Proper built-in dryer ducting is made of smooth rigid metal, sealed airtight at all joints and with gentle curves at any bends. This is so cleaning brushes can slide through easily.

Cleaning your dryer vent is an important step in keeping your dryer running well and your home safe. Here are some simple steps to learn how to clean the dryer vent.

(A rigid metal duct provides better airflow.) Make sure your outside vent cover opens while the dryer is operating and you ...

If your exhaust pipe is a soft foil design, make sure you replace it with a 90 degree aluminum elbow pipe instead, such as the Deflecto Aluminum Dryer Vent Elbow. These are fire-resistant and more ...

If your dryer is in the basement and the basement is underground, run duct up the exterior wall and out the rim joist. Set the vent a minimum of 12 inches above the outside ground. Pro tip: Use no ...

* Dryer ducts must be a minimum of 4 inches in diameter. * The ducts can be flexible in locations where it can be accessed (attic, basement, crawl space) and should be the foil or aluminum type ...

Consumer Reports shows you how to clean your dryer vent. A neglected clothes dryer might work inefficiently and, worse yet, can pose a fire danger.

Tinfoil-coated dryer hose is OK for short distances, but anything over 8 feet in length should be rigid metal pipe. • Do not vent the warm, moist air to the interior of the home.

Better to use aluminum tape, which can take the dryer heat. #7 Routing the Vent Into an Attic or Crawlspace. Remember, the lint that accumulates in your dryer vent is flammable. There’s only one place ...

One other tip: Use duct connectors and metal clamps or foil tape to join sections of duct rather than sheet-metal screws, which can catch lint and cause buildup inside the duct. 3. Clean the Dryer ...

You will need a 4-inch dryer vent brush, a round brush attached to a long flexible snake. Stick the brush through the exterior opening and push. The opening either will be through the wall or up ...

"This is a flex vent, not a metal vent, and this needs to be changed every couple of years." Air Flows Chicago cleans dryer vents with a long tube and brush from the outside of your home for a fee ...