How to Clean your Dryer Vent

If your dryer is taking more than one cycle to dry a load of clothes you have an air flow problem. Most likely the dryer vent system is clogged with lint that escapes the lint trap as it is removed from tumbling laundry.

Dryer vent cleaning is recommended annually to prevent dryer fires and improve the efficiency of your dryer. Dryer vent cleaning can save you over $400 per year in energy cost.

First, unplug your dryer if it is electric or turn off the gas valve if you have a gas dryer. Pull the dryer away from the wall and sweep any lint that has accumulated behind the dryer.

Remove the lint screen and use the shop vac to blow loose lint into the dryer ducts. Disconnect the dryer duct; put on good work gloves and reach into the hole to pull out any lint that has built up in the back of the dryer. A shop vac with attachments comes in handy for this job too.

Clean the dryer duct tubing by blowing it out with your shop vac. Often lint is stuck to the inside of the vent tubes so you will need special dryer vent cleaning tools that are available at hardware stores. You can get extendable poles with brush attachments to reach in and loosen the lint built up in the dryer ducts or there are brush attachments that can be used with a power drill.

Go outside and remove the vent cover on the outside of the house and repeat the process. Reattach the dryer duct to the dryer, slide it back into place and run the dryer for about 10 minutes to remove any loose debris that may still be in there.

Dryer vent cleaning can be a difficult job; some dryer vent systems are very long or have bends and turns which make the job more difficult for the average homeowner. Professional dryer vent cleaning is recommended to be sure the job is done properly. A professional will do a thorough job to ensure your clothes dryer is operating safely and efficiently.





Keith O’Loane is a dryer exhaust specialist and franchise owner of Dryer Vent Wizard in Louisville, Kentucky and Southern Indiana. He provides professional dryer vent cleaning, dryer vent repair and installation in residential homes and commercial businesses. Visit http://dryerventcleaninglouisville.blogspot.com/ to learn more about dryer vent cleaning and maintenance.

Dryer Vent Wizard of Kentuckiana provides dryer vent cleaning, dryer vent repair, dryer vent installation, dryer vent inspections and all dryer vent services for homes and businesses in Louisville, Lexington, Frankfort, Shelbyville, Nicholasville, Elizabethtown, Lawrenceburg in Kentucky and Jeffersonville and New Albany in Indiana and neighboring cities and communities.

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