Dryer Question

[LindaH]

Yesterday, I tried to dry a load of clothes and they never got completely dry. Today, the same thing is happening.

The clothes are warm, so I know the heater is working. I'm sure the problem is the lint clogging the vents.

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.

Also, when we go outside and look at the vent opening on the side of the RV, we can see that lint is clogging the opening. However, we can't figure out any way of taking the cover off so that we can get to the grid, take it off, and access the vent to clean out all the accumulated lint.

The Owner's Manual isn't any help...while it says that lint should be removed every two years, or more often from the inside of the dryer cabinet and the exhaust vent, it doesn't say how to access either location...and it says to have it done by "a qualified person." So, we're supposed to take the rig someplace and PAY someone to clean out the vents??? That could get really expensive, particularly considering we've had this rig only 10 months!!!

[LindaH]

Yesterday, I tried to dry a load of clothes and they never got completely dry. Today, the same thing is happening.

The clothes are warm, so I know the heater is working. I'm sure the problem is the lint clogging the vents.

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.

Also, when we go outside and look at the vent opening on the side of the RV, we can see that lint is clogging the opening. However, we can't figure out any way of taking the cover off so that we can get to the grid, take it off, and access the vent to clean out all the accumulated lint.

The Owner's Manual isn't any help...while it says that lint should be removed every two years, or more often from the inside of the dryer cabinet and the exhaust vent, it doesn't say how to access either location...and it says to have it done by "a qualified person." So, we're supposed to take the rig someplace and PAY someone to clean out the vents??? That could get really expensive, particularly considering we've had this rig only 10 months!!!

[LindaH]

Earl is busy up on a ladder with a paper clip digging out as much of the lint as he can from the plastic grid on the outside vent!

As far as we can tell, this plastic grid serves absolutely NO purpose other than to trap lint. The spaces are not small enough to prevent bugs from getting inside, and the vent does have a flapper door that closes when the dryer isn't on.

So, does anyone see a problem with Earl's idea of taking a small hack saw and cutting out the plastic grid?

[Workshop]

Linda,

If you have a lid/flapper on the vent I can't see why removing the grid would cause a problem. When we are installing dryer vents on stick builts, unless the ower specifies having a grid, we always install one with a hood and a flapper door. You are right the grids will/have caused the dryer to dry slowly. We have used wire dykes to cut the grid out, depending on size. Try to leave as smooth a surface as possible, wet lint clings to anything.

When you think you have it cleaned out, run the dryer to force air out the vent to blow out anything that might be loose and see if anything collected at the vent opening again. Just need to check the flapper from time to time to ensure the lint doesn't collect on the flapper preventing it from closing securely. Would only guess that a 120v dryer might not have the airflow a home unit does and the air temp not as hot as the 220v units. Thus slower moving damp lint to collect someplace.

Hope something helped.

[LindaH]

Thanks, Workshop. You've confirmed our suspicion that the grid does nothing but collect lint. There's both a hood and a flapper door on the outside, so I think we'll just cut out the plastic grid.

Maybe PI will rethink leaving the plastic grid on the vent when installing a washer and dryer in the future.

[2goldens]

Your message could have been written by me...I have the same problem. I went outside thinking I could just remove the outside vent and clean it out from there, but it is sealed to the unit. How do I remove it and then put it back on if I cut the seal surrounding it?

[D and J]

Did Earl get the grid cut off OK??

We are right up the road from you (just off Plomosa road) if you need a hand. We are carrying a ton of tools with us. Well, maybe not a ton, but at least 750 pounds

Doug and Jutta

[Workshop]

2goldens,

I do not have a washer/dryer installed in my unit, only experience with home units. As I haven't seen what's install on your unit, have seen other's that have been installed on rv's. If you don't see the screws that are used to mount the vent to the side, raise the flapper and see if the screws are underneath. If no screws, might be held in place by the dryer hose/clamp and sealed in place?

Trouble would be removing the vent, would guess the hole-through-side of wall wouldn't be large enough to pull dryer hose with clamp through. They are usually installed from the inside after the vent is installed. Do you have access to that connection, if so remove the dryer hose/tubing and cleanout from there if possible. Ensuring fewer bends and sharp angles increases airflow.


Hope something helped.

[LindaH]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Workshop:
If you don't see the screws that are used to mount the vent to the side, raise the flapper and see if the screws are underneath. If no screws, might be held in place by the dryer hose/clamp and sealed in place? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I don't know how the hood is attached to the side of the RV...there are no visible screws anyplace. It does have caulking around it, but that's about all we can see.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Trouble would be removing the vent, would guess the hole-through-side of wall wouldn't be large enough to pull dryer hose with clamp through. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I don't think that it would be necessary to pull the dryer hose through the hole. As long as we can get to the plastic grid covering the hole, Earl can use a hack saw to remove it. The trouble could be in getting to the plastic grid with the hood in place, since there's not much room to maneuver. It would be nice to know how the hood is attached to the side of the RV and if it can be easily removed and then replaced. That would give us free access to get to the plastic grid.

[LindaH]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by D and J:
We are right up the road from you (just off Plomosa road) if you need a hand. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Doug & Jutta, I've sent you a PM.

(By the way, you might want to change your signature to say "Quartzsite AZ" rather than "Quartzsite AR." )

[D and J]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by LindaH:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by D and J:
We are right up the road from you (just off Plomosa road) if you need a hand. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


(By the way, you might want to change your signature to say "Quartzsite AZ" rather than "Quartzsite AR." ) </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


Fixed!

[Workshop]

This is the type vents
I'm used to seeing. If there are no exterior screws, without seeing it would be hard to say if it's retained from the inside or the "hood" covers the mounting screws. Sorry, looked at several sites and this is mostly whats out there to view.

Sorry couldn't help further.

[LindaH]

Workshop, no that's not the kind of vent on our RV. While the hood looks somewhat similar, ours doesn't have the flange around it. I'm looking on the Internet to see if I can find a picture of what we have (don't know how to post a picture here, otherwise I'd go outside and take a picture of it).

[DeepDoc1]

Just an obtw, I believe the grids are supposed to keep critters out, like mice, chipmunks, birds, etc. As long as the flap works you should be ok, but if the flap sticks open, you may have visitors. Of course, the vent is usually high enough to keep out all but the most acrobatically inclined rodents, but birds may take a liking to the hose...until you start drying something .