Spring Is Here. Please Clean Your Dryer Vent

Spring is the proper time to sort out these hidden bother spots round the home, and your dryer vent ought to be excessive on the checklist. While it won’t be as apparent as cluttered closets or dusty cabinets, a unclean dryer vent is without doubt one of the greatest residence fireplace hazards. And even when it does not spark a hearth, it will possibly quietly drain your time, power and cash.

If your dryer used to deal with masses in a single cycle however now struggles to get the job executed, it is seemingly not the machine — it is your vent. Lint, mud, and particles buildup contained in the ductwork can significantly affect efficiency and effectivity. Giving it a superb clear this spring may help your dryer run smoother and prevent cash in your power payments, which, in accordance with a latest CNET Money survey, are already stressing out almost 80% of US adults. A fast clear now could make laundry quicker, cheaper and safer all yr lengthy.

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Step 1: Locate your duct

In order to correctly clear your dryer’s air flow system, it’s important to first know the place it’s and the place it ends. In again of most dryer models is a brief 4-inch diameter exhaust. This exhaust connects to devoted ductwork contained in the wall by way of an aluminum elbow or different pipe. Hot air travels alongside these metallic pipes to ultimately emerge by way of a gap on an outdoor wall of your home.   

In my explicit setup, the dryer exhaust joined a duct on the foot of a wall inside my laundry room. Located within the basement, from there it runs to an exit vent at floor degree and some ft to the precise of my entrance door. Capping the exist is a louvered plastic cowl. It opens to let heat air escape however stays shut in any other case to maintain animals out.

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Step 2: Safely disconnect the dryer

Now that the beginning and finish factors of your duct, it is time to disconnect the dryer. It’s a easy process should you personal an electrical dryer. First unplug the machine’s energy wire from the wall outlet. Next take away any metallic tape or clamps retaining the dryer vent pipe mounted to its exhaust. If it is simpler you may solely wish to take away materials attaching the vent to the duct contained in the wall.

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Gently pull the vent pipe away from the wall duct. If your dryer is electrical you must have the ability to push the equipment out of the way in which with none points. This will open up extra space to work.

Homeowners with dryers that run on pure fuel should be extra cautious. Make certain to not disturb the dryer’s fuel line an excessive amount of if it is advisable reposition the unit. Like fuel ranges, the gas hookup normally consists of a versatile metal hose. The hose ought to be tightly hooked up nevertheless it’s greatest to play it protected. Gas leaks are critical and harmful enterprise. If at any level you are uncertain, name in an expert.

Step 3: Clean, clear, clear

At this level you must have clear entry to the dryer duct opening on the laundry room wall. You may also simply get on the exit level outdoors the home by eradicating its duct flap or duct cowl. Next it is advisable purchase a specialised dryer vent cleansing equipment. I picked this one up at my native Home Depot for $19. It consists of a lint brush and 6 2-foot-long versatile segments. You be a part of these elements collectively to type a rod that spans a full 12 ft.

In my case I bought a further unit which each doubles its attain and offers a back-up brush head for protected retaining. The finish of the nifty contraption additionally suits inside customary energy drill chucks. So armed, you’ll spin the comb with a superb quantity of velocity and energy.  

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Insert the comb finish of the rod into your duct. I made a decision to enter from the surface of the home since that is its highest level. The thought was to make use of gravity as an help to clear lodged particles. It’s simpler to gather lint on my laundry room ground too than it’s from inside my mulch-covered flower backyard.

While spinning the rod (counter clockwise to keep away from unscrewing its segments), push the comb so far as you possibly can down the duct. Hopefully you may have sufficient size to succeed in the duct’s different finish. Keep in thoughts the method may take just a few tries relying what number of twists and turns your ductwork could have.  

Step 4: Tidy up, reconnect every thing

If your dryer vent is something like mine, anticipate quite a bit of lint to return flooding out of the wall. The quantity of junk that littered the laundry room ground introduced my upright vacuum to its knees. In the top I needed to clear out the vacuum twice to return it to working order. In hindsight, I counsel utilizing a easy broom and dustpan.

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After every thing is tidy, put every thing again the way in which it was — with one exception. If your dryer used a smooth foil-style vent to hyperlink to the wall duct, do away with it. These hoses are a recognized fireplace threat. I personally changed the unique semi-rigid venting with a pair of 90-degree aluminum elbows. Adjustable but onerous, they’re sturdy and supply the perfect airflow interval.

Step 5: Do a trial run and smile

No doubt about it. Giving your dryer duct a radical cleansing is sweaty, messy work. Two years of duct neglect was all it took to successfully cripple my outdated dryer. A fast trial run post-cleaning, nevertheless, confirmed the equipment had regained all its energy. Not solely would I not have to purchase an costly new unit, I’d put the kibosh on the danger of a scary dryer fireplace. Now that is a worthwhile chore.