If your dryer vent hasn’t been cleaned in over a year, you probably need to clean it now. If you noticed that the vent doesn’t work properly and your clothes aren’t dry enough, you definitely need to clean the vent before using it again.
The lint in your exhaust vent can be actually dangerous. It can get ignited during the cold season of the year when the air in your house is dry and the heating is on. You can prevent house fires by cleaning your vent in about 30 minutes.
Here is how you can do it:
- First of all, you need to unplug your dryer. If you have a gas dryer switch off the gas.
- Move your dryer out to access the vent tube behind the machine.
- You will see a vent clamp on the back of the dryer. You need to loosen it with a screw driver. Then you need to take it off the dryer.
- When you pulled the vent clamp off, take out all the lint and any buildup. You can use your vacuum cleaner to get rid of all the dust and lint. Put the hose inside the machine to access the lint that you cannot reach otherwise.
- Now you need to clean the vent tube. Use vacuum cleaner to take the lint out. Don’t worry if you cannot reach the middle of the tube with the vacuum cleaner as most of the lint is stored at the ends of the tube. In case there is a big lint buildup in the middle of the tube, use a hose brush or a plumbing snake to pull the lint out. If this method doesn’t work, be creative and use the hook of a coat hanger to reach the clogged part. Avoid damaging the tube with the edges of the hanger, as it may cause leaks in the future.
- Now you need to reattach the tube to the vent. Put back the clamp and move the dryer back where it belongs.
- Now you need to walk outside and find the vent on the wall of your house. Use screw driver to remove the cover and a knife to get rid of the caulking around it.
- Remove all the lint with vacuum cleaner. Look inside the pipe and use a plumbing snake again to get rid of all the lint.
- Go back inside and plug your drier in. If you run it for several minutes all the lint leftovers will fly out of the vent outside the house. That is why you shouldn’t stand next to the exit vent. Turn off the drier and walk outside.
- Check if the exit vent outside is clean and has no lint stuck to it. Now you can place the vent cover back where it belongs.
Cleaning the Vent Outside of the House:
You also can remove the bottom part of the dryer and clean it as well. In case the vent tube is too long you can use a leaf blower to clean it. If your vacuum cleaner has an option to blow air, you can use it to get rid of the lint in the vent.
In case you don’t want to clean your vent on your own, you can always call dryer vent cleaning services in Indianapolis and let professionals to take care of your clogged vent. It is cheaper to clean the vent than buy a new one. That is why you need to maintain your dryer on a regular basis. Clogged dryer vent will not work property and will eventually break down.