I have a dryer and the vent goes straight up through the roof?
Question:It wasn't drying anything so I disconnected the vent and it works again. So I need to clean the vent but have no idea what I should use to clean it. It is about 15 feet long. Thanks for the help!!
Answers:
I hate to see dryer vents going through the roof. This is just plain stupid for builders to do this. It is a fire hazard and I have seen a fire destroy an apartment that was caused by a dirty dryer vent going through a roof.
Most hardware stores and home centers sell a dryer vent brush and the rods for it. Clean it out real good then put a shop van on the end of the pipe to get what is left out.
If you own the dwelling it is best to re route the vent horizontally to the outside. Of course this may not be possible so you need to inspect/clean the vent twice a year.
Can you get up on the roof, and get to the vent? If you can, I see 2 possible techniques:
If the vent is straight with NO bends in it, and you can get to the bottom end inside the house, use a pole of some sort to push through the obstruction, and push it down to the bottom where you can clear it by hand. A long piece of wood would work, or a painter's extension pole. Be sure to tie a rope to the pole, though. If you drop it, you'll have a hard time getting it back out otherwise.
Otherwise, try using a plumber's snake to clean the vent pipe. It's a stiff but flexible cable meant to push down pipes to clear out obstructions. The tip has a wire shaped in a coil that is pushed and twisted into obstructions so that it snags on it and can pull the obstruction out. Bring a trash bag with you. You'll probably pull a bunch of lint out of the vent pipe, and you'll have to do it a bunch of times.
There are dryer vent brushes you can buy for this purpose. They are available at a good appliance store also at some Lowe's or Home Depots. Along with cleaning the vent line, you also want to clean the dryer out also. Remove the filter and run the brush inside the dryer from the filter location. Also clean the dryer from the duct side back into the dryer. There is a good chance with a 15' long vent going straight up the dryer is clogged as this is too long a run for the exhaust. Try to find a shorter way to vent the dryer. You may have to cut a hole in the wall behind the dryer. If you do re route the dryer vent, use solid metal duct work, not the flexible plastic material. The corrugations in the plastic material hold lint, which builds up and is a potential fire hazard. The solid metal duct work will hold straight and not kink. Put this together with small self tapping screws and tape the joints also. Do not try and depend on tape only to hold the joints of the pipe together.
unless you have a dryer that is 2 years old or newer, going straight up and that far is not a great idea. Use the straight metal pipe and not the plastic pipe that is coiled, link and moisture catches in the coils. Try not to run it straight up if possible that is a long way to go and much longer when ever it is going up. Make sure when you put clothes in the dryer you give them a little shake to open them up especially towels and blankets, it is easier to dry something open than in a bundle
Mike's on the money. A drier vent should go through a wall or plumbed through cellar side plate. Keep the run as short and straight as possible. Always use aluminum or galvanized 90 degree bends out of the dryer and at the end of the through piece in the wall plate. keep the flex hose as straight as possible. Any sharp bends cause lint buildup and partial plugging.
I'd remove the roof dryer vent and seal the hole. Lint and heat cools too fast causing condensation and can not adequately driven up a long vertical run.
Country boy had some great advice, but dryer fans are not strong enough to pump air that far, especially straight up. better to add a water trap to it that can be bought at any hardware store. http://appliancequickfix.com/ has some great information on how your dryer works.
Any dryer is designed to be vented only 6' vertically. That said, even a clean vent causes extended dry times when it vents through the roof. The professionals use a vacuum cleaner and a brushes that touch the sides of the vent tube. A plumbers snake, leaf blower or short brush wont cut it. Have it done. They get about $90.00 for a thorough job.
It will pay for itself by decreasing the run time.
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