Community Forums

LindaH · 11-28-2007, 08:55 AM

Earl finally got a hole cut in the grid and pulled out a huge wad of lint! Should make the dryer work much better now.

Workshop · 11-28-2007, 10:55 AM

Glad progress has been made. Viewed many sites the past few days, only several styles to look at.

You mentioned in your first post that there was a lot of lint built up behind the screen? If you think necessary, there is a lint brush, 'bout 1" by 18" in lenght that's made for vent cleaning available at Sears, Lowes or HD to help break loose whats in the dryer duct. Remember to check the vent opening often to see if anything breaks loose now that it's open.

Now we know who to sent dryer vent questions to.

2goldens · 11-28-2007, 10:55 AM

Now that he got the hole cut, how will he put it back together? Did he cut a hole in the flapper vent on the outside of the trailer? Or, how did he take the flapper vent off?

Highgturn · 11-29-2007, 04:55 AM

I have cleaned out the lint several times by using a leaf blower. I remove the lint trap inside the dryer and place the blower's nozzle in the opening. The lint doesn't hold up too well to a 100 MPH wind.

rockintom · 11-29-2007, 05:59 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Highgturn:
I have cleaned out the lint several times by using a leaf blower. I remove the lint trap inside the dryer and place the blower's nozzle in the opening. The lint doesn't hold up too well to a 100 MPH wind.

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Bob,
I would think you wouldn't need the leaf blower to do that job!

You know all that hot air and all!

Just got carried away. Sometimes I just can't help myself!

LindaH · 11-29-2007, 07:41 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Workshop:
You mentioned in your first post that there was a lot of lint built up behind the screen? If you think necessary, there is a lint brush, 'bout 1" by 18" in lenght that's made for vent cleaning available at Sears, Lowes or HD to help break loose whats in the dryer duct. Remember to check the vent opening often to see if anything breaks loose now that it's open.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
With the grid in place, something like the lint brush would be of absolutely no help. The holes in the grid are too small to get a lint brush through, and even if you could get a lint brush through, cleaning the grid doesn't do the job. Earl was up on a ladder the other day picking out the lint from the grid; however, when he finally cut a hole in the grid, he got a huge wad of lint out of it.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by 2goldens:
Now that he got the hole cut, how will he put it back together? Did he cut a hole in the flapper vent on the outside of the trailer? Or, how did he take the flapper vent off? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Nothing was taken apart. Earl did not cut a hole in the flapper vent...he cut a hole in the grid underneath the flapper vent...without taking the flapper off. It's tight work, and he wasn't able to cut the entire grid out (the hood would have to be taken off in order to do that...something we didn't want to do unless absolutely necessary), but he did cut a hole big enough that accumulation of lint shouldn't be a problem in the future.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Highgturn:
I have cleaned out the lint several times by using a leaf blower. I remove the lint trap inside the dryer and place the blower's nozzle in the opening. The lint doesn't hold up too well to a 100 MPH wind. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
But how do you then get the lint that's loosened past the grid on the outside of the rig?

Highgturn · 11-29-2007, 08:03 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">But how do you then get the lint that's loosened past the grid on the outside of the rig?

Linda Hylton
2007 Excel Classic 30RKE
2007 Dodge Ram 3500 Big Horn Edition
On the road fulltiming...see where we are now:
http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Linda,

Apparently, yours is different from ours. The wire grid is on the back of the dryer and can be seen when the lint trap is removed, you can even touch it. On the other side of it is a metal tube connected to the flapper, i.e. a straight shot to the outside when the flapper is open.

Workshop · 11-29-2007, 10:41 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by LindaH:
I clean the lint screen before each dryer load, but the lint screen doesn't catch all the lint. When the lint screen is removed, I can reach my fingers in the opening and pull out wads of lint from the lower part of the opening. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

This isn't the brush kit I was referring to, there are brushes that have a longer bristle area. They can be used from the inside, at the dryer screen area, or outside and help to loosen and pull out lint from the duct and openings. The brushes are flexable.

Have never used a leaf blower to clean the ductwork before, but it might work.

I have used a vacuum at the opening (screen)or duct while using the brush to break up the lint. Have used a vacuum on the vent side to create a suction while working on the screen/duct side. Have also reversed the hose on the shop vac to blow rather than use the suction, blowing into the screen/duct area while using the brush on the inside and at the vent. Could that be a leaf blower by another name? Even had to disassemble duct work in attics to clean out properly. Some places builders are putting laundry rooms weren't designed to vent the dryer properly. Have had to clean a 31ft vent line before, not a pretty site.

October was fire prevention month. Not ment to scare, just to pass important information and hope everyone be safe.

Hope something helped.

LindaH · 11-29-2007, 01:38 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Highgturn:
Apparently, yours is different from ours. The wire grid is on the back of the dryer and can be seen when the lint trap is removed, you can even touch it. On the other side of it is a metal tube connected to the flapper, i.e. a straight shot to the outside when the flapper is open. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Your's IS different. Our grid isn't wire and it's not located at the back of the dryer. It's plastic and it's located under the flapper vent on the outside of the rig under the hood.

LindaH · 11-29-2007, 01:43 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Workshop:
I was referring to, there are brushes that have a longer bristle area. They can be used from the inside, at the dryer screen area </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ah, now I understand. Yes, a brush would work well for getting the lint out of the inside of the dryer once the lint screen is removed. It would need to be a shorter brush, or the long brush in the picture would have to be bent, since the lint screen and area where it fits isn't at the front of the dryer like in the picture, but rather, in the back wall of the dryer. A vacuum cleaner would work well, too, except for the fact that there's no way to get the hose down into the vent inside the dryer even with a narrow crevice attachment because it's too big (at least the one on our vacuum is).

Workshop · 11-29-2007, 02:40 PM

I assume that as long as you can have the nozzle of the vac as close into the opening as possible, you can still benifit from the suction of the vac. Might try having the nozzle in the opening while moving the brush within the duct and see if that works or after you use the brush, position the vac hose into the opening and cover it with a small towel, sealing it, that should increase the suction from the outside vent back to the vacuum which might help pull loose lint out of the duct and screen area.

After I've cleaned a ductwork and everything is back in position, I always place the dryer on low setting and run the unit for 'bout 10 min. and check the outside vent for anything that got missed. You might try cleaning some and run the system on low and use the system to blow what ever to the vent opening.

Almost all duct/vents we clean are over 10 ft in length, through attics and under slabs. So when I mention running vac's and blowing into ducts that's why. The leaf blower, electric, just might be an option for moving air through the duct on some jobs.

The wire shaft of the brush will bend and will stay in whatever position you put it in.