Clean Dryer Vent

You might be telling yourself that you clean the dryer vent every time you use the dryer, but this is the dryer lint filter. The full vent extends out the back of your dryer and walls of your home to expel the lint through the exhaust vent. Neglected dryer vents are the most cause of dryer fires and affect more than 10,000 homes each year. Dryer vents should be cleaned every 1-2 years, but it's best to err on the short side. Lint build-up and reduced air flow feed upon each other and may turn a moderately dirty dryer vent into catastrophic failure in a relatively short period of time. Fortunately, cleaning your dryer vent is not a complicated home maintenance task and relatively inexpensive to hire out if need be.

It is important to clean and inspect your dryer vent yearly. A poorly vented dryer can increase drying time to double and increase energy costs. Extended drying time can cause a "heat limit switch" inside the dryer to fail causing a service call, or the appearance of a bad dryer leading to unnecessary replacement.

1. Turn the Power Off: This includes both the electrical plug and the gas line for gas-powered dryers.

2. Move the Dryer out from the Wall: You will want to move the dryer out as far as the vent will safely allow. This might be about two feet and will hopefully give you sufficient access to the dryer vent.

3. Detach the Dryer Vent: Inspect the transition duct (the connection from the dryer to the vent pipe) for cracks. If it is plastic, change it to a flexible foil or other UL approved duct. A plastic transition duct will become very fragile and break with no notice. Insure that the duct is the shortest possible length and not crimped to allow the exhaust air to escape. The vent should be held fast with a clamp. Use a screwdriver, loosen the clamp, and detach the vent from the dryer.

4. Remove the Lint: You should remove the lint from both the vent and the back of the dryer. This can be done by simply reaching in and pulling out the lint. More thorough cleaning can be accomplished with a vacuum hose. Although most of the lint should be at the end of the vent, reach in as far as you can: A dryer vent only needs lint build-up in one spot to create a safety hazard. Lint can also back up in the dryer, itself. A service professional (chimneysweep) needs to remove the back panel to clean the inside of the dryer. While the back panel is open, you might inspect the blower, as coins and jewelry can lodge in this area.

5. Replace the Dryer Vent: Replace the vent and the clamp with all due diligence. Carefully push the dryer back into place.

6. Remove and Clean the Exhaust Vent: Finally, locate the exhaust for the dryer vent on the outside of your home. Remove the cover: This may require removing screws and/or scraping away the caulk lining. Slide the vent out if you can, and reach back as far as you can get. Remove the lint, and apply the vacuum hose.

7. Replace the Exhaust Vent and Cover: This, too, should be done with care. The vent cover should have a screen to prevent rodents, birds and even bees from entering and nesting. Adding new caulking may not be absolutely necessary but it will help maintain or improve your home's energy-efficiency by eliminating another possible air leak.

8. Double-Check your Work: Plug the dryer back in and turn the gas back on. Run the dryer for about 5-10 minutes on the fluff setting. You may not want to stand near the outside exhaust at first in case any loose lint and debris finally dislodges, but you should check to make sure air is freely flowing through the vent and out of the house. If you haven't correctly reassembled the vent, the dryer may start spewing lint into the home and create an allergen problem, or worse.

Dryer Vent Cleaning Tips: For an unusually long dryer vent duct, it may be necessary to buy specialized equipment or call in the pros to thoroughly clean the vent ductwork. Some dryer vent exhaust ducts have older model vent hoods with narrow slats or grates that can become clogged more quickly. It may be necessary to clean these vent hoods more frequently than the full length dryer vent.

Common Sense
Routine cleaning keeps dryers safe and working properly. The inside of vent hoses can be cleaned using a lint trap brush (sold at hardware stores).