Lint fire waiting to start!

[dustin92]

Today I decided to investigate why our Maytag Performa (Norgetag) gas dryer is taking so darn long to dry, because it has normally been taking 80-90 minutes to dry a normal load, also it seemed pretty noisy and almost sounded as if it was rumbling a bit. I figured out how to open the top, then the front. Not too difficult. I took the front panel off and the air duct that runs down the front of the dryer to the blower was filled with lint... level with the bottom of the blower housing! I removed that (a large handful), then removed the duct from the front panel, and vacuumed it all out. Then cleaned inside the cabinet as far as I could reach. There was a decent sized clump of lint laying right behind the burner. While I had it apart, I cleaned up the drum where it rides on the seals and slides (one of the felt dampers had slid from under the slide. I put it back in place and reassembled everything, again, not too difficult. It ran much quieter with the tons of lint removed and the slides cleaned. It seems to dry a bit faster as well. We are lucky that a fire didn't start with all the built up lint.

 

[vintagekitchen]

If it was that bad inside the dryer, I would suggst you check out the duct/vent, to make sure it is not blocked/clogged as well. A clogged duct/vent could easily cause that sort of build up inside the dryer, since the lint would have nowhere to go, and could account for the increased drying time.

 

[dustin92]

Surprisingly, I cleaned the duct about a month ago when the dryer was moved to paint behind it and replace the carpet. It wasn't too bad either. The duct is only about 4 feet long with one 90 degree turn.

 

[vintagekitchen]

Wow, that is odd for the duct to be so clean and the dryer so clogged. Wonder what caused it?

 

[fido]

Check any filters for tears or holes. The worst one I did had enough fluff to fill a couple of large pillows but it wasn't a gas dryer.

 

[pierreandreply4]

did you check to see if there was a small animal that entered the dryer true the duct like for exemple a squirell or a bird or any other rodents? or maybe its something that clogs the ventilation vent like for exemple the previous owner use fabric softner this might cause a clog sometime.

 

[combo52]

Clogged Lint Filter Housings

This is typical for dryers with front mounted lint filters, Norge and many newer GE dryers are among the worst offenders because they flattened the air duct so much. On a dryer like this you should remove the front and clean this area at least every 5 years or so.

 

The 29" WP built dryers with the top mounted lint filters are by far the best dryer design ever as little serious lint accumulates in the lint filter housing because it is directly above the fan. Further added to this great design is a blower that NEVER clogs because of its fin design and then its right out the back of the machine with no internal duct seems that can leak any hot lint laden air.

 

Lint build up like this does not pose much of a fire hazard for several reasons, 1 lint is not very flammable we see dryers every week that have had lint fires and they usually extinguish themselves only burning a little bit of the fuzz on the top of the buildup. 2 there is nothing to ignite the lint inside the air duct, most dryer fires start with a heavy lint build up near the heater or the gas burner, or other electrical failure like an arc from shorted wiring.

 

Cleaning out your dryer is diffidently a good thing to do and better airflow will help drying speed a little, these are fairly slow dryers however as they have the lowest BTU burner or wattage heaters of any modern full sized US dryer.

 

[gansky1]

"The 29" WP built dryers with the top mounted lint filters are by far the best dryer design ever as little serious lint accumulates in the lint filter housing because it is directly above the fan. Further added to this great design is a blower that NEVER clogs because of its fin design and then its right out the back of the machine with no internal duct seems that can leak any hot lint laden air."

Whuuuuuut??

From a 29" WP this summer:
(the ball of lint was riding in the fan)

 

[gansky1]

This, from a KM gas dryer, also this summer:

 

[gansky1]

KM dryer #2 looking from back of drum inlet:

Granted, usually these dryers are not this bad - but it is possible

 

[DADoES]

 
I've recently had two 29" specimens similarly clogged although to be fair one had a broken handle on the filter.

 

[DirectDriveDave]

It really is too bad that the filter cant completely stop lint from getting past it.

 

[pierreandreply4]

can this type of clog affect a 2004 whirlpool duet dryer wit

could this type of clog affect 2004 whirlpool duet dryer with front mounted lint filter?

 

[mark_wpduet]

Duet dryer here too with front lint screen. I always grew up with the back lint screen. This is the first front screen I have ever had

I too wish they could devise a way for the lint screen to trap ALL the lint. So much freaking lint gets past the lint screen it's ridiculous. I have to clean my duct run twice per year and it goes straight up to the roof and I hate doing it.

There was a lady who told me on another forum that she actually took a paint strainer and placed it in the duct that goes from back of the dryer to the wall and put it in sort of like you would a trash bag into a trash can, then put the duct onto the back of the dryer. She said that she has to clean it once per week, but that it's better than cleaning the entire run. She said with the paint strainer on, the clothes still dried fast and didn't seem to block any airflow and the entire run stayed completely lint free after a year. I thought about doing it since it's easy for me to get to the back of my dryer. I can see that being a pain for some dryers directly up against the wall .... Mine is like a foot from the wall and slides easily.

 

[pierreandreply4]

or offer a duet dryer model for those that won't stack unit a top lint filter or pair up a duet washer with a regular dryer with topload filter for non stack unit

 

[qsd-dan]

Whuuuuuut??

X1000!

So much damn ducting running all over the place in that design, and at sharp angles to boot. Give me an HOH Maytag with about a foot of total ducting, lol. No lint to build up.....if one cleans the filter.

My '81 Kenmore gaser loves to collect lint in that blower baffle area. Immediately trips the high limit thermo when it happens and the flame goes out. Nothing more annyoing than coming back to wet clothes an hour later when you're in a hurry. I've pulled the damnedest items out of that baffle area. These dryers love to eat up anything you put into them for treasure hunting later on when disassembling and cleaning