Are your clothes taking longer to dry than they should or is the drying cycle becoming more expensive? If so, then it’s likely time to clean out your dryer vent. Believe it or not, regular cleaning of your dryer vent can help save energy and costs while also making sure all your laundry is dried properly.
Cleaning a dryer vent doesn’t have to be a difficult task you can use a leaf blower in order to get rid of any built-up lint and debris in the vents. In this blog post, we will walk you through the steps for how to clean a dryer vent with a leaf blower as well as discuss some safety tips you should keep in mind when performing this job.
How Often Should You Clean A Dryer Vent?
Cleaning a dryer vent is one of the most important maintenance tasks for any homeowner. Keeping your dryer vent clean helps keep your home safe from potential fire hazards and also helps to extend the lifespan of the appliance.
Ideally, you should be cleaning your dryer vent at least once every six months, or more often if you notice lint or other debris accumulated in the lint trap.
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How To Clean Dryer Vent With A Leaf Blower?
A leaf blower is designed to produce large amounts of air enough to move objects. Little wonder why it is recommended as one of the tools that can be used to clean a dryer vent even by professionals.
Cleaning a dryer vent by yourself is not all that hard. It is practically the same process as that of a professional, the only difference is the tool you use. But as long as you have an air-producing tool like a leaf blower, a screwdriver, a drill, and a dryer vent cleaning tool, you are all set. What’s left now is to follow these steps.
Step One: Locate The Dryer Vent And Unplug The Dryer
Before cleaning a dryer, you need to know where the dryer vent is located. To easily access the dryer vent, you might need to move the dryer from its position of use. That is especially if it is inside the wall. With it outside, you can work all sides of the dryer. Unplug it from its power source to prevent electrical surges.
Step Two: Remove The Hose
Detach the dryer duct or hose from the dryer. The hose might be attached to the dryer with screws, so have your screwdriver or whatever tool is required to remove the hose without breaking or puncturing it with you.
Step Three: Remove The Outside Covering
This step requires you to remove the screen covering the air vent from the outside. The air vent allows air to escape out of the dryer. Remove the cover, clean it and keep it aside.
Step Four: Insert Your Flexible Brush
Using the brush is to manually clean the vent and hose. Rotate the brush both clockwise and anti-clockwise as you push further into the vent to dislodge any lint that is stuck to the wall. The brush spins the lint-free and pushes it out of the vent.
Step Five: Insert Your Leaf Blower, Seal, And Switch On
Put the leaf blower tube as far up into the dryer vent as possible. Use tape to seal it to the body of the dryer and in place. Switch it on and test to see if the blower works and is sealed tightly to the dryer.
Step Six: Leave The Blower On
After making sure the blower is working and is sealed properly, leave it on to run for as long as 30 seconds or 2 minutes. That should be enough time to dislodge and move the dirt to the other opening of the vent.
Step Seven: Clean Up The Dirts
After blowing the dirt to the outside vent, check it and remove them. Clean the suits and debris away properly.
Step Eight: Pack Up
After cleaning the exterior opening of the vent, insert and screw back the parts that were removed from the dryer. Return the dryer to its initial position, plug it back and leave it to run for about 30 seconds to check the air pressure.
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Also Read: How to Start Husqvarna Leaf Blower?
Can You Clean A Dryer Vent Yourself?
Of course yes. Cleaning a dryer vent does not always require a professional. Although in some cases calling a professional to do the cleaning might be the best way to have the dryer vent thoroughly cleaned.
A dryer vent can be done by yourself but No matter how much you try to clean the dryer vent, there will always be little amounts of debris somewhere your hand cannot reach. Well at least, it is better than having a large buildup of lint sitting in the dryer vent waiting to cause a hazard.
Just as long as you follow the necessary steps, you will keep the situation of the vent under control. You might however be required to call a professional.
- When you do not understand the steps for cleaning the dryer vent. Honestly not everybody knows how to DIY or has a knack for it and that’s fine. As far as you have an alternative for it, all’s good. Instead of trying to clean what you have no clue or complete clue about, you should call for help. Trying to do it by yourself might cause more damage.
- When you do not have the necessary tools to do the cleaning. Although it is very easy to get a duct dryer cleaning kit or alternative tools for cleaning a dryer vent, you might not know the best to pick or even have them at your local hardware store. This could also happen to people who have dryer ducts as long as 25ft. In this case, leaving it to a professional is the best thing to do.
What Is The Best Way To Clean Dryer Vent?
The best way to clean a dryer vent is to remove the dryer from where it is. This allows easy access and enough space to clean every part of the duct. Using a cleaning kit is one of the fastest and simple ways to get the job done and you can get it from a local hardware store close to you.
It is made up of six flexible pieces that are each two feet long and a lint brush. They are reasonably priced and will fit in the majority of common power drill chucks.
Place the vent brush’s end into the ducting and turn the rod in a clockwise direction, but make sure you push the brush as far into the ductwork as you can.
What Do Professionals Use To Clean A Dryer Vent?
Unlike cleaning the dryer duct by yourself, professionals use a variety of tools to clean it thoroughly. These tools include:
- Spinning brushes: for dislodging lint and debris from the different corners of the vent.
- Vacuums: for collecting the dislodged debris.
- Air meter and whips: the whips are for blowing off dust and the meter is for checking the change in airflow before and after cleaning.
They clean the duct so well and skillfully that damages that could be caused by rods or brushes are avoided.
How To Clean A 25-Ft Dryer Vent?
Cleaning a dryer vent as lengthy as 25 feet might require a professional because they have the right tools for cleaning every dryer duct despite its length. Unless you have a vacuum with a hose a little longer than 25 feet, you cannot clean the vent perfectly.
You can also make use of vacuum extensions. They can be gotten from hardware stores at an affordable price.
To clean that kind of lengthy vent, you will need to clean it from the inside and also from the outside with a vacuum.
But if you are lucky enough to have a vacuum hose that is long with extensions and can come out from one end of the vent through the other, then you don’t need to go outside.
Can You Clean Dryer Vent With Shop Vac?
You can clean your dryer vent quickly if you have a home vacuum cleaner or perhaps a shop vacuum cleaner. However, only systems with dryer vent systems that are no longer than a few feet seem to work with these.
An upright vacuum with vacuum attachments won’t function if your dryer vent is too lengthy. But if it has a shorter dryer vent system, then you can use your shop vac to clean it.
How Do I Know if My Dryer Vent is Clogged?
Your clothes take longer to dry. If you notice that instead of the normal 45 minutes per cycle, your unit takes longer to dry the clothes, then you need to clean your vent. This is most times the first and most noticeable symptom of a clogged dryer.
Your clothes smell musty after being in the dryer and they also feel hot. Because air cannot enter to cool the clothes, friction from turning the clothes will cause the clothes to get hot.
The clothes do not dry properly. They come out damp. Airflow helps a lot in the pressure applied by the dryer to dry clothes but because it is restricted, the clothes do not get pressed well.
The dryer seems very hot when felt with your hands. This is most likely because the dryer is overheated. When the dryer vent is clogged, air cannot enter to cool the system, therefore, causing an accumulated amount of heat.
This is why even if you cannot afford a professional, you should try to clean it as often as possible. Ask yourself today when was the last time you cleaned your dryer vent, if you’re finding it difficult to answer or remember, then you should book an appointment with your dryer ASAP.
Conclusion:
Do not be too penny-wise that you ignore cleaning your dryer, that would only put you at so much risk. Since you cannot afford a professional, now you know you can use your leaf blower to clean it without much hassle.
It is a very nice method to use as far as you understand and know the steps required for its use in that case.
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