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Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Tell her not to use the dryer until this is fixed. If in fact that vent is clogged, it will burn out the thermal sensor and/or the heating coils, if electric. The thermal sensor alone with labor is several hundred to fix.
She could always purchase a modern ventless dryer with an inverter. They have a lot of advantages over the traditional dryers. One being no need for the exhaust vent. Another being energy savings. They also put a lot less wear on the clothes. The only disadvantage is that they are a bit slower.
My friend owns a condo. She hasn't lived there for a few years but every 2 years for 32 years, she gets the exhaust pipe cleaned.
(don't know what it is called- the pipe that goes from the dryer to the outside.)
this time the guy from the company says no air is coming out of the dryer when it is turned on, so they must dig thru the wall to see what is up.
Of course my friend will get other opinions. I suggested she ask other people who live in the development if this has ever happened to them. Also to ask the Management - sometimes they will recommend a company.
I just wondered if anyone here has any opinion or experience with this.
Thank you!
ellen
Pull the dryer away from the wall.
See if the dryer vent is unhooked at th back of the dryer or the wall connection. The duct may be kinked.
If that’s good check to see if the flex duct at the dryer is clogged if it isn’t check just inside the connection at the wall or floor (wherever it is.)
If it’s not clogged there get a dryercduct cleaning tool. Looks like a fish tape with a brush head. Shove that in there and it should get past he clog. Shove it to go through then attach the brush head and pull it back. The brush head will catch the lint clog
See if the dryer vent is unhooked at th back of the dryer or the wall connection. The duct may be kinked.
If that’s good check to see if the flex duct at the dryer is clogged if it isn’t check just inside the connection at the wall or floor (wherever it is.)
If it’s not clogged there get a dryercduct cleaning tool. Looks like a fish tape with a brush head. Shove that in there and it should get past he clog. Shove it to go through then attach the brush head and pull it back. The brush head will catch the lint clog
Some homes may have roof vents. She may also want to check that it isn’t unhooked somewhere in the attic. Apparently my mom had one blowing out into the attic for years.
She can just snake it. On the outside, there are vent covers which have a screen that is like plastic hardware cloth that pulls out. If her duct isn't smooth, its more likely to get clogged. If it was working and now its not, there is no reason to open the wall. If it is not venting, don't use it; vent fires are a major cause of home fires.
Check both the inside end of the vent pipe, and find where it runs to on the outside. There is usually a little metal vent hood about 6 inches across where it comes out, and inside that little hood is a flap that keeps the cold air and varmints out. Be sure that the flap opens freely, and that there is no blockage in the pipe. I checked the vent for a friend and found it had been hit by someone mowing the lawn and that the flap couldn't open until we bent the little vent hood back into shape. Another time I found plastic army men and a matchbox car shoved in the vent from the outside which had collected a huge ball of lint on them and blocked the vent.
Since this is a condo, I would imagine she is only responsible for her end of the vent inside her unit, and the association is responsible for beyond that point. She can turn in a maintenance request for her vent to be checked/cleaned.
No air coming out the vent? Sounds like the dryer had a stroke. Strokes can cause fires though. Get it cleaned out, pronto.
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