How to Clean Dryer Vent with A Leaf Blower – 7 Best Steps

Thought your leaf blower could only be used to get rid of the leaves in your backyard during fall? What if we told you that you can use it to clean a clogged dryer vent? The question of how to clean dryer vent with a leaf blower would obviously come up.

We have taken the liberty of providing you with simple steps on how you would go about it. Cleaning up your clogged-up dryer vent with a leaf blower shouldn’t be a complicated affair. Especially with the quite straightforward steps, we will outline here.

But first, We need to know

What Clogs Up A Dryer Vent?

Before embarking on knowing how a leaf blower can be used to unclog a clogged dryer vent, knowing what’s blocking it would be prudent. A dryer works by blasting wet clothes with hot air that rids them of any wetness.

As this air then leaves the dryers, tiny fibers from the clothes tend to be sucked into the dryer as well. The fibers, also known as lint, stick to your clothes as you wash them.

The lint from the wet clothes is what clogs the dryer vent. This would make the dryer be slower in drying loads of clothes. The air that dries your wet clothes would pass in insufficient amounts incapable of drying the clothes faster.

Also, the lint fibers trapped in the drier are flammable and if not removed can be a potential cause of the fire. This is why you need to regularly clean your dryer vent to rid it of lint fibers. A dryer with too much of this trapped lint could be a fire hazard.

Steps on How to Clean Dryer Vent With a Leaf Blower

A leaf blower can be used to clean a dryer vent with the below simple steps.

Step 1

Detach the vent from the hose. This can be done easily without any need for tools. You’d have to gain access to the vent by hauling the dryer from the wall. However, if it proves difficult you can always unscrew it with the help of a screwdriver.

Step 2

Using a screwdriver, unscrew the screws holding the cover on the external vent then remove the cover. It is this external vent that allows air from the dryer out of the building.

Step 3

After removing the outer cover, you can manually clean the vent. A vacuum cleaner would be able to remove most of the lint fibers that are lodged around the cover.

Step 4

Place the end of the leaf blower in the air vent of the dryer. Care should be taken to avoid damaging the venting duct with the power of the blower. It is recommended to start from the lowest power setting and gradually rise to suitable power.

As you do this seal the vent around the leaf blower’s nozzle to prevent air from getting back into the nozzle.

Step 5

Now that you have everything set up, switch the leaf blower on and give it short intermittent blasts. Repeat the procedure several times in order to expel all the lint from the pipe through the outer vent.

Step 6

Clean around the external vent again to remove any remaining fiber debris.

Step 7

When done with the cleaning get everything back together again. Reattach the vent to the drier and use the screwdriver to screw back the cover.

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Critical Points to Note

• A leaf blower will only be useful if the vent pipe isn’t too long. The blower wouldn’t have the power to blast all the way down the long pipe. The pipe should also be straight enough for the blower to be effective enough in blasting away the trapped fibers.
• It would also not be advisable to use a leaf blower on a concertina-styled pipe. The clothing fibers would only get stuck in the pipe’s numerous folds running the risk of damaging the ducting.

 

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FAQs

How Do You Know if a Dryer Is Clogged?

There are several signs you’d look out for.  The most striking would be the clothes not fully drying in a regular cycle as they did before. That is, they take a longer time to dry.

At What Intervals of Time Should I Clean My Dryer’s Vent?

Depending on the usage and the load of clothes dried in your home, an interval of about one year should be long enough.

Can Clogged Dryer Vents Really Be a Fire Hazard?

Yes. The cloth fibers clogging the vent are highly flammable and can be a potential cause of fire in your home.

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These tools will also help.

Final Thoughts

If you were of the opinion that one can’t use a leaf blower to clean dryer vents, we hope we have been convincing enough here. A leaf blower can be used to clean dryer vents with amazing efficiency. You just have to be careful not to damage the vents pipe.

Relevant Resources:

1. Top 5 Best Walk Behind Leaf Vacuum Mulcher
2. 7 Best Pressure Washer Surface Cleaner
3. Top 7 Best Pressure Washer Sandblasting Kit