While repairing your dryer vent, there are a handful of things that are more worrisome when your dryer determines that cozy fluffy clothes are no longer necessary. The loss of dryer functionality may be distressing for someone who is accustomed to warm towels straight from the dryer and smooth frizz clothes. You may be concerned that anything that is awry with your dryer has anything to do with the belting fan or the thermal operations.
However, there are instances when a dryer stops heating or circulating air for an undeniable fact: the vent duct has stopped venting. Vent ducts might be squashed, pinched, ruptured, or simply blocked with dryer lint, making it impossible for them to provide the free ventilation and humidity release that every dryer requires.
If your dryer’s troubles aren’t technical or internal, the vent duct is most likely to blame. So, today, we’ll go through the fundamental steps for resolving dryer vent duct difficulties from start to finish.
Arrange the Materials
You’ll need a few necessary tools to complete each step before you start repairing your dryer vent duct. Fortunately, the supplies list for this repair isn’t too big or complex. All you require is a trash can, screwdriver, damp washcloth, duct tape, plumbing snake.
You probably have these items, and the washcloth and trash can be substituted with anything else that serves the same purpose.
Remove and Clean the Lint Trap
After you’ve assembled your materials, you may begin working on the dryer. Begin by removing the lint trap filter from the top or just inside the entrance of the machine. The lint trap directly connects to the venting duct and, if blocked with lint, can reduce your dryer’s standard and effectiveness. Don’t just pick up the extra lint for this fix.
Allow some time to thoroughly clean the lint trap by soaking it in cool water and drying it with a towel. Now is also an excellent time to scrape out any residual clumps of lint inside the lint trap casing that is visible and reachable.
Remove the Dryer From the Outlet
Remove your dryer away from the wall as the next move in any significant vent problems. Vary by the state of your vent duct; this might even be a repair procedure in and of itself. Dryer vents are often rusty tinfoil tubes that go from the dryer’s rear to the exterior wall where the dryer outtake is located.
If your dryer is pressed in too far, it might smash the vent tubing, resulting in a rupture in the vent or excessive clumpy pressurization behind the dryer. Taking the dryer away from the wall offers the dual benefit of unclogging a clogged vent and providing extra space to safely operate on the dryer from this point forward. Try to disconnect your dryer while you’re doing this.
Look for Tears and Holes in Vents
Give that gleaming flexible cylinder a thorough examination now that the vent duct is exposed. Look for any apparent rips or damage that might be the source of the issue. Check for any minor air leakage that might be affecting vent inefficiencies. These parts are one of the dryer’s most replaceable features, and they should be updated regularly.
If the damage is modest, then you will not need to replace the existing vent. This is the kind of problem that duct tape is designed to solve. Several strips of duct tape applied to a tear in your vent can make it airtight and even more durable than before in terms of preventing crumpling and potential harm.
Seal the Covers Endpoints of the Vent
You’ll also want to double-check that the seals on both ends of your dryer vent duct are intact. Even if the vent is completely intact, having a too loosely linked vent might lead to losing hot air and dryer performance. Air leaks via loose seals, which is terrible for your dryer, your clothing, and your power cost.
Hence, the answer is to carefully re-attach the duct seals before tightening them to ensure that they do not come free again. A decent dryer efficiency depends on secure vent sealing.
Remove Non-sealing or Defective Vent
If repairing and tightening your dryer vent doesn’t work, and you can still feel air coming out somehow, then the old vent may simply be too damaged to save. You will need to carefully research the type and size required for your dryer’s make and modeler when this happens. Once you know the correct part number, buy yourself a new dryer vent duct that will likely also come with the attachment pieces you need in case those are lost or damaged.
Unplug the damaged dryer vent and carefully replace it with the fresh one. Make sure to tighten the vent screws on both endpoints so that your vent stays in place while also creating a firm, hot air sealing to route air out from the dryer and into the atmosphere.
Clean the Vent Passage
There’s also a chance that the dryer duct itself has filled and clogged with old lint. This is particularly possible if you tend to leave your lint trap until it begins to overflow and compact lint into primitive felt. The more lint in your dryer system, the more likely it will be the source of your problems. If your dryer vent duct is full of lint, take this time to shake and clear it out before re-attaching the seals.
If the situation is more serious, a plumbing snake can be used to enter the vents that operate inside your home, either by an outer wall or up into the roof.
Test the Dryer Repeatedly
Lastly, you’re prepared to put the dryer to the test to determine if your repair and restoration procedures were successful. Reassemble everything as it should be, such as the lint filter, which should be clean and dry already. Slide the dryer back to its original position, but be cautious not to compress the dryer vent’s flexible part. Then switch on your dryer to determine if the ability to soften and fuzzy damp clothing has been restored.
Conclusion
Fixing your dryer might be as simple as a few short steps or as complicated as extremely sophisticated technical maintenance. Contact Dryer Vent HQ today to learn more about residential dryer repair or schedule a specialist to take care of your complete dryer problem.
