Splendide washer/dryer vent cleaning tip

[RKL2]

While wintering in Florida I vacuum out the dryer vent monthly to remove lint buildup...After cleaning last month I noticed that the outside vent vanes where not opening all the way and the dryer was running hotter than normal.
I opened the door and covered the openning with a duct taped piece of cardboard with a hole cut in the center just large enough for my leaf blower. I turned on the blower and the cardboard started to balloon up and after several seconds it "burped" and the ballooning stopped and air flow was ok.
I went outside and found large clumps of lint apprx 20 feet away on the grass. The vent vanes were now wide open and the dryer runs cool. Hope this tip helps...Apparently the lint was clogging up inside the machine before reaching the vent hole on the back of the machine......RKL

[RKL2]

While wintering in Florida I vacuum out the dryer vent monthly to remove lint buildup...After cleaning last month I noticed that the outside vent vanes where not opening all the way and the dryer was running hotter than normal.
I opened the door and covered the openning with a duct taped piece of cardboard with a hole cut in the center just large enough for my leaf blower. I turned on the blower and the cardboard started to balloon up and after several seconds it "burped" and the ballooning stopped and air flow was ok.
I went outside and found large clumps of lint apprx 20 feet away on the grass. The vent vanes were now wide open and the dryer runs cool. Hope this tip helps...Apparently the lint was clogging up inside the machine before reaching the vent hole on the back of the machine......RKL

[DonavonP]

RKL, this is a great idea. When I first read your post I wondered how you got that 10HP gas engine leaf blower past your wife. I also wondered if this wouldn't make a great skit on the Red Green show but then I realized you probably used an electric leaf blower.

Anyway, thanks for the idea. I'm going to trying this on my home clothes dryer. I have an electric
leaf blower that also has a vacumn attachment. The vacumn attachment has replaced my shop vac. - a little dusty and the impeller wears quickly but it sure does a nice job.

[AFChap]

RKL

Not sure where you are saying you put the cardboard & leaf blower hose ... maybe yours is different from mine. I don't know of anyplace I can do that inside the coach.

How do you vacuum the vent? ...perhaps by pushing a vacuum hose up the vent??? ...or are you sucking the lint back up the vent hose? If you are going at it from outside, it is possible that you cold push lint up the tube while attempting to suck it out, and perhaps create a blockage or lay the groundwork for one to be formed. Even if you attempting to suck it back up the tube I can see that maybe happening. Some of the lint clings quite securely to the vent tube walls.

We fulltime and use our Spendide anywhere from 2-4 times per week. I have cleaned the vent tube only once in the three + years since we bought the coach in Jul 2003. I poked a stiff wire up the tube while the dryer was on so it would blow out what I scraped loose. Even with the air blowing, many clumps of lint resisted coming out. I could have easily created a blockage if I had tried.

[RKL2]

I vacuum the unit from the outside thru the vent cover...I use a wand that fits between the vent vanes...It removes (sucks) nearly all the lint and does not push the lint back towards the machine...
I then blow the air into the washer door opening inside the coach...I cover the door opening hole with a circular piece of cardboard and tape the cardboard to the washer. I cut a hole in the middle of the cardboard and insert the business end of the leaf blower and just turn it on..The air blows in from the leaf blower through the washer and out of the washer thru the exterior vent opening.Works like a charm...RKL

[bellsharbor]

RLK,

Thanks for the tip. I purchased my 2002 Journey just this year and while it was at the dealer getting work done; I had them check the dryer vent due to lint inside the cabinet. They said the vent had come lose and the hose had become kinked and plugged up. I have not used it since, but seems like preventive maintainance is a good thing.

[DriVer]

Thank you for sharing! I do have an electric leaf blower.

[Ding-a-ling]

DriVer - Someone has got to ask....

Why do you carry an electric leaf blower around?????

[DriVer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Ding-a-ling:
Why do you carry an electric leaf blower around????? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>I see you have been taking lessons from &gt;MikeT&lt; "grasshopper!"

[NeilV]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by DriVer:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Ding-a-ling:
Why do you carry an electric leaf blower around????? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>I see you have been taking lessons from &gt;MikeT&lt; "grasshopper!" </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Maybe to clean out the leaves and debris that accumulated between the slides and the toppers. Helps dry off a wet awning before rolling it up too.

Anyhow it makes a loud noise and it's a power tool! ;&gt;

[GStream40]

Another way, but not really recommended I will share with you.

Several years ago when we still had our 5th wheel, we were at Myrtle Beach @ Lakewood. I decided to throw in a load of clothes in the washer. I asked the wife who was sitting under the awning how much soap to put in. She told me and measured it in the little cup, looked at it and thought this can't be enough.

So I put in appox. triple the amount. Yep, that should do it I thought, turned on the machine and went outside to join the wife and friends that had stopped by.

I sat down in a chair that was under the dryer vent with my back to it. A few minutes later our friends and my wife started laughing and pointing.

There were suds flowing out the dryer vent, not just few, but a big flow like a suds machine. I jumped up , went inside to check if any were coming out of the machine on to the floor in the closet were the Splendide was installed. Nope none inside.

I went back out, and my buddy is on the ground laughing at the giant suds pile that was still growing (4 ft. diameter by now).

Several minutes later the suds stopped, so did our laughter, the vent and hose were very clean.

Do you know how many cycles it takes to get that much soap out of the clothes?

My wife does and she won't share the information.

Oh, BTW I am not allowed to use the washer/dryer in the coach, Hmmmm.....wonder why?

Like I said, it sure does clean out the lint out of the vent hose.

[Thudman]

How can the outside vent assembly be removed?

Thudman

[AFChap]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">How can the outside vent assembly be removed? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
My dryer vent cap has a screw on each corner just like on a house ...but if I remove them I'll also be removing some full-body paint which will look very nice !!! I'm sure the vent cap is white plastic under the paint...

[wagonmaster2]

Can you get to the back side of the washer? Mine is in the bathroom and backs up to the dresser in the bedroom. If I remove a couple of the drawers in the dresser I can get to the back of the washer and see the vent tube but I've never tried to remove it. If its held onto the washer and the outside vent by clamps it shouldn't be too hard to remove (ha, when is anything about these MHs easy to get to). Just an idea.
Wagonmaster2
2004 Itasca Meridian 36G