People who are experiencing dryer cleaning issues and try to do-it-yourself might want to reconsider. Based on my company’s experiences with dryer vent cleaning in Tempe and the surrounding area, people trying to clean their own dryer vent are at a disadvantage. Here’s why.
Proper Equipment for Dryer Vent Cleaning
The DIYS people who attempt to clean their dryer vent lines typically do a search on the internet for some type of cleaning brush system. They find a few different brands but it basically comes down to rods and a brush that you attach to a drill and run through the vent line.
There are a few issues with this system worth mentioning:
1. The rods come with threads on the ends that allow you to attach multiple rods together so that you can reach through the entire vent line. The problem with threaded ends is that if after getting the rods in the vent line for a good distance, you try pulling them out, you can’t.
So, the most logical thing to do is to put the drill in reverse and screw the rods back out. The problem is that you end up unscrewing the rod with the brush on the end and when you get the rods out, you realize the brush was left inside. How do you get it out?
2. While cleaning with the rods and a brush, you can “push” the lint down the line. If you don’t get all the way to the other end, you can pack and plug the vent line at the point where the brush stops moving forward.
Now you have a situation where you totally plugged the dryer vent line and no air can flow. How do you open the line up?
3. What if the line is plugged with a bird’s nest. The brush on the end of the rods is not a good “claw” tool that professionals use to remove birds’ nest. All you will do is pack it in the vent line tighter than it already is.
4. What if the dryer vent line is made out of that white vinyl material? A brush system would tear it up, creating more of a problem. Then what do you do?
Those are the common issues that we run into when we are called to retrieve lost brushes in the vent lines or to remove the packed lint and/or bird’s nest. While buying a cheap brush and rod system might sound like the cheaper way to go, it can ultimately lead to the homeowner spending more money.
Let’s look at the advantages of hiring a professional dryer vent cleaner, like Supreme Vent Cleaning, to take care of dryer vent cleaning in Tempe and the surrounding area:
1. Supreme Vent Cleaning uses compressed air with a special hose that has a spinner on the end that actually blows air backwards. This allows us to clean the dryer vent from the outside. The tech presses the air nozzle and inserts the spinner into the dryer vent line. The air pressure, blowing back at the tech, propels the spinner into the vent line.
As the spinner works its way further into the vent line, it breaks the lint loose and blows it backwards towards the tech, who is standing outdoors. Once the spinner reaches the transition duct, the tech pulls it back out, with the air turned on, blowing out any and all lint along the way.
This “spinner” hose is able to go through any type of line, whether it be metal, vinyl, or anything else. It is much more effective than rods and brushes for a “normal” dryer vent cleaning.
2. When we encounter a vent line that has a bird nest or some other obstruction, making it too much work for the spinner hose, we may need to use our rod system. The difference is, our rods have connectors that don’t use screw threads so they can’t come apart. We also have different attachments at the end depending on what we’re trying to get out of the line.
3. Our company also uses an “Dryer Airflow Tester.” It consists of an air flow meter and a multi-meter. The meter will show poor readings if there is back pressure, or vent line obstruction. The
more the obstruction, the poorer the reading.
We test the dryer before cleaning and then after cleaning to compare. We like to know what we are starting with. If we aren’t happy with the reading after cleaning then we take the next step, which is checking the transition duct behind the dryer.
We find 99% of the issues, if we get a poor reading after cleaning the vent line, is from a faulty transition duct (the tube connecting the dryer to the vent line). Most of the time they are the flexible foil tubes and they are either too long or they are pinched up against the wall.
Obviously, we will shorten the tubes that are too long and most times we have to replace the tubes that have been pinched as they are now formed to block the air flow.
Hiring professionals definitely has its advantages and there is also the safety of your house and family to consider. The lint in a dryer vent line is flammable and if the dryer gets too hot from a clogged dryer vent line, it could start a fire.
Supreme Vent Cleaning takes a lot of pride in dryer vent cleaning in Tempe and the surrounding area. It’s a good feeling when you leave a customer’s house, knowing for sure that the dryer is venting properly. If the dryer isn’t drying clothes after we get done cleaning the vent line, then there is an issue with the dryer.
Supreme Vent Cleaning also has a 6-month guarantee. We know we do good work and we back it up. Not only do we have an incredible guarantee but we also have the lowest prices out there. Give us a call today for a free quote!