard. He warned against a lot of the duct cleaning places that try to do this- they usually don't have the right equipment or know-how to do it thoroughly. I'd refer him to this site to advertise, but he's actually from Bedford.
|
chickypez
enthusiast
Posts: 506
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 02-13-07
|
12-20-10 07:40 PM - Post#122617
In response to texmomma
Great! This sounds like something we should be able to do ourselves. My husband can get up on the roof and I can pull it through from the bottom.
|
catlady
enthusiast
Posts: 688
Loc: allen tx
Reg: 03-22-02
|
12-23-10 08:32 AM - Post#122716
In response to chickypez
I always use Doug's mighty clean and yes the advertise here and have always been happy.
A dog looks at you and says "You take care of me. You must be a god".
A cat looks at you and says "You give me food and shelter. I must be a god". |
|
vrs
enthusiast
Posts: 2845
Loc: Allen, Texas
Reg: 04-20-00
|
12-28-10 12:49 PM - Post#122803
In response to Al C
Not a straight shot down. Horizontal for about 10-15 feet, then down, then angled back through the wall behind the dryer.
This was the setup we had in our prior house. Fortunately DH noticed it while home was still under construction. Two 90 degree bends and close to 30 feet of vent pipe from a dryer hookup that was a straight 4 feet from an outside wall!! Builder said they like to vent out the roof for esthetic reasons. DH said, no one is going to be offended by a dryer vent exiting the side wall of the house right behind the air conditioning units - please give us the short run.
With that experience, we were watching for it in the new house!! Dryer is right next to the outside wall and we have less than a two foot vent run.
Moral of the story - if you have a ridiculous unsafe fire hazard set-up for your dryer vent, most likely you can improve the situation a million percent with an inexpensive remodel.
And even with a short pipe run, Denise's point is well taken - you have to clean it out occasionally. I think DH routinely does it when he changes AC filters. (I am sure I would not know.  )
| Raisin cookies that look like chocolate chip are the reason I have trust issues. |
|
Al C
enthusiast
Posts: 5920
Loc: McKinney/Allen, TX
Reg: 02-16-01
|
12-28-10 01:59 PM - Post#122804
In response to vrs
Our previous home was a < 2 ft shot, but this one is strange. The laundry room is basically in the middle of the house. Between that and the outside wall is the master closet, so the existing pipe runs up and over that to the outside wall. I may just put a vent through the wall of the laundry room out to the garage, making the vent all of 5 ft and straight.
|
denisew
Community Expert
Posts: 9241
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 02-18-02
|
01-06-11 04:40 PM - Post#123233
In response to vrs
I contacted Rodenbaugh's and asked Ronald if they know anyone that can do the electricl and vent for us to move our dryer across the laundry room so it vents outside. We would just have to put a hole in the wall through the brick, install the new vent, run new electrical (the box is just a few feet into the garage on the same wall) for the big plug and then close up the vent on the other side. He said he has a list of people who can do that and I told him when we get our tax refund we'll get the information from him to get it done. It never made sense the way they put in that dryer vent and it wasn't something we even thought about while having the house built. I was pregnant with my second son and a dryer vent was the furthest thing from my mind at the time.
|
