Cleaning the dryer vent?

[puglogic]

I hear a lot of fuss and warnings about cleaning dryer lint out of the vents and pipes and such in your dryer. That it's going to catch fire, we're all going to die, etc.

Is this a serious threat? I see some specialized tools available at Home Depot etc., long brushes etc. Does anyone know if they work? I just don't want to drag a professional down here at $100/hour if I can do it myself -- IF it actually needs to be done at all. Any thoughts?

[Alan]

I just did this last weekend and other than moving the dryer out of it's spot so that I could get behind it, it wasn't a big deal. Just move the dryer away from the wall, remove the vent pipe/hose from the dryer and the wall and remove any accumulated lint from the hose, the fitting to the outside of the house and inside the dryer opening.

My vent hose is only about 3 feet long and yet I removed several hands full of compressed lint from it's inside and another handfull or so from the wall and dryer openings. I usually do this once a year, although I think I missed it last year.

[CathyA]

I think its important to do every so often, but I have to admit, the tools I have probably don't go all the way through. I also clean out the very outside part of the vent (on the outside of the house).

[folkypoet]

My uncle is a volunteer firefighter and has said that a good percentage of the fires he's called to are started by dryer lint. Don't have a dryer, though, so can't really speak about the ease/difficulty of cleaning it out.

[boss mare]

MY DH is s firefighter and see alot of houses that have caught fire due to the vents not being cleaned.

[Mrs-M]

My husband suggests that you go outside (when the dryer is operating) to see if the flap is open on the vent (wide open), and that there is significant warm blowing air exhausting. If you find both of these conditions present, your vent is clear. He also mentioned that clogging of dryer vents is exacerbated by 45° elbows/bends. My husband inspects ours several times a year.

[CathyA]

My filter is in the front of the machine (Maytag, l978). I'm thinking the ones with the filters on top would be much easier to clean.
I have a long tool, but its really hard to get it to feed properly any further than the initial filter area. I guess I'll have to pull the machine out from the wall and clean from the back too.

[puglogic]

Thanks to all! Ours vents into the garage (not a good situation, but convenient for cleaning as the pipe is only about 2' long) I'll get in there and make sure it's all good. You never know about these scare stories unless you vet them with regular folks, y'know? :)

[Mrs-M]

Additionally, this thread topic makes for a good case argument for cleaning the dryer filter-trap after each load.