Dryer Vent Hose

If you own a dryer, you need to make sure that you take care of it.  Part of that means not overloading it or putting non-clothes items inside of it.  But the biggest part of dryer care is proper removal of accumulated lint.  After every load make sure the remove the lint trap and clean it thoroughly.  However, this is not enough to ensure that your dryer remains in top running condition.  You also have to clean out your dryer vent hose.  The best way to do that is with a dryer vent brush.

Dryer vent brushes come in many different models and styles.  They all serve the same purpose however, to make the inside of your venting hose clean and free from lint build up.  It is important to regularly remove lint deposits from your hose.  Not only does it mean that you dryer will continue to work at maximum capacity, but it also means that the chances of you getting a fire inside your dryer are greatly decreased.  Dryer fires are very common and usually occur when a buildup of lint super heats to the point where it combusts.  The resultant fire is extremely dangerous and difficult to put out.  That is why you should use a dryer vent brush on at least an annual basis.

One model of vent brush is the LintEater Dryer Vent Cleaning System.  It is a consumer product that operates much on the same lines as a power drill.  You attach a hard bristle brush to the end of flexible piping that is the length of your dryer vent hose.  Then you insert the brush into one end of your hose and turn on the brush.  The bristles sweep the lint deposits free from the inside of your hose while a vacuum-like suction pulls all the loose lint out of the hose and into the body of the machine.  Depending on the length of your vent, the entire project should take less than half an hour.  The LintEater system is made to accommodate twelve feet of piping but additional twelve foot extension kits are available for purchase.

If you don’t want to invest in such an extensive system, there are other, less high tech, dryer vent brush options as well.  These are well worth checking out, especially if your dryer vent hose is shorter.  For instance, the Fuller Dryer Vent Brush is only twenty-seven inches long but still has the right type of bristles to get the job done.  It is a manual system and therefore very inexpensive.  The Rutland Dryer Vent Brush 17410 is a brush attached to the end of a long flexible pipe; the perfect option if you have a slightly longer run that has one or more elbows in it.  Again, since it is manually operated, it costs significantly less.

Regardless of what dry vent brush model you choose, it is vitally important that you keep your vent hose clean to keep your dryer in top working condition as well as to prevent dryer fires.