Great information. Excellent video. People really have no idea how dangerous dryers can be. Lint escaping pipes also. Friend of mines house burned to the ground from dryer. Kids got out with seconds to spare. Lint found in room is a warning.
this channel is a total gem. I can't believe it hasn't been recommended to me before as I've been frequently searching for stuff like how-to's and tool reviews. this is great. It's like the 'This Old House' type stuff, but less 'reality TV' feel and more legit, instructional, start-to-finish type content. awesome work.
Very good advice! My critter screen on the outside vent clogs quite regularly. Once the flow is reduced by the clogged critter screen the remainder of the vent pipe tends to get more debris trapped.
I used to work in the commercial laundry business and we just turned the dryer on and stuck an electrician's fish tape with the tip bent back and taped (to avoid punctures) and whipped it around in the vent as we fed it in from the outside. The method of attaching brushes could be really bad if they come apart. Fish tape is long and seemless. Also, never...ever...use flexible duct. It's easy to tear when cleaning and it collects a lot of lint fast.
I’m a chimney sweep and also clean dryer vents and part of my dryer vent service is to remove lint from the dryer and the dryer vent . Imo just cleaning the vent is only 70% and that’s not a complete job. If you think about it a fire will start at the dryer heating elements not inside the vent, so why not make sure the whole complete system is free and clear from obstructions. Most dryer vent companies only clean the vent just like most chimney sweep companies just clean the chimney, because it’s quick and fast money. But what about the dryer or the wood stove/pellet stove. Those things need to be cleaned as well because there is a potential danger. My business might cost a little more and take a bit more time, but everything gets cleaned from beginning to end so I can sleep at night knowing the customers I service are getting quality and safety for their home.
@Jonathan T. Brown yes you can have a lot of sand and build up of lint from moisture that sticks to the walls of the vent inside the dryer. This is all done if its accessible(easy to take apart). You don’t want to break a part that could potentially take weeks to months to arrive. It’s surprising how much lint is hiding.
@Jonathan T. Brown Best tool for the job is a reverse skipper ball but this comes with a higher up-front cost as you would need an air compressor to run this tool. Second of this, you can buy the drill-powered rotary brushes and use a blower, much lower initial cost
@Jonathan T. Brown Also, INSPECT THE VENT TYPE PRIOR TO CLEAN, if it's that crappy white vinyl stuff, do not brush it as it's old as dirt and will generally tear open very, very easily. This could be an easy upsell to a customer to run their vent correctly with rigid pipe if you are capable. Also, in my experience, if their is white vinyl flex, it's hooked to a pvc pipe venting out. Bad..
I do this yearly. Wife is inside with lawn blower and when I run a length of rod, she turns on the blower. We have 25’ of dryer vent pipe. 😷 Helps clear the vent faster. Shop vac is not required but helpful.
For those that have limited resources,from the inside use a blower . Blow to the outside. If you have a lot of lint, repeat in 30 days. Poor mans way to clean a vent. It’s better than doing nothing. Also , when I clean my vents ,I change all the batteries and test my smoke detectors.
Charlie Porch Awesome idea. I was literally just about to leave a comment saying, what if all you have access to is a shop vac and your hands. Nicely done man.
5 Stars to how well this video was done! Very helpful instruction because I guarantee I would not have taped the rods so one would have come unhooked deep in my ducting and I would be running the drill on maximum setting using forward and reverse along with a chainsaw, jack hammer and flamethrower! Just kidding at the end but everything else was true!
Just had our vent cleaned yesterday by a pro. $85 and it took him literally 5 minutes. He had a compressor in the back of his van. To that, he attached a long hose with a bullet shaped tool at the end. This tool had small air ducts built into it that would shoot the lint back out of the vent as he lowered it down the pipe from the roof. This only needs to be done about once every three years. Those do it yourself spinning brushes that you attach to a drill can break easily and just compress the lint even further into the pipe. Spend the money, have it done right, but shop around and don't pay too much.
He was blowing towards the dryer - did he disconnect the dryer and block the duct at that point? If not you risk blowing lint into the dryer where the heating coils are. Did he at least vacuum out the heating coils afterward??
Well I did some mistakes but it’s good to learn I did clean dryer that has not be cleaned in 20 years it was so bad but their is something wrong because no fire happened
Important!!! The video shows the exhaust terminating along the continuous vented soffit which will pull the moisture laden air back into the attic space which is very bad for the attic space. The vent should terminate either up on the roof or on an exterior wall. It should not terminate next to an attic space intake vent which can cause mold, paint, insulation and corrosion issues inside the home.
In the last 1 of reading up on this I have heard that 3000 fires happen year, Then someone said 5000 and now you say 15,000 a year. Which is it ? Where is this data coming from?
Here, hope this helps, its a Lowe's Link, but should get what you need all in one kit: www.lowes.com/pd/LintEater-Dryer-Vent-Lint-Removal-Kit-White-Black/3465404
I think it's dumb not having the laundry room next to an external wall. My dryer duct is a straight run to the outside. I see builders running dryer ducts from the first floor out the roof of a two story house and I just shake my head every time. It just does not make any sense.
@@ConcordCarpenter Exactly. The energy efficiency is so terrible on those vented dryers that they are de facto unmarketable over here. Needles to say your video is the first time I heard that dryer fires are a thing :D
30 years ago I had a dryer that had a 3-foot long flexible vent tube that went from the dryer into a plastic container with water. There was no external vent. Is this what they do in Europe? The smell of fabric and softener was a bit strong when drying clothes, but aside from that I liked that set up.
a bit confusing, so if you clean from the outside, do you still take off the dryer vent on the back of the dryer itself? What if you cant get to it and the machines are on pre made slabs of concrete thare are raised? What kind of vacuum do you need? what were you gonna say to if you dont have a vacuum? you said we will get to that in a moment too many times and you never got too it.
It’s more thorough to take off the pipe to machine and also to clean inside the machine. Leaving the machine connected can work to Use a vac with good suction and turn on the dryer in the end to blow out the pipes
So, let’s just say, hypothetically, someone accidentally ran the drill backwards while the brush was up in the vent pipe, and the brush got stuck. Thoughts on how to get it out?
What about after doing these steps and your dryer is very steamy Insde and leaving water on the ground. How can you tell if there is something lodged that you cant spot. Dryer is on first floor middle of house and outside vent is on the second floor so it's fairly long. thanks
Last year a new motor was put in my dryer and it's not heating up the clothes at all when it dries now. Could it be that the motor is defective or possibly I never cleaned out the dryer duct? I have never touched that ever since I have had the dryer and we're talking 16 years
You don't need a vacuum. Just run your dryer on air with the dryer empty then go outside and use your drill with the cleaning rod and brush. Makes a mess outside but otherwise works great.
I bought a Gardus LintEater kit off Amazon. I've used a couple times, and it seems to work well. www.amazon.com/Gardus-RLE202-LintEater-Rotary-Cleaning/dp/B0014CN8Y8
Thank you Rob! This video is so well made and actually inspirational. You made something daunting seem achievable. I'm sending this to my young men (college age kids) who live with me to take care of this instead of spending $400 to have this done. Thank you so much.
Your above video sent me underneath my house to see what was causing the blockage. From what I saw in your video I figure what where the problem was. Took out all of the plactic tubing and replace it we aluminum. Using metal tape to help secure the connections before adding the zip tie was a godsend. Thanks for your help.
I do it by disconnecting the dryer then, removing the pest screen then blowing the from the dryer side with a leaf blower. Put some rags between the blower nozzle and vent if you don’t have a snug or air tight seal.
Great video. I appreciate that you make videos of advanced carpentry techniques like sistering joists and leveling floors as well as basic videos like cleaning dryer vents. I had to clean a clogged dryer vent at my mother-in-law’e house last weekend. I should have purchased a kit like this to scrub out the pipe, but I didn’t have one. I do have a long hose on my shop vac. I removed the hood cap outside the house, and I ran my vac hose in from the outside then from the inside after I separated the duct from the dryer. The ribs on the flex hose scoured the pipes a bit as I fed the hose in and out. One other technique that I used, which worked well, was to stick my Milwaukee m18 leaf blower into the duct from the inside and blow out the duct after a few passes of vacuuming. I already have an m18 blower, which i use to blow leaves around my yard and out of my garage. The blower pipe is just about 4 inches and tapered, which allows you to create a pretty good seal when you stick it inside a 4 inch duct. I looked out the window and saw huge chunks of lint blowing out the pipe on the outside when I blew air through the duct from the inside. It worked very well! One suggestion I would have for people installing dryer ducts would be to avoid a lot of sharp 90 degree bends. If possible, in would use 2 45 degree bends for longer sweeps to improve airflow and reduce lint buildup.
Amazing video. Do you happen to have one that shows how to clean a dryer booster fan? I have a booster and wondering if it should be cleaned. Thank you!
Over 40 years I have only seen two dryers that would have burnt up from lint build up due to plugged venting. Dryer fires are usually caused from washing clothing or rags etc. That have flammables in them. After you wash, you super heat it in the dryer. If conditions are perfect they will combust causing the fire. This doesn’t get mentioned by the homeowner to the fire Dept or insurance company. I agree that vents and dryers need cleaned but don’t blame all these fires on lint alone.
CSIA CDET (fancy for Chimney Safety Institute of America, Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician) here and I really appreciate bringing this important information to they forefront but I do need to point a few things out. "Critter screens" are absolutely forbidden by the IRC in the US. Do I see them? Daily. Can you buy them? Go to any hardware store and get one , just know technically you can't use it. I assisted a fire investigation once and insurance refused to pay out the claim because of this. Whether or not to use screws or not is up to debate. The codes changed a few years ago and called for mechanical fasteners providing the fasteners do not penetrate the duct by more than 1/4 inch. Good luck with that; personally I hust use good quality UL listed foil tape and make sure that horizontal runs are well strapped to prevent sagging. Also horizontal runs should be sloped DOWN TOWARD the termination. Wet exhaust and lint have a lot of water vapor. Also, NEVER vent into an attic, crawl space or garage. You want to see mold? Well you will.
Lint fires are the number 1 cause of house fires in America. If you have say a family of four you should clean your dryer vent at least once a year. And Yes, do tape your rod joints together. Rod separation is a pain! Don't ask how I know :(
I’m in my third dryer No joke , I currently bought a LG smart dryer and its telling me that the air flow is bad due to the dryer air duct is clogged, no wonder the last two got Ruined , I’m so happy with my purchase, now I have to fix the problem That’s why I’m here lol thank you great info
Kara lopez R you will notice after cleaning the duct dryer tube you will get dryer clothes quicker and your dryer don’t have to work against the build up lint.
Even if you already repaired or replaced your dryer you should still have your vents cleaned and maintained to save time, energy, money and to avoid future problems.
Mine goes straight up and has an elbow of 45 degrees. The rod will get stuck in the elbow, and it takes a lot time to get unstuck. It will not go any higher once it gets stuck. Mine exits out of the roof.
Cut down on your detergent use. Also cut down on your liquid softener. To much being used. If you get done with a load and the screen has lots of lint. You are using too much detergent and or softener. Or just both.
A Concord Carpenter / ToolBoxBuzz 2009, all appliances, toilets etc., anything that uses water has to use 2/3 less... Have noticed how washers use a lot less water. Old style washer use 27 gallons of water on high to wash. So a full amount or full number is adequate amount. On the the new energy star, high efficiency washers, uses lots less water, say 9 gallons back in 2010, now about 5 gallons to wash. So the amount of detergent has to drop. Most new washers don't even have a rinse cycle, it's more of a spin/rinse cycle, unless you have 2nd rinse.
Great video. Reminds me that it's time to clean mine again. Would like to see a demo of cleaning a dryer vent that exits through the roof. Might try my electric leaf blower until better weather when I can safely get on the roof.
John Battey What a great idea, John. My dryer is on the second floor so the leaf blower idea sounds like a safe way to keep the dryer vent clean. Thanks!
But the outdoor end if the vent is in the eves by the roof. Cannot reach! Who decided to out it there! Town house 3 floors. Cant clean from inside without just ramrodding lint into a new blockage thatll ruin the dryer
My dryer suddenly stopped working and I saw online that it can be caused by a clogged duct. Well I had no idea how to clean a dryer duct (I'm 19, first time trying to troubleshoot for major appliances) so I came to RUclips and this video was perfect! Informative with no filler or irrelevant details! I didn't have this kit but better understanding the issue helped me get it nice and clean and now my dryer is working like a dream :)
The first 3:30 minutes are introductory bullshit, with an intro splash screen and off-topic discussion. We already know that our dryer duct needs cleaning. That is why we are here. So, we don't need you to tell us. Just show us how to clean, and don't waste our time. And that explanation of how to clean it does not begin, until 3:30.
@A Concord Carpenter / ToolBoxBuzz Great video!! What can we do if the vent run is around 30 feet, from dryer to the outside? I can't seem to find a kit with enough flexible rods or do I need to buy an extension kit? Will it work with that many flexible rods connected?
You need a better set of rods. Just blew through a cheap rod today. twisted like a pretzel. Just garbage. Yes spin backward and brush and head will now be stuck in the vent.
Great video.... no loud music, no interruptions, just great information for the task at hand. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Great information. Excellent video. People really have no idea how dangerous dryers can be. Lint escaping pipes also. Friend of mines house burned to the ground from dryer. Kids got out with seconds to spare. Lint found in room is a warning.
this channel is a total gem. I can't believe it hasn't been recommended to me before as I've been frequently searching for stuff like how-to's and tool reviews. this is great. It's like the 'This Old House' type stuff, but less 'reality TV' feel and more legit, instructional, start-to-finish type content. awesome work.
K Mac's Kitchen thanks a lot!! Please consider subscribing
People just call me my wall is the best
Very good advice! My critter screen on the outside vent clogs quite regularly. Once the flow is reduced by the clogged critter screen the remainder of the vent pipe tends to get more debris trapped.
This is one of the most timely videos out there. Share this with everyone you know.
Thank you SO Very much for this video. I live alone and have been worried about cleaning my vent for a while now. Appreciate your time.
I used to work in the commercial laundry business and we just turned the dryer on and stuck an electrician's fish tape with the tip bent back and taped (to avoid punctures) and whipped it around in the vent as we fed it in from the outside. The method of attaching brushes could be really bad if they come apart. Fish tape is long and seemless. Also, never...ever...use flexible duct. It's easy to tear when cleaning and it collects a lot of lint fast.
I always thought you had to disassemble the dryer down to the drum to clean it out. Thank you, I learned something today. Subbed.
Daniel Cannon the only way to clean the inside of a dryer is to take it apart!!!! There is no way around it. I fix appliances for a living.
I’m a chimney sweep and also clean dryer vents and part of my dryer vent service is to remove lint from the dryer and the dryer vent . Imo just cleaning the vent is only 70% and that’s not a complete job. If you think about it a fire will start at the dryer heating elements not inside the vent, so why not make sure the whole complete system is free and clear from obstructions. Most dryer vent companies only clean the vent just like most chimney sweep companies just clean the chimney, because it’s quick and fast money. But what about the dryer or the wood stove/pellet stove. Those things need to be cleaned as well because there is a potential danger. My business might cost a little more and take a bit more time, but everything gets cleaned from beginning to end so I can sleep at night knowing the customers I service are getting quality and safety for their home.
@Jonathan T. Brown yes you can have a lot of sand and build up of lint from moisture that sticks to the walls of the vent inside the dryer. This is all done if its accessible(easy to take apart). You don’t want to break a part that could potentially take weeks to months to arrive. It’s surprising how much lint is hiding.
@Jonathan T. Brown Best tool for the job is a reverse skipper ball but this comes with a higher up-front cost as you would need an air compressor to run this tool. Second of this, you can buy the drill-powered rotary brushes and use a blower, much lower initial cost
@Jonathan T. Brown Also, INSPECT THE VENT TYPE PRIOR TO CLEAN, if it's that crappy white vinyl stuff, do not brush it as it's old as dirt and will generally tear open very, very easily. This could be an easy upsell to a customer to run their vent correctly with rigid pipe if you are capable. Also, in my experience, if their is white vinyl flex, it's hooked to a pvc pipe venting out. Bad..
This guy looks like a good dude to have as a neighbor
I do this yearly. Wife is inside with lawn blower and when I run a length of rod, she turns on the blower. We have 25’ of dryer vent pipe. 😷 Helps clear the vent faster. Shop vac is not required but helpful.
Harry Pouncey use both blower and shop vac.
I do that too, but I also just change out the vent line.
Great informational video! I clean my vent regularly, but I need THIS kit! Thanks!
You will find on Amazon
For those that have limited resources,from the inside use a blower . Blow to the outside. If you have a lot of lint, repeat in 30 days. Poor mans way to clean a vent. It’s better than doing nothing. Also , when I clean my vents ,I change all the batteries and test my smoke detectors.
Charlie Porch Awesome idea. I was literally just about to leave a comment saying, what if all you have access to is a shop vac and your hands. Nicely done man.
Well made video. This tip will help alot of folks out there. Thanks for the tip.
5 Stars to how well this video was done! Very helpful instruction because I guarantee I would not have taped the rods so one would have come unhooked deep in my ducting and I would be running the drill on maximum setting using forward and reverse along with a chainsaw, jack hammer and flamethrower! Just kidding at the end but everything else was true!
Just had our vent cleaned yesterday by a pro. $85 and it took him literally 5 minutes. He had a compressor in the back of his van. To that, he attached a long hose with a bullet shaped tool at the end. This tool had small air ducts built into it that would shoot the lint back out of the vent as he lowered it down the pipe from the roof. This only needs to be done about once every three years. Those do it yourself spinning brushes that you attach to a drill can break easily and just compress the lint even further into the pipe. Spend the money, have it done right, but shop around and don't pay too much.
He was blowing towards the dryer - did he disconnect the dryer and block the duct at that point?
If not you risk blowing lint into the dryer where the heating coils are.
Did he at least vacuum out the heating coils afterward??
Your video is really helpful! It solved my problem at 1:02. I wasn't aware that there's such thing to clean!
zy su 😂
This was a great video! So informative! I liked that he would tell you a step and then the next clip had the words typed! Thank you sir!
Thank You! That will be my project either this weekend or next.
Well I did some mistakes but it’s good to learn I did clean dryer that has not be cleaned in 20 years it was so bad but their is something wrong because no fire happened
this guy know's how to do it the right way
Need this video on clutch bout to go do a job now....great help much appreciated. 👍
Excellent simple instructions. Thanks!
Keith
Austin Texas
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna hare Hare hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Best overview on the critical considerations of how to clean the entire dryer vent. Excellent tips. I’m finally a believer that I can do this!
Important!!! The video shows the exhaust terminating along the continuous vented soffit which will pull the moisture laden air back into the attic space which is very bad for the attic space. The vent should terminate either up on the roof or on an exterior wall. It should not terminate next to an attic space intake vent which can cause mold, paint, insulation and corrosion issues inside the home.
Such an awesome video thanks for being terse and so eloquent! Also, how did you attach the vacuum to the dryer vent faceplate?
In the last 1 of reading up on this I have heard that 3000 fires happen year, Then someone said 5000 and now you say 15,000 a year. Which is it ? Where is this data coming from?
Uggg ours is up on the second floor. Been here 20 years and did have it cleaned years ago. Need to see if we can get it done again.
do it inside facing out
Well done! Informative and concise.✌🏽
Awesome video. Thank you for that, I learned a few things.
Excellent tutorial, thank you sir!
Does anyone have a “web link” for those flexible rods ? Many thanks and Happy New Year!
Here, hope this helps, its a Lowe's Link, but should get what you need all in one kit: www.lowes.com/pd/LintEater-Dryer-Vent-Lint-Removal-Kit-White-Black/3465404
"www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN//Concord0f-20"target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Gardus-RLE202-LintEater-Rotary-Cleaning
@@ConcordCarpenter link is not working...it will bring you to amazon homepage only.
@@evanepp Its called:
Gardus RLE202 LintEater 10- Piece Rotary Dryer Vent Cleaning System and R2303613 LintCatcher Bag Kit, White
Here you go: amzn.to/2XrXk04
I think it's dumb not having the laundry room next to an external wall. My dryer duct is a straight run to the outside. I see builders running dryer ducts from the first floor out the roof of a two story house and I just shake my head every time. It just does not make any sense.
Can't wait till the calls start coming in from people blowing the joints apart in the walls!
Great Video! That said, you seriously still use vented dryers over there?
Yes - you must be in Europe?
@@ConcordCarpenter Exactly. The energy efficiency is so terrible on those vented dryers that they are de facto unmarketable over here. Needles to say your video is the first time I heard that dryer fires are a thing :D
@@NameNaameNameeNaamee What are the dryers like in the EU that make them different than vented ones?
30 years ago I had a dryer that had a 3-foot long flexible vent tube that went from the dryer into a plastic container with water. There was no external vent. Is this what they do in Europe? The smell of fabric and softener was a bit strong when drying clothes, but aside from that I liked that set up.
This was a FANTASTIC video! man you rock! I'm subscribed now!
a bit confusing, so if you clean from the outside, do you still take off the dryer vent on the back of the dryer itself? What if you cant get to it and the machines are on pre made slabs of concrete thare are raised? What kind of vacuum do you need? what were you gonna say to if you dont have a vacuum? you said we will get to that in a moment too many times and you never got too it.
It’s more thorough to take off the pipe to machine and also to clean inside the machine. Leaving the machine connected can work to
Use a vac with good suction and turn on the dryer in the end to blow out the pipes
So, let’s just say, hypothetically, someone accidentally ran the drill backwards while the brush was up in the vent pipe, and the brush got stuck. Thoughts on how to get it out?
Great video if I had only seen it before cramming the vent brush 10 feet up my dryer vent and losing my brush. Now what? Any ideas how to retrieve it?
My kit came with a removal tool. You may have to dismantle pipe
I have to ask, what vaccum is that your using? Is that a battery operated one ?
What about after doing these steps and your dryer is very steamy Insde and leaving water on the ground. How can you tell if there is something lodged that you cant spot. Dryer is on first floor middle of house and outside vent is on the second floor so it's fairly long. thanks
Call an appliance tech
Last year a new motor was put in my dryer and it's not heating up the clothes at all when it dries now. Could it be that the motor is defective or possibly I never cleaned out the dryer duct? I have never touched that ever since I have had the dryer and we're talking 16 years
@@vic302013 I’d bet dollars to donut you have a clogged exit point or a very restricted duct
Al’s if it’s a long run with elbows that can hamper the air flow. Check behind the unit that the hose pipe is. Ot crushed
Great video and information. What vac/shop vac do you recommend?
Great information thank you.
Thanks for sharing with us 👍👍
What about foil vent pipe? I have 15 feet from dryer to outside!
Probably wouldn't be hard to just replace it
Terrible get rid of it and use as much solid pipe as possible and metal flex air machine connection
Thanks for the imformative video
Please run a leaf blower it works all the time. On attaching it from the dryer blowing out to the street
Chris C I’ve heard of this approach, how do you attach to dryer?
Great video !!!
cannot find this kit anywhere, HD, Lowe's, nowhere in the pacific NW any suggestions?
When I do an Internet search for the word dryer vent cleaning kit a ton of them show up, one of them in particular is called LintEater
Mr. And Mrs. Robillard: Jesus Christ, coming up with a name is so hard!!!
My house has a huge PVC pipe for the dryer vent duct work.
Thanks
Thank you for the tip 👍
Any time!
Thank you sir!
Awesome tech
Well Done!
That’s one big paperclip
What if you don't have a vacuum adapter? Where can I get one? I really think you should have automatically said.
The vacuum adapter usually comes with the rods and brush kit. It's an all-in one set-up.
www.homedepot.com/p/Gardus-LintEater-Rotary-Dryer-Vent-Cleaning-System-RLE202/206714870
@@kurtfischback8453 mine didn't. But I got it done. Wow, I made this comment about a year ago. Lol took a minute to get my brain going.
You don't need a vacuum. Just run your dryer on air with the dryer empty then go outside and use your drill with the cleaning rod and brush. Makes a mess outside but otherwise works great.
this is good
My vent goes to the roof of my house. Seems like a horrible design.
Mmhmmm....the ole accidental detachment......that’s how babies are made....
Good video...
for rookies
Omggggggggggggg
This video was exhausting. Why do women do most of the laundry? Well because it's a "wash-her & dry-her".
This is a waste of time and money. Get a leaf blower. Done in five minutes.
Little to nothing is done about it, because people today are lazy and unmotivated... simple!
Hey do u have a link to the kit that you’re using in the video
I bought a Gardus LintEater kit off Amazon. I've used a couple times, and it seems to work well.
www.amazon.com/Gardus-RLE202-LintEater-Rotary-Cleaning/dp/B0014CN8Y8
Thank you Rob! This video is so well made and actually inspirational. You made something daunting seem achievable. I'm sending this to my young men (college age kids) who live with me to take care of this instead of spending $400 to have this done. Thank you so much.
Very informative. This was the only one I watched so far that mentioned doing it from the inside of the house.
Got to do this and flush the water heater too.
i bought new washing machine too and I am supposed to clean the water filter regularly
Nice video, saves money when u do it yourself ...
.
Your above video sent me underneath my house to see what was causing the blockage. From what I saw in your video I figure what where the problem was. Took out all of the plactic tubing and replace it we aluminum. Using metal tape to help secure the connections before adding the zip tie was a godsend. Thanks for your help.
I do it by disconnecting the dryer then, removing the pest screen then blowing the from the dryer side with a leaf blower. Put some rags between the blower nozzle and vent if you don’t have a snug or air tight seal.
Great video. I appreciate that you make videos of advanced carpentry techniques like sistering joists and leveling floors as well as basic videos like cleaning dryer vents.
I had to clean a clogged dryer vent at my mother-in-law’e house last weekend. I should have purchased a kit like this to scrub out the pipe, but I didn’t have one. I do have a long hose on my shop vac. I removed the hood cap outside the house, and I ran my vac hose in from the outside then from the inside after I separated the duct from the dryer. The ribs on the flex hose scoured the pipes a bit as I fed the hose in and out.
One other technique that I used, which worked well, was to stick my Milwaukee m18 leaf blower into the duct from the inside and blow out the duct after a few passes of vacuuming. I already have an m18 blower, which i use to blow leaves around my yard and out of my garage. The blower pipe is just about 4 inches and tapered, which allows you to create a pretty good seal when you stick it inside a 4 inch duct. I looked out the window and saw huge chunks of lint blowing out the pipe on the outside when I blew air through the duct from the inside. It worked very well!
One suggestion I would have for people installing dryer ducts would be to avoid a lot of sharp 90 degree bends. If possible, in would use 2 45 degree bends for longer sweeps to improve airflow and reduce lint buildup.
Amazing video. Do you happen to have one that shows how to clean a dryer booster fan? I have a booster and wondering if it should be cleaned. Thank you!
If you don’t clean it at the very least inspect it!!! YEARLY!!
Over 40 years I have only seen two dryers that would have burnt up from lint build up due to plugged venting.
Dryer fires are usually caused from washing clothing or rags etc. That have flammables in them. After you wash, you super heat it in the dryer. If conditions are perfect they will combust causing the fire. This doesn’t get mentioned by the homeowner to the fire Dept or insurance company. I agree that vents and dryers need cleaned but don’t blame all these fires on lint alone.
johnnyjustbecause your point, has value, but goes against all the experts in the field as well as published research.
I've read mixed reviews of different kits. Do you have a recommendation?
who’s here from TikTok?
just you dawg
CSIA CDET (fancy for Chimney Safety Institute of America, Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician) here and I really appreciate bringing this important information to they forefront but I do need to point a few things out.
"Critter screens" are absolutely forbidden by the IRC in the US. Do I see them? Daily. Can you buy them? Go to any hardware store and get one , just know technically you can't use it. I assisted a fire investigation once and insurance refused to pay out the claim because of this.
Whether or not to use screws or not is up to debate. The codes changed a few years ago and called for mechanical fasteners providing the fasteners do not penetrate the duct by more than 1/4 inch. Good luck with that; personally I hust use good quality UL listed foil tape and make sure that horizontal runs are well strapped to prevent sagging. Also horizontal runs should be sloped DOWN TOWARD the termination. Wet exhaust and lint have a lot of water vapor. Also, NEVER vent into an attic, crawl space or garage. You want to see mold? Well you will.
Are O-rings acceptable to use for securing?
Worth a view just for the electrical tape tip. Thanks!
If you shop around, some brands have the snap together rods.
Leaf blower on the other end. 30s done. Real pro tips
Louis Y great tip!, but not as thorough as the brush, especially on longer runs and turns
A Concord Carpenter / ToolBoxBuzz agreed. i am just lazy and impatient. lol
Lint fires are the number 1 cause of house fires in America. If you have say a family of four you should clean your dryer vent at least once a year. And Yes, do tape your rod joints together. Rod separation is a pain! Don't ask how I know :(
I’m in my third dryer No joke , I currently bought a LG smart dryer and its telling me that the air flow is bad due to the dryer air duct is clogged, no wonder the last two got
Ruined , I’m so happy with my purchase, now I have to fix the problem
That’s why I’m here lol thank you great info
Kara lopez R thx Kara!
Kara lopez R you will notice after cleaning the duct dryer tube you will get dryer clothes quicker and your dryer don’t have to work against the build up lint.
Even if you already repaired or replaced your dryer you should still have your vents cleaned and maintained to save time, energy, money and to avoid future problems.
Mine goes straight up and has an elbow of 45 degrees. The rod will get stuck in the elbow, and it takes a lot time to get unstuck. It will not go any higher once it gets stuck. Mine exits out of the roof.
Cut down on your detergent use. Also cut down on your liquid softener. To much being used. If you get done with a load and the screen has lots of lint. You are using too much detergent and or softener. Or just both.
Matt R interesting - whats the science behind this?
A Concord Carpenter / ToolBoxBuzz
2009, all appliances, toilets etc., anything that uses water has to use 2/3 less... Have noticed how washers use a lot less water. Old style washer use 27 gallons of water on high to wash. So a full amount or full number is adequate amount. On the the new energy star, high efficiency washers, uses lots less water, say 9 gallons back in 2010, now about 5 gallons to wash. So the amount of detergent has to drop. Most new washers don't even have a rinse cycle, it's more of a spin/rinse cycle, unless you have 2nd rinse.
Matt R I totally understand the HE stuff, I just don’t understand how too much detergent causes more lint?
A Concord Carpenter / ToolBoxBuzz heat can not penetrate the garment due too much detergent on the garment. Thus the lint is from too much detergent.
The category of this video is Autos and vehicles. I dont know if changing it will reannex your video.
U Do It any suggestions???
Great video. Reminds me that it's time to clean mine again. Would like to see a demo of cleaning a dryer vent that exits through the roof. Might try my electric leaf blower until better weather when I can safely get on the roof.
John Battey I’m sure it will remove most of the lint - good solution for problematic vents
John Battey
What a great idea, John. My dryer is on the second floor so the leaf blower idea sounds like a safe way to keep the dryer vent clean. Thanks!
Hello,
1-What cordless vacuum were you using?
2-What rotary kit were you using?
Not sure if you were asked this. Hard to find, over 200 comments
But the outdoor end if the vent is in the eves by the roof. Cannot reach! Who decided to out it there! Town house 3 floors. Cant clean from inside without just ramrodding lint into a new blockage thatll ruin the dryer
Great info...thank you.
What makes you think, people wants to hear crazy music banging before the video starts ? Say what you have to say... Good info... Stop the BS
My dryer suddenly stopped working and I saw online that it can be caused by a clogged duct. Well I had no idea how to clean a dryer duct (I'm 19, first time trying to troubleshoot for major appliances) so I came to RUclips and this video was perfect! Informative with no filler or irrelevant details! I didn't have this kit but better understanding the issue helped me get it nice and clean and now my dryer is working like a dream :)
Glad it helped
The first 3:30 minutes are introductory bullshit, with an intro splash screen and off-topic discussion. We already know that our dryer duct needs cleaning. That is why we are here. So, we don't need you to tell us. Just show us how to clean, and don't waste our time. And that explanation of how to clean it does not begin, until 3:30.
I searched "how to clean dryer duct" and found your video. I plan on doing this. I will let you know how it worked out.
@A Concord Carpenter / ToolBoxBuzz Great video!! What can we do if the vent run is around 30 feet, from dryer to the outside? I can't seem to find a kit with enough flexible rods or do I need to buy an extension kit? Will it work with that many flexible rods connected?
heartsafire I’d clean from both ends - that’s almost too long a run
You need a better set of rods. Just blew through a cheap rod today. twisted like a pretzel. Just garbage. Yes spin backward and brush and head will now be stuck in the vent.
Do you have a link to where i can buy that extension kit? my dryer tube/ vent is very long, like prob anywhere from 10-15 feet.