Help cleaning outside dryer vent

[bayou316]

Howdy everyone...This is the newbie with the 2011 Excel. I need to know how to clean the vent on the outside of the 36TKE. Can not reach it from the inside of the dryer.

It looks like the outside vent has 3 little clips on the bottom and two at the top. The top ones look like little hinges. I suppose the bottom tabs have to be pushed in while hinging upward.

However, there seems to be a bead of caulking around the vent.

Is that what I see or does someone know a secret on cleaning this vent?

It is clogged big time.

Thanks.

[gripper]

If you haven' done it already, check for a service/maint. access from an adjacent closet, etc. For instance, my Providence has the washer/dryer mounted in the rear clothes closet. If I need to get to the back of the machine, I can remove a panel and reach into the back, to change water hoses, clean the dryer hose, vent, etc. It doesn't seem likely that there wouldn't be any access for maintenance or repairs.

[bayou316]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gripper If you haven' done it already, check for a service/maint. access from an adjacent closet, etc. For instance, my Providence has the washer/dryer mounted in the rear clothes closet. If I need to get to the back of the machine, I can remove a panel and reach into the back, to change water hoses, clean the dryer hose, vent, etc. It doesn't seem likely that there wouldn't be any access for maintenance or repairs.

Thanks gripper but no access at all other than outside vent cover. However, as I said earlier, there is a bead of caulking around the vent and will not come off by pushing on the bottom latches. I have a very expensive paint job on the 5'ver so don't want to ruin that.

[rockintom]

bayou, I was walking around the new rig the other day.....thinkin' the same darn thing. While I don't have the fancy-smancy paint.....I know someday soon I'll have to do a clean job on the outside dryer vent. Why don't you call SC and talk with Ralph and then share the answer. I call that poor guy way too darn much. Don't want to wear out my welcome. Thanks! rockin'

[bayou316]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockintom bayou, I was walking around the new rig the other day.....thinkin' the same darn thing. While I don't have the fancy-smancy paint.....I know someday soon I'll have to do a clean job on the outside dryer vent. Why don't you call SC and talk with Ralph and then share the answer. I call that poor guy way too darn much. Don't want to wear out my welcome. Thanks! rockin'

Hey Rockin

Long time...Just got off the phone with Jack. I asked for Ralph but he may not have made it in yet. Anyway, Jack suggested we take a razor blade to carefully cut the caulking away to reach the filter thats there. Then at the factory, they have an ice pick looking "thingy" to clean out the filter. Well, luckily I have a RV tech that is repairing some repairs I had since owning the 5'ver and he is coming back hopefully in the next few days to finish. I will have him cut the caulking and recaulk to not include having the cover stick to the paint if possible..



This fancy spancy paint job is done in Ford colors to match the new pick-em-up truck. It's not the one you see on the Excel website. I think you remember that Bryan worked with me and Ford to get the color codes so we could match truck to the 5'ver.

Good to hear from you old buddy....

[John & Terri]

John just cleaned our vents yesterday. He adds a blow nozzle on to our air compressor hose and blows out the interior vent area. After cleaning the drum out of lint pieces, he turns the dryer on. Then goes outside to blow lint out of the outside vent. Warning, you will get a bath in lint. This system has worked really well for us. We usually clean the vents this way at least 2 to 3 times a year.

[rockintom]

Thanks for taking the time to answer. That sounds good to me. I'm gonna give it a whirl when the times comes. rockin'

[bayou316]

Quote:

Originally Posted by John & Terri John just cleaned our vents yesterday. He adds a blow nozzle on to our air compressor hose and blows out the interior vent area. After cleaning the drum out of lint pieces, he turns the dryer on. Then goes outside to blow lint out of the outside vent. Warning, you will get a bath in lint. This system has worked really well for us. We usually clean the vents this way at least 2 to 3 times a year.

Does your outside exhaust vent have caulking around the vent itself? In other words, does your vent cap come off or are you blowing out with the air hose instead of removing the vent cover and cleaning the filter that way?

The reason I ask is that my coach was built in Kansas and then trucked to Iowa for paint. Their paint contractor is the one who puts the caulking around the windows and exterior vents.

I worry if this couldn't be some fire hazard that Bryan and them need to address.

My vent is supposed to be removable for the purpose of cleaning but as I said it is caulked over. It sounds like rockin has the same problem.

Hope it is something that can be resolved before something happens.

Thanks.

[rockintom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bayou316 Does your outside exhaust vent have caulking around the vent itself? In other words, does your vent cap come off or are you blowing out with the air hose instead of removing the vent cover and cleaning the filter that way? The reason I ask is that my coach was built in Kansas and then trucked to Iowa for paint. Their paint contractor is the one who puts the caulking around the windows and exterior vents. I worry if this couldn't be some fire hazard that Bryan and them need to address. My vent is supposed to be removable for the purpose of cleaning but as I said it is caulked over. It sounds like rockin has the same problem. Hope it is something that can be resolved before something happens. Thanks.

Mine doesn't have paint and the outside vent is caulked to the outside wall apparently done at SC.....help me out here bayou......I give....how is that fire hazard? rockin'

[Endeavor2BnC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockintom Mine doesn't have paint and the outside vent is caulked to the outside wall apparently done at SC.....help me out here bayou......I give....how is that fire hazard? rockin'

Tom,
That's an easy one. Lint comes from cloth and cloth burns when exposed to high heat. Clothes are dried by heat. If you google "clothes dryer lint fires", you can read all about it.

You'll increase your knowledge base once again.
Tim

[rockintom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Endeavor2BnC Tom, That's an easy one. Lint comes from cloth and cloth burns when exposed to high heat. Clothes are dried by heat. If you google "clothes dryer lint fires", you can read all about it. You'll increase your knowledge base once again. Tim

99,

Thanks for educating me once again. I was not clear.....I should have said RV clothes dryer, which run on 120V and not 240V like a household unit. I doubt the risk of those getting that hot would would be minimal. rockin'

[John & Terri]

Bayou,

Our vent is caulked to the outside wall and we don't have full-body paint. Rigs we've seen (Excels and SOBs) that have washer/dryers the vent appears to always be caulked. It would be nice if they were removable as it would make the cleaning process a lot easier. When you remove the lint tray from the dryer to clean after each use, you can see the build up of lint progressively getting worse so you know when it is time for some heavy duty cleaning. Some people we know have removed the screen under the vent cover to let the lint blow out without obstruction of the screen. It would still seem that lint would build up and need to be removed. We have not done that and have used the air compressor to blow out the system which seems to be working well for us.

[RickS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by John & Terri Bayou, Our vent is caulked to the outside wall and we don't have full-body paint. Rigs we've seen (Excels and SOBs) that have washer/dryers the vent appears to always be caulked. It would be nice if they were removable as it would make the cleaning process a lot easier. When you remove the lint tray from the dryer to clean after each use, you can see the build up of lint progressively getting worse so you know when it is time for some heavy duty cleaning. Some people we know have removed the screen under the vent cover to let the lint blow out without obstruction of the screen. It would still seem that lint would build up and need to be removed. We have not done that and have used the air compressor to blow out the system which seems to be working well for us.

Do you blow air at the screen from the outside of the rig? If so, doesn't that just blow lint back into the dryer? If your blowing air from inside how does the lint get past the screen to the outside? We have a new rig with a W/D and just wondering your procedure.

[John & Terri]

Rick,
Congratulations on your new rig. John attaches a spray nozzle to his air compressor hose and blows the dryer out from the inside after removing the lint tray. After cleaning the drum of lint, he turns on the dryer and goes outside to spray up into the vent cover. As the dryer is blowing air out, when the compressed air blows up inside, a lot of lint will blow out on you (John's experience lol). All we can say is that this system works for us. Besides a visual look at the interior screen behind the lint tray, we also know when the vent needs to be cleaned when the clothes start taking longer to dry.