Well, there's your problem.

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
04/26/2016 at 13:04 • Filed to: None

If you’ve been following the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , I climbed up into the attic and removed the top section of the vent pipe that goes to the roof. This is what I found. It’s not completely clogged, but it’s looking pretty bad. The angled section of the pipe is similarly occluded. I think we may be beyond a leaf blower here. I think I’ll go to Home Despot and buy a snake brush.

This is what it looks like in the attic.

The vent pipe isn’t even attached to the roof vent box. It’s just resting in the hole. It might be worth strapping it in place when I’m done.

DISCUSSION (26)

Jcarr > ttyymmnn
04/26/2016 at 13:09

Time for an angioplasty.

ttyymmnn > Jcarr
04/26/2016 at 13:09

Indeed. On my way to buy a brush. This is beyond a stent. The patient is critical.

shop-teacher > ttyymmnn
04/26/2016 at 13:19

That there is what what we call: real not good.

Toby F., Manager > ttyymmnn
04/26/2016 at 13:19

Yeeesh. Glad you caught that colection of fire [hazard] kindling now rather than later.

Also, there’s something satisfying about clearing out lint from the traps... or just clearing blockages in general.

newsmctado > ttyymmnn
04/26/2016 at 13:24

My wife had our dryer vent cleaned out a year ago. I thought it was a waste of money at the time, but now our clothes dry about 2x as fast and my wife isn’t worried about the house burning down.

WRXasaurus > ttyymmnn
04/26/2016 at 13:42

How do you have such a long dryer vent pipe, those are supposed to be as short as possible I thought.

Brickman > ttyymmnn
04/26/2016 at 13:45

Thats the longest drier vent I ever seen. Laundry room is in the center of the house?

Ash78, voting early and often > ttyymmnn
04/26/2016 at 13:57

I’ve seen these vertical dryer vents and they always freak me out. IMHO, building code should never allow gravity to directly fight the removal of lint from the vent. When we bought our house, it was a 6" path straight into the garage (which used to be a carport). It would literally make the garage 120 degrees with 90%+ humidity in the summer. I ran it 2 extra feet and through the exterior wall. Short run, easy maintenance. Your situation looks like a house fire just waiting to happen. Or at least excessively high power bills and 3 hours to dry every load :D

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn
04/26/2016 at 13:58

Now I know why my old condo complex had people blow those things out every couple years. They always ejected a huge bunch of crap, too.

ttyymmnn > Ash78, voting early and often
04/26/2016 at 14:03

I just cleaned out the angled section. I bought a slightly half-assed cleaning tool from Home Despot. It has sections that screw together, and the brush came off the pole inside the pipe. If that happens inside my vertical vent I’m screwed. I was hoping for more of a snake arrangement. I wonder if a plumbing supply store might have a better one.

ttyymmnn > Brickman
04/26/2016 at 14:04

Pretty much in the middle, yeah. Not the greatest arrangement.

My bird IS the word > ttyymmnn
04/26/2016 at 14:05

thats great that you caught that, major fire hazard.

ttyymmnn > WRXasaurus
04/26/2016 at 14:05

The laundry room is not on an outside wall. It vents straight into the attic, then angles off to a vent in the roof.

Meatcoma > ttyymmnn
04/26/2016 at 14:06

You’d be surprised what a leaf blower will do.

ttyymmnn > Ash78, voting early and often
04/26/2016 at 14:06

Also, Mrs. Ttyymmnn has been saying for a long time that the dryer isn’t drying right. I should have listened to her long ago and checked this out.

Ash78, voting early and often > ttyymmnn
04/26/2016 at 14:07

If you can live with just 3'-4' of reach, a brush for cleaning fridge coils might work for you. Of course, that assumes you can take the sections apart and clean them separately. I might consider replacing the whole rigid section with flexible tubing. It makes for reduced flow and more debris, but much easier cleaning. Probably not up to code, but code is lacking in many places, and oppressive in others.

ttyymmnn > Ash78, voting early and often
04/26/2016 at 14:10

We’ll see how it goes. I’m about to tackle the down pipe. Hopefully, the brush head won’t come off the pole and get stuck in the middle. Say a prayer for me....

WRXasaurus > ttyymmnn
04/26/2016 at 14:13

Well at least you figured out the problem.

ttyymmnn > WRXasaurus
04/26/2016 at 14:27

Except that now, the cheap-ass tool that I got at Home Depot is not up to the task, and the vent is completely clogged. Currently formulating Plan B.

WRXasaurus > ttyymmnn
04/26/2016 at 14:33

Just replace the pipe, that way it won’t clog for a while. And that piping isn’t that expensive. Or look for a wood pellet/corn stove chimney sweep. I have one that you pull through a long section of pipe and it works fairly well. Something like this.

http://www.amazon.com/Brushtech-B67C…

ttyymmnn > WRXasaurus
04/26/2016 at 14:39

I can’t replace the pipe, because it attaches behind the wall in the laundry room. It’s likely a single piece, but it’s also likely screwed on at the bottom. I’m currently investigating other options, and that stove kit might do the trick. Thanks.

Party-vi > ttyymmnn
04/26/2016 at 14:58

Please excuse, where is your clog? Is it behind the dryer, or in the attic? Why not take out those sheet metal screws and completely clean the system? Pull the dryer out and check it at the elbow as well. After you’re done, put your screws back in an seal it with a foil duct tape.

ttyymmnn > Party-vi
04/26/2016 at 15:01

I removed and cleaned the angled section. I now have the single (what I think is) straight pipe going down to the laundry room. I tried sending my shitty cleaning tool down the pipe, but all it did was push the lint into a blockage that is probably 5-6' down from the top of the pipe. The pipe runs down through the wall, behind the sheetrock, into a 90º L at the bottom where the dryer attaches. I need something strong enough to force past the clog.

Party-vi > ttyymmnn
04/26/2016 at 15:07

Have you pulled the dryer out yet and tried from that end? It will probably be easier to push the blockage up and out the open pipe in your attic. A PITA sure, but it would be easier than trying to grab all of that shit and pull it out.

Alternatively, you could get some 7-8' metal rod/wire and mangle the end into a barb and start trying to fish the blockage out with that, similar to a gaff. Should be flexible and sturdy enough to spin it into the blockage and pull it out.

ttyymmnn > Party-vi
04/26/2016 at 15:10

I have tried from both ends, yes.

Party-vi > ttyymmnn
04/26/2016 at 15:19

Shit. Guess the only other solution is a gallon of gasoline and a match.