Cleaning vertical dryer vents.

[dbhost]

Okay, my dryer dropped dead on me again... Blowing but ice cold. Tested the High Limit cutoff fuse, blown... This is the 3rd time. I have cleaned what I could get to with the big brush, which isn't much due to the immediate 90 degree bend as the tube goes in the wall... So how on earth am I supposed to clean this stupid duct? If it involves getting on the roof, I will have to call in a contractor, but what sorts of contractors would do that kind of work? (I can do it, but LOML FREAKS out when I try to get on the roof..)

Is there any safe way to get this clean from the bottom side or do I just need to belly up to the bar and call a contractor?

[lombard]

I've heard of guys plumbing their leaf blowers into the duct in the laundry room and just blowing it all out...

[jseklund]

This is funny to me. My brother always has new business ideas. He's not very handy though. He came to me one day with his great new idea - a dryer vent cleaning business. I told him almost anyone could do this. I can see the issues though in a situation like this...

At any rate, a chimney sweep may be a suitable person for this job. Or you could try this:

http://www.amazon.com/Gardus-RLE202-...t+cleaning+kit

[woodturner]

Is there any safe way to get this clean from the bottom side or do I just need to belly up to the bar and call a contractor?

All you need is a small chimney sweep's brush - it's a round "bottle brush" on a long, flexible extension. HF has them for under $10.

Alternatively, you could put a fluffy kitten in there, then release the (small) hound to chase the kitten up the pipe . (Please don't actually try this).

Funny story: A few years back, I worked at a government facility. At this facility, they were forever running new communication cables in the walls. The walls had "D" cells - concrete conduit/raceways, 12" x 24" as I recall. One guy consistently worked faster than all the others - a LOT faster. No one could figure out why - until the day they caught him with his cat. He would tie a string to the cat's collar, put the cat in the conduit, then dangle catnip at the other end. The cat would come running, pulling the string with it. It was then an easy matter to pull the cable through the conduit with the string.

[cabinetman]

I'm thinking one of those dusters (not feather type), attached to a long string, like a mason's line, with a lead sinker at the end. Drop the sinker, let the line follow, and pull it through from below. There might be a round shape slightly larger than the duct.

.

[RAFlorida]

As lombard suggested.

Compressed air with a 4" tight fit collar works too.

[pelligrini]

I use a leaf blower on mine every once in a while. Normally twice a year. I'll pull the exit cover off, and just stick the leaf blower tube in the dryer hose once I get it disconnected. I can get a lot of material blown out of there. Just air doesn't get the walls of the ducts squeaky clean, but its good enough for me.

When we moved in the dryer vent dumped straight into the garage. I later ducted it up the wall, across the clg and down through the soffit. That added about 20' of duct including two 90's. I used to take sections out and blow from there, but I finally used some duct tape on actual ducts for the first time. I don't bother taking it apart now.

[frumper64]

I actually have one of the things Jseklund mentioned from Amazon and it works pretty well. I got it at Lowes as I recall. Also good for cleaning out downspouts when they get clogged.

[twistsol]

I use an electricians fish tape with a hand towel on the end. The fish tape is stiff enough to push through the two 90's in my line and it pops out on the outside. When I pull it back through after shaking it out outside, there is little if anything left in the duct.

If you have a flexible portion of duct though, the fish tape will go through the wall and then you have to cut open the ceiling of the laundry room while your wife stands there with the "I told you so" face on.

[chopnhack]

I use my shop vac, since mine goes into a wall then across the attic to an assist vac, most of the dust bunnies when I clean it annually are at the bottom before it enters the wall. I think the corrugations help to trap the lint.