How to clean a dryer vent

Teach: How to clean a dryer vent

What to say

Clean the lint screen after every load, and clean the whole dryer vent once a year: unplug the dryer, pull it out, loosen the clamp and remove the duct, then brush or vacuum the lint out of the duct, the dryer's outlet and the outside vent hood. Replace plastic or foil accordion duct with rigid or semi-rigid metal. Clothes taking longer to dry is the warning sign.

What to show, in order

1. Pull the lint screen after every load and wipe it clean.
2. Once a year, unplug the dryer, or turn off its breaker, and pull it away from the wall.
3. Loosen the clamp and slide the duct off the dryer outlet and the wall connection.
4. Vacuum lint from the dryer outlet and the wall opening.
5. Run a dryer vent brush through the duct and the wall pipe, working from both ends.
6. Go outside, open the vent hood flap and clear any lint or nests.
7. Replace plastic or foil accordion duct with rigid or semi-rigid metal duct, as short and straight as it will go.
8. Reconnect, run the dryer and check that air blows strongly from the outside vent.

When to stop and call a professional

• The dryer is a gas model: turn it off and unplug it, but leave disconnecting or reconnecting the gas supply to a licensed technician.
• The vent runs a long way through walls or the roof, or you find scorch marks or smell burning: call a dryer vent cleaning service or an appliance technician.

The check question

Ask: How often should the lint screen be cleaned? Answer: After every load

From EveryManSkills. General information, not professional advice.