Suction the dryer’s pipes with PVC pipe

Although 99% percent of my blogs are related to computers, laptops, smartphones and websites. Still, sometimes I like to share a blog about a different topic as well.

Dust can be a fire hazard…

Today it’s about vacuuming a tumble dryer. I noticed for a few weeks that it was quite dusty. To prevent fire, it is important to remove the dust at least once a year.

Looking for a smoke detector to report a fire in a tumble dryer in time? Then I can wholeheartedly recommend the Nest smoke detector.

Radiator brush + vacuum cleaner

Vacuuming the dryer is not difficult, rather boring. A radiator brush and a vacuum cleaner will get you a long way. Go down all the nooks and crannies one by one. A flat brush can also help get the dust out of the corners. The longer you wait, the firmer the fabric will set.

I have a Miele T491 Sirocco dryer and it blows the warm air from the back through the drum to the front. This is then sucked through a filter through the door and pushed out through the roof.

Tight openings, how do you solve that?

Unfortunately, the attachments of my vacuum cleaner do not fit in all openings. See photo below. I removed the right grille so you can see how narrow and deep the opening is. The hot air is extracted from the drum through these grilles.

So this goes down about 10 – 15 centimeters with quite a few flakes of dust on the bottom. But how do I get there?

I ended up with the yellow PVC pipes that they are also used for power wires. I had another 50 cm lying around. I sawed this through to leave a tube of 20 cm.

It fits perfectly in the opening and in the mouthpiece of the vacuum cleaner. For optimal suction, I cover the hole that remains in the mouthpiece with my hand. Of course you can also tape this temporarily.

Now I can get all the way to the bottom and also remove the last flakes of dust.

The less dust, the cheaper drying becomes

It is good to know that the less dust there is in a dryer, the less energy it takes to dry the laundry. Dust in the filters and pipes makes it less easy for the warm air to move. This must be pushed with more force through the even narrower openings.

So the easier the air can move through the dryer, the less energy it costs.

Related Blogs