Cleaned out the dryer vent. WHOA.

my neighbor was in the insurance business for 30+ years.
she said that clogged ducts or lint traps are the #1 cause of dryer fires.
(#1 cause of interior house fires are candles/matches)
also, she said failure of water lines to refrigerators and washers are the #1 cause
of interior house flooding according the claims she processed.
 
DangerRuss said:
If you use one of those brushes, check the design and make sure you understand what will happen if you put the drill in reverse. My brother-in-law had the brush in the middle of the duct run, put the drill in reverse, and it unscrewed the shaft and left the brush stuck in there.
Click to expand...
If you're OCD wrap each joint with duct tape.
 
turkeydance said:
my neighbor was in the insurance business for 30+ years.
she said that clogged ducts or lint traps are the #1 cause of dryer fires.
(#1 cause of interior house fires are candles/matches)
also, she said failure of water lines to refrigerators and washers are the #1 cause
of interior house flooding according the claims she processed.
Click to expand...
Yep. The rubber hoses on washers are supposed to be replaced every 5 years.
I recommend braided stainless hoses. They're pricey but there's some insurance built in against failure.

Dryer ductwork that has screws in it tends to cause problems with lint accumulation. It's my belief that the lint found in the dryer cabinet tends to be worse if the vent is restricted. Restrictions are the result of bends, length and lint.
 
Jeppo said:
I’ve done ours twice. Both times there were tons of lint inside the cabinet. That’s despite blowing it out every few months.
Click to expand...
If your dryer is 'making' lint, then you are drying too hot, and damaging your clothes/linens/etc.

You need good airflow so if your vent tube is clogged up, it will also burn up your heating element in the dryer.

Dry on low heat for longer duration. Warm air, not hot air and good flowing air will dry clothes, and prolong their life. And, believe it or not, is cheaper. It takes way less energy to spin the drum than heat up the element.
 
DangerRuss said:
If you use one of those brushes, check the design and make sure you understand what will happen if you put the drill in reverse. My brother-in-law had the brush in the middle of the duct run, put the drill in reverse, and it unscrewed the shaft and left the brush stuck in there.
Click to expand...

I would put tape on the joints where they thread together just to prevent an accidental unscrewing
 
Our dryer vent duct has to go vertical for about 8 feet and then turn 90 degrees and pass through the joists of the floor above. Do not want lint piling up in there. Two things have improved the situation considerably: removing the grill (which would clog) on the exterior vent and installing a lightly-counterweighted flap valve to keep critters out; and installing an in-line booster fan in the duct to help speed any lint on it’s way out. The fan has a sensitive pressure switch that informs it when the dryer is blowing air, and the fan starts and runs until the dryer stops. Possible downside is, if it stops running, the fan becomes an obstruction, but I can tell when it’s running and make a habit of checking it when the dryer is running. When this thread was posted I inspected the dryer filter, duct work, fan and outlet vent - all clear :p.
 
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