Oh, man, we just did this. We just moved into a new (to us) house and the drier wasn't working at all. We couldn't figure out why until we checked the vent--which takes a 90 degree turn to the left, then another to the left, then straight UP and out!--and found a bird's nest in there! Getting the nest out was sufficient to make everything work . . . hopefully that's all that the problem was. Hopefully yours is that easy, too.

They have covers to put over the outside vent, so little critters can't get in.

They have covers to put over the outside vent, so little critters can't get in.

Too bad we can't just hire a hamster to crawl through the vents with a little brush and they could clear out all the debris.

Danged lazy Hamsters! They should get off their butts and get jobs like the rest of us !!

LOL wblynch....
On "repairclinic.com" I saw a 20' long dryer brush. Or maybe you could hire a chimney sweep? ;)
ksreedevi.....couldn't you take one part out in the basement, and reach some of the farther parts from there? You could get that 20' long brush and go from the dryer as far as possible, then go the rest of the way from where you opened it up in the basement. ?? I think most of the lint build-up is at the turns.
Here's an idea (and I may not know what I'm talking about)....but you could have a trap door of sorts put in the run in your basement. You could even have it so it would put warm air into your basement, and would also be an access port for cleaning the longer run out.??

My dryer vent goes straight up from the wall, makes a 45 degree turn in the attic then goes up through the roof. I hired professional duct cleaners for $129. Well worth the money when I saw how much lint was cleaned out!

I hadn't thought about professional duct cleaners. It's expensive, but well worth the hassle. And I guess lint fires are real.
This thread has taught me that even though my run of ductwork is only about 6' long, I should clean the entire run of it out, and not just the filter and the outside-the-house part.

I use a leaf-blower and a drain-snake once a year. Messy, but quick and efficient.

I was thinking about the blower too asolo.......but where do you put it?.......in the lint holder spot?
Those leaf blowers are great for a number of things. I was even thinking about using it to dust my house. ;)
Actually, when the kids were little and their toys were everywhere in the house.......I seriously considered using it for that!

I've often considered getting one of the linteater products. It looks like the right tool for the job, but haven't used one directly so can't say how well it really works. I have a 10' brush similar to the one on repair clinic and can say that even getting that through 10 feet of rigid duct can get difficult. The 10' coiled "handle" tends to want to bend back into it's coiled shape and that starts to make it difficult to go straight. A 20' one sounds interesting, but really question how far you could really push it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Linteater

The leaf blower still sounds good to me. But you'd want to be able to have some sort of device that would go down into the lint trap, and seal it off around it. Seems like it would break a fair amount of lint buildup off, and blow it out. But you would want to do it when the lint was the driest. I guess you could run the dryer empty for awhile, to help dry it out.
I'm still interested in hearing how asolo uses his leafblower for duct cleaning. We used ours to clean out my chicken coop, and it was amazing. Standing outside while my husband was using it, the dust was pouring out the windows, like it was billowing smoke.
I suppose with that much pressure in your ducts, you risk something coming apart??

I run the snake first to loosen everything up. Then vacuum what I can reach. Then blow both ways. Duct-tape the the blower nozzle to make a seal and let 'er rip. When blowing from outside toward inside, I cover the duct opening with a pair of panty-hose to minimize the mess.

Unlike a proper installation, the nit-wit who installed my "duct" basically just created a hodge-podge air-box with a number of twists and turns up through the roof. If they'd used regular ducting and half a brain, it wouldn't collect as much as it does and would be much easier to keep clean. As it is, the leaf-blower is a godsend. Really the only method that does the job in my case -- but it does do it well.

I did the leaf blower trick yesterday. The air was coming out and some lint came through the outside opening, not anything major like it was clogged. I also pulled the dryer one feet forward and straightened the vent in the back. The next load ran fine. I have to see how the next couple of loads go.

thanks for all the tips

I am also getting this code along with "lint filter" signal
light.We have new house,have had the dryer for 3 months.It has been doing it since day one- but more so lately.We had the plumber come in and check if the exhaust vent was clogged(as is gas dryer). It was not- he pulled off the vent
exhaust and tested the dryer unvented-it was still giving that same code. So that proves the ventilation is not the issue,but they did check the exhaust to the outside just to be sure & it was not clogged.
I had an independent repairman here to check it-first, he points to the ventilation.Say its too long. Mine goes out of dryer 45 degrees down into floor then one 90 degree and straight out (24Ft.) to outside.I believe what runs thru the floor is rigid.Louvers of outside vent seem to blow open unobtructed.So he said he'd try and order me a new sensor.
Then Bosch repairman was here.He also commented the ventilation setup is too long (Although the book allows up to 48 feet).He said its not sensor because that isn't used on timed cycle.He said try & wash filter because of the dryer sheet residue.If that don't work will try a new "controll". So I washed the filter with soap and hot water and tried it and its still doing samething.So I
called and told them to order the controll.Wait & see.
Sorry so lengthy!

How about using a shop vac at the exterior outlet end and the dryer end? Guess I could turn it onto blowing (from the inside out, of course *smile*) after getting what I could vacuum.

Anyone tried that?

Thanks.

-Roger

I clean my vent every year, and it is about time I do it again since I have not done so since I moved into my house.

I have a brush I got somewhere online that I clean the inside of the dryer with, under the lint screen. I then pull out the dryer use a shop vac to clean the opening at the back of the machine, take the brush up in it vacuum it again then do the same to the metal flex vent, taking it off where it meets the rigid pipe that goes out the window. I clean both ends and the outside vent cover. I aways see a difference in how fast it dries.

I can not believe how many never clean their dryer vent or have no clue lint is flamable. I mean have they no idea or just never think about it. I save the lint for when I go camping, nothing gets a camp fire going better!

Mike,

Kind of reminds me of the old days where Mother Earth magazine used to have articles about making doilies and other useful items out of dryer lint (*smile*). While I can't see saving it, thanks for the tips.

-Roger

Our dry cleaner knew I was getting a new dryer (and possibly a new vent) and he had this supposedly great advice--but I can't understand exactly what he means.

He said that when his dryer vent was put in, he had the installer attach a wire cable inside the venting. When he wants to clean out the lint, he attaches a rag to the cable and runs it back and forth inside the venting. I asked whether the cable was looped and he said no. So I'm not sure how he gets the rag back and forth.

Anyone understand this method?

Maybe he uses a super-conducting magnet or lives in a space/time dimension where euclidean geomentry doesn't apply :-) I've also heard of people attaching a rag to the tail of a chipmunk and have it run back and forth through the duct. This wire thing really doesn't make any sense.

Using screws to connect duct sections is considered a no-no as it's an obstruction where lint could collect. Couldn't imagine a wire sitting in a duct being a very good idea. For short sections of duct (maybe up to about 10 feet) you can buy an inexpensive duct brush. Someone on this forum recently reported that the Linteater worked well for longer sections. I've also blown out longer sections with an electric leaf blower.