How to clean out 20' horizontal dryer duct?

Our 12-year-old dryer duct needs cleaning. Are we supposed to hire someone to do this professionally, or do you guys do this yourselves with long vacuum hoses? DH thinks it would need a bristle-y brush like a chimney sweep would use? Are these things supposed to be cleaned out on a regular basis, say every 5 years?

Access is 10' up outside the house, so we'd need a ladder. Any tips?

When we did this a few years ago, we disconnected the hose at the dryer and icut it near the end in the attic and brought it outside. We then used a dry vent hose brush my DW had bought me. Once cleanr, we reattached it. Took the better part of the day to do though.

I clean ours periodically - it's about 30 ft long horizontal run.

I use a fish tape to pull a 100 ft rope through the duct. Near the middle of the rope I create a knot ball, embedding rags inside the knots, to create a ball that is about about the same diameter as the duct but that also compresses at least an inch smaller. I then pull that knot ball through the duct.

I put the ball in the middle of the rope so that I can pull the ball both directions through the duct.

Ours is about 30 ft. and we disconect the duct from the dryer and remove the dryer vent from our outside wall and blow it out with our leaf blower most every spring. We clean the vent screen at this time since its off.

Ditto on the leaf blower.

Thank you all for the suggestions. At least now I know it can be done without hiring a professional, though we don't own a leaf blower. My DH still thinks we need a bristle brush type mechanism to scrape the edges of the duct, and he's not sure that a leaf blower would get the lint that is stuck everywhere.

Denise L said:

… though we don't own a leaf blower. My DH still thinks we need a bristle brush type mechanism to scrape the edges of the duct, and he's not sure that a leaf blower would get the lint that is stuck everywhere.

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Which are the exact reasons I use the knotted ball of rags.

T_R_Oglodyte said:

I clean ours periodically - it's about 30 ft long horizontal run.

I use a fish tape to pull a 100 ft rope through the duct. Near the middle of the rope I create a knot ball, embedding rags inside the knots, to create a ball that is about about the same diameter as the duct but that also compresses at least an inch smaller. I then pull that knot ball through the duct.

I put the ball in the middle of the rope so that I can pull the ball both directions through the duct.

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As if I needed another reason besides your photography skills...you are my hero! (I just wish I had read this a week ago - I cleaned ours out while my husband was out of town and practically needed back surgery afterwards, lol).

T_R_Oglodyte said:

Which are the exact reasons I use the knotted ball of rags.

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Okay, I will try to convince my DH to do this. How long did it take you to clean the 30'?

Denise L said:

Okay, I will try to convince my DH to do this. How long did it take you to clean the 30'?

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Half an hour or so. The longest part of the job is getting the knotted ball right.

It's important that you be able to pull from both ends. You don't want to get the knot hung up on a protrusion in the duct and be unable to pull it back. Same concept applies with anything you pull through, including a brush.

Since we own a chimney cleaning company, I can affirm that chimney sweeps have the correct equipment, the bristle brushes that Denise was referring to.

There is actually a kit you can buy as a professional chimney sweep that is specifically for dryer vent cleaning. It has a rotary brush on a line that is attached to a machine, like a drill. I think you can use a drill to do the cleaning, but we don't do the dryer vent stuff because Rick and our son believe wholeheartedly that cleaning dryer vents is something you have to stay clean to do, but chimney cleaning, you cannot possibly stay clean. So basically we decided that if we did this as a sideline, it would have to be only in the off-season, and we couldn't clean a chimney and a dryer vent in houses at the same time.

A little too much info. :rofl:

Steve, do you know that a professional chimney sweep would charge about $300 to clean your vent? At least in Denver, that would be the price. Think of all the money you are saving with your clever system.

Rick cleans our dryer vent really often because, being a firefighter, he doesn't want to have a fire, and that is one of the most common causes of house fires. It's really very wise to take care of your dryer vents before you start smelling the smoke.

Wow! For one who actually changes the oil in our lawn mowers, I am shocked that I have never cleaned a dryer vent, or ever thought to, or ever wanted to.

I still don't and likely won't.

Paranoia is not merely recognizing that everyone is out to get you, but understanding that they are all out to get you first.

But, if they really are out to get you, it is not paranoia.

JLB said:

Wow! For one who actually changes the oil in our lawn mowers, I am shocked that I have never cleaned a dryer vent, or ever thought to, or ever wanted to.

I still don't and likely won't.

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I'm with you on this one. If I do decide to clean it at some point in the future, however, I'm pretty sure the cat, some string, and a can of tuna fish will be involved. I mean -- she's grey and fuzzy already......

Elan said:

I'm with you on this one. If I do decide to clean it at some point in the future, however, I'm pretty sure the cat, some string, and a can of tuna fish will be involved. I mean -- she's grey and fuzzy already......

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I don't recommend using a Manx, though. If a Manx gets stuck it's harder to pull the cat free without doing serious harm to the cat. (I suppose some would consider that a virtue instead of a detriment.) I think a properly plump Persian would work nicely, though.

This could even fit into a sequel to 101 Uses for a Dead Cat. Let's see - if I truss the paws tightly with the tail laced trough the loops and flluff the fur with a hair dryer, the body should form a nice fluffy ball. I can then tie a rope around the neck to pull the cat through. If the cat gets stuck in the middle of the duct, reversing direction might be tricky, though

A full grown cat might be too big, but a kitten would be too small. The best age would be that stage where the kitten loses that kitten cuteness and starts becoming a cat.

The scary thing about dryer ducts are that they are sections, not one piece, and can come apart if they were not riveted together. If they were only taped together the tapes glue may be dried out. The duct should be put together from the inside dryer location and over lapped to the outside cover but this isn't inspected usually. So if you put something in the duct and it catches a piece of jagged duct at the over lap and you pull it you may pull the duct apart.

We aren't pro duct cleaners but have installed dryer ducts on new construction.

rickandcindy23 said:

Steve, do you know that a professional chimney sweep would charge about $300 to clean your vent? At least in Denver, that would be the price. Think of all the money you are saving with your clever system.

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Necessity is a mother.

T_R_Oglodyte said:

I don't recommend using a Manx, though. If a Manx gets stuck it's harder to pull the cat free without doing serious harm to the cat. (I suppose some would consider that a virtue instead of a detriment.) I think a properly plump Persian would work nicely, though.

This could even fit into a sequel to 101 Uses for a Dead Cat. Let's see - if I truss the paws tightly with the tail laced trough the loops and flluff the fur with a hair dryer, the body should form a nice fluffy ball. I can then tie a rope around the neck to pull the cat through. If the cat gets stuck in the middle of the duct, reversing direction might be tricky, though

A full grown cat might be too big, but a kitten would be too small. The best age would be that stage where the kitten loses that kitten cuteness and starts becoming a cat.

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What a terrible thought!

rickandcindy23 said:

What a terrible thought!

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I replace mine every 5 years.

Elan said:

, I'm pretty sure the cat, some string, and a can of tuna fish will be involved. I mean -- she's grey and fuzzy already......

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Ok, can I admit that my first thought when reading this thread was, "How about a guinea pig?"

Ours is cute and sweet and I love her dearly and would never ever consider this for real, but she is about the right size. However, she's a short hair -- the long, shaggy, "bad-hair day" varieties would likely do a better job.