Posted on 02/13/2012 8:36:50 AM PST by Smokin' Joe
I save it and use it to wipe the dipstick when I check engine oil.
Just throw it away rather than soiling a good rag.
Suggest you also vacuum out the line from the dryer to the outside vent.
After reading through the thread - expect one huge sucking sound tonight as FReepers go on a lint seeking rampage;)
...it’s toast.
I was just going to suggest that gizmo.
Saw it for the first time this last weekend. Of course I had taken the dryer apart last week to clean it out. :)
Gonna get one, wait! get the second one free, just pay separate shipping and handling.
A few tips/ideas.
If your wife uses fabric softener towelettes, the wax in the softener coats the vents, causing lint to stick. And some lint always get through the screen.
Lint collects in the vent tube/pipe no matter how religious you are about cleaning the lint screen in the dryer.
Clean occasionally.
If you are using flexible, accordion type vent tubing lint collecting is exacerbated. Try to install solid tubing instead.
If the vent tubing runs through an uninsulated space, ie. , crawl space, in the winter the moist air in the tubing will likely condense, causing another point of restriction.
I’ve had electric dryers for nigh on 45 years and have repaired every one myself. On most SEARS dryers, the lint trap removes from the top of the machine. They are prone to letting lint accumulate at the bottom of the impeller cavity which draws air to the exhaust tube. They will let more and more lint pass by the screen and accumulate at the bottom when the lint buildup gets thicker.....if you pull it out and it looks like something has been ‘rolled off’ partically, you have a bunch of lint at the bottom of the impeller cavity.
The primary culprit for potential fires in these machines is lack of cleaning the filter each time the dryer is used for one-three loads of clothes. Almost every time! My wife is particularly bad about not checking it. I have to pull it out most times I walk by the dryer to check it.
They make a thin rectangular vacuum attachment tube you can put on your vacuum to suck out the lint trapped at the bottom....do this once every couple of weeks or so and your fire problem is reduced greatly...
Just went through this. Did not want to pay big price for duct cleaning since it is a second story laundry room and vents to the roof. Got the contraption called Lint Eater at Lowes and hooked it to the shop vac and got it all cleaned out in no time. Highly recommend the Lint Eater. Vids on You Tube show how easy it is.
Mis-spoke. Actually yes but she would load the thing up and use a slow-drying cycle day after day without bothering to check the lint screen(we found this later). People don’t understand sometimes that you just can’t shove heavy loads of wet clothes into a dryer and expect it to not have problems. People are aware that too much in the washer will put it off balance but seem to think a dryer is some kind of magic appliance that isn’t affected by how much you put in it.
As an Assistant Scout Master (ASM) for our local boy scout troop, we routinely teach a fire starting class. One of the first things we teach the boys is that dryer lint is a great fire starter.
Here in Florida the big two power co’s charge by the killowat hour. If you go over 1,000 hwh you pay a higher rate and also a higher fuel cost. By lowering my bill to 950 kwh I’m at $122 instead of $250 with my dryer. Not using the central air conditioner in the hotter months save around $250 per month. It’s not as cold inside but you get used to it. We have individual ductless room a/c’s from Sanyo that cool us. Very efficient.
Re: pic in # 37
If your dryer is similar to that one. You can get to the innards from the front.
Two clips hold the lower panel on. Remove the panel and you have access to the blower, element, motor. Two 1/4 hex screws and a clip hold the blower housing on. Remove the screws, leave the clip in place and clean the inside of the housing.
No need to pull away from the wall, except the UNPLUG FIRST.
But it’s a good idea to pull away from the wall to check the vent itself.
Hanging clothes outside is horrible for allergy sufferers. Just attracks lots of pollen.
I was going to buy an attachment made for this until I searched reviews and they all said the tube is too small and clogs easily.
One review suggested using the wrapping paper cardboard tube and I tried it.......works perfectly and its free!!!
That's what the appliance stores want you to believe.
The relabeled GE I bought at Home Depot actually has a lower failure rate than the fancier models by the same manufacturer sold at appliance stores (the exact model is not available elsewhere). The big box stores don't want their appliances failing due to substandard parts either.
Understand. My “empty nester” home now averages less than 500 kWh per month. Agree on AC usage... in our case it sometimes it get so hot here it runs continually so I adjust the thermostat to give the unit an occasional rest. You get used to it, and the weather will always change in a few days.
Thank you.
The big box stores don’t have to eat the failures.
Have someone comeout and work on it and find that out.
Tthe parts don’t match-up with the manufacterures parts list and that’s how I found all this out from a person that works at one of the parts warehouses.
That's amazing. I will break even. My entire electric heating bill in Washington State in December was $150. Maybe put two blowers in series and they will have to pay me money /sarc.
I do work on them and I did get parts (for the older one) at the appliance store parts desk (pulley; switch). No problem.
You will always hear the argument about brand-name superiority vs. generic in any industry. Very rarely is it true, except in the case where the generics i.e. drugs are sourced from a second-tier manufacturer.
All appliances, all brands, all parts have been cheapened. The era of 25-year appliance lifetimes is long past.
We have done that also. Thanks for the suggestion! The length of the line is the primary source of backpressure.
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