Tip Of The Week: Washer & Dryer Vent Cleaning & Concerns

Hello. Welcome to another edition of Tip Of The Week.  

Today I'd like to talk about a topic that many home owners over look and pay no mind to, and that is cleaning out and maintaining your dryer vent. We all use and abuse our washer and dryer day in and day out, and many times we take these 2 units for granted. From all our dirty laundry to our favorite busted up pair of jeans and sweat shirts these appliances take a beating, and it's our job to maintain them for years of problem-free use.

WASHER

Lets take a look at our new washers that are on the market. Many of us today who need a new washer and dryer are always looking into the more "green" or energy efficient units, and rightfully so. The new front loading units use less water -- about 85% less -- and get our clothes cleaner with all the new functions and features that it can do.

We all know that they do a great job but there is one little thing that many front loaders have that needs to be addressed twice a month. Many people don't know about this, which could lead to disaster if not taken care of. So lets look at it in more detail.

On many if not all front loading washers, especially the Samsung models, there is a drain hose that needs to be drained 2 times a month. If this is not done, water will back up in the washer's drum, and the clothes after the spin cycle will be soaked, and then the repair people will be called to do what I'm about to tell you, and now you'll all be able to do this and save the money on that service call which could be as much as $150 or more.

On the front of the washer in either the lower right or left side you should see an access panel that pops off. Behind that access door is a little black hose with a plastic cap. Before you gently remove that cap make sure you get a small bucket or container to catch and hold all that water. OK, now that you have that container on the floor -- and it may help to have a junky towel on the floor in case your aim is a little off -- gently remove the plastic cap.

Hold your thumb or finger on the tip of the hose and aim the hose down into the bucket and remove your finger, and you'll see all the water start to funnel out. Don't be surprised if a lot of water comes out, don't panic, this is normal especially if you have not done this in a while. Water will come out and it may be a little soapy which is fine. Once the water stops, raise and lower the hose up and down. It will create a syphon effect and with gravity's help more water will come out.

Once all the water is out, place the plastic plug back on the end of the hose and clip it back into place, and replace the access cover back on the front and your done. It's as easy as that and you just saved yourself a lot of money. If this process is done twice a month you should be OK; if you should happen to use your washer more than usual then just repeat this process three times a month. On the inside of the washer there is a rubber collar that needs to be wiped out. Simply just fold back the rubber collar and just wipe it out. A lot of suds and debris can get caught up in there.

DRYER

Now that we've talked about the washer, lets talk about the dryer. Like the washer there are many new and energy efficient dryers that use less energy and with all the new features can not only dry your clothes quicker, but also use steam to get out all the wrinkles in that button down shirt.

If you happen to have a "gas" dryer please make sure that you have a gas shut off valve behind the dryer, that's not only by code but anything that is fueled by gas must have a shut off valve at the unit itself. You also don't want to push the dryer all the way back against the wall, by not doing this you will prevent a few things. One, you will not crush the gas line; two, it will allow the unit to breath; and, three, you won't crush the dryer vent.

Speaking about the dryer vent, let's talk about that and why it's important. A properly maintained dryer vent will not only make sure that your unit is working as it should and dry the clothes in a timely manner but it will also deter fire.

Yes I said fire, now I know your all thinking the worse and all that but please don't panic. Here are some things to do so this will never happen, but I want to give you a statistic. 75% of dryer vents that are not cleaned and maintained can and do lead to house fires. So with that said lets do some things to make sure that does not happen.

Every dryer vent need to be "vented" out side by code. No dryer should be vented inside a structure, it needs to be vented outside of the house and away from any and all windows so the gas and fumes do not come back in the house.

When the weather is doable, go outside and find your dryer vent and it should have a cover of some sort with plastic flappers that open with the dryer is on, and then they lay flat when it's off. This is to keep the little critters out.

When you remove the cover there may be a lot of lint and build up. You can use a shop vac or your vacuum cleaner with the proper attachments to suck out and clean the outside vent. Before you put the cover back on and depending on how your dryer is vented to the outside, we'll need to clean out the plastic tubing that runs from the dryer to the outside vent if that applies to you.  In newer construction that tube is concealed but there is a way to clean that none the less and we'll talk about that too.

Once you've located the tube and can detach it from the dryer and the interior part of the outside vent properly, we'll need to clean that out. At your local home center you can purchase a flexible dryer tube/vent cleaning brush. This brush comes in various lengths and attaches to your power drill. Make sure that you wear eye protection and a mask when doing this clean out so none of the debris gets in your eyes or is breathed in.

It's best to do this part outside.  With all the necessary protection on and were all clear, lets clean out that tube. Starting out slowly insert the brush into the tube and turn on your drill. Slowly move back and forth with the drill and the brush will do the rest. You may need some help and have someone hold the tube while your doing this to make it easier.

Once all the debris and the whole length of the tube is cleaned out, simply reconnect the tubing to the back of the dryer and the inside part of the dryer vent for outside and your good to go. If your not able to take the tube off, simply just use the various lengths of the brush kits to clean out as much as you can from the inside and all the debris and lint and build up will be forced outside. Have someone outside to let you know when all the debris comes out and when it looks like you got it all.

Once that's all done, simply re attach the outside dryer vent cover, and re connect the tube to the back of the dryer and your all set, and done.

Doing these simple and easy cleaning and maintenance tips will not only ensure that your washer and dryer will continue to work more efficiently, but also reduce the risk of water backing up and causing issues, and also will decrease the possibility of causing a dryer/house fire.

These are great tips that will save you time, money, and a headache as well.  

That's it for this week, and thank you all for joining me, and until next time if you have any questions about your home, condo or apartment write to us, I'd love to hear from you.

Thank you all for tuning in, and we'll see you soon. Have a great week!