Do It Yourself Dryer Vent Cleaning

• Tweet

• Tweet

When was the last time that you looked in your dryer vent?  A lot of people don’t think to ever take a peek and unknowingly let the lint quietly build up until it becomes a safety hazard.  One of our technicians was talking today about how he sees this problem a lot and wanted me to share with you the best ways of cleaning it out.  I fully agree with him that this is such an important home safety issue that it needs to be talked about.   You need to be checking your vent every few months to prevent fires from starting.

So here’s what you have to do:

1. Detach the dryer vent from the dryer
2. Use an electric leaf blower or a shop vac set in reverse to blow through the tubing.  All of the gunk that is in there will come out of your house on the other side.  IMPORTANT NOTE:  Do NOT use a gas leaf blower inside your home because the fumes are toxic and can cause some serious health risks, even death
3. Check the vent outside of your house and clear out all of the remaining debris

Another thing to take a look at is how close the vent is to your heat pump or air conditioner.  Often they are installed close together and lint from the dryer vent gets in the coils of your outdoor unit.  You will want to examine the unit to see if there is any buildup.  If you find any lint, have a reputable HVAC company do a professional tune up and cleaning on the system to ensure that there is no damage to the unit.  They will also be able to talk with you about ways to prevent the lint from collecting on the coils (in fact, my technician said he recommends a solution involving pantyhose).  If you want more information or to schedule a cleaning for your unit call me, Angie, at 253-630-9224.

If I haven’t convinced you yet to take a look at your dryer vent,  check out this news story about a family in Kent who suffered a tragic fire because of a clogged dryer vent.   Please don’t let this happen to you!  http://www.kirotv.com/video/9914544/