Thread Number: 27741
Speed Queen Dryer Lint (exhaust) problem. HELP! |
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Post# 425145   3/27/2010 at 10:41 (5,115 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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OK. I have enjoyed my new 2009 Speed Queen dryer. It's quick, hot, and does the job well. About a month after I started using the dryer, I noticed some lint buildup PAST the screwed down lint filter screen. Thinking it may be just some very fine 'pass thru' lint, I didn't think much of it, removed the screw, cleaned, and life went on.
Month #2, same issue, but I noticed considerable build up in the attached housing that routes to the blower motor. I spent an hour cleaning it and phoned Speed Queen. Of course, super friendly and not only sent me the screen to have replaced, but also included the attached blower housing in case I wanted to call service and have them put that on--the folks at SQ thought there may have been a problem with how the plastic came out of the mold. I received the pieces (mistakenly in Imperial grey), but that was OK as I was just going to test and if that solved call and have them replace in white. It worked for the first few days, but as the plastic began to flex with the heat, the same problems arose. I'm in month #4 and have put it in the back of my mind as something to address. I spent the good part of this morning cleaning this for the THIRD TIME. Review the pictures--all this lint that you see if from 2 loads per week! Last month I got so tired of it that I taped everything down with shiny tape that would seal out the air from the edges and withstand the heat...but even THAT didn't work as the tape eventually caved in. Speed Queen has been using this design for an extremely long time. :( Surely I'm not the only one with the problem. The design (plastic touching plastic) certainly doesn't lend it's way to create a good seal...I would imagine a rubber or felt material should be here. Anyone else having this problem? I will call SQ on Monday to check as the next step. I just really hate having service people work on really new stuff for some reason. I'm am particularly concerned/pissed because I spent a fortune in time and money in cleaning the 18 foot exhaust pipe before I got the dryer as the fact that the pipes are in the wall and in a condo concern me for lint buildup. Any suggestions? Pictures to follow. |
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Post# 425149 , Reply# 1   3/27/2010 at 10:48 (5,115 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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Post# 425150 , Reply# 2   3/27/2010 at 10:50 (5,115 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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Post# 425152 , Reply# 3   3/27/2010 at 10:51 (5,115 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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Post# 425154 , Reply# 4   3/27/2010 at 10:52 (5,115 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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Post# 425155 , Reply# 5   3/27/2010 at 10:54 (5,115 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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Post# 425156 , Reply# 6   3/27/2010 at 10:54 (5,115 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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Post# 425157 , Reply# 7   3/27/2010 at 10:56 (5,115 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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Post# 425158 , Reply# 8   3/27/2010 at 11:03 (5,115 days old) by surgilator_68 (Maryland)   |   | |
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That is really odd. I've never seen this before. Mine doesn't do that and I dry 5 or 6 loads a week. I haven't cleaned anything below the filter in 2 years although I do check it all the time. I've never seen this in any of our customers dryers either. It's almost indicative of a clogged exhaust, but you said you cleaned it.
I would call SQ, see if you can email or fax the pictures to them. They are always very willing to help and want all problems solved. |
Post# 425292 , Reply# 11   3/28/2010 at 10:23 (5,114 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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I guess the visible stuff is the lesser concern...what concerns me most is how much is building up in the 17' of pipe that leads to the roof. That was a PITA to clean, and I would rather not increase the number of times it a year I have to clean that--of course the warnings of dryer fires concern me too.
Should I get the caulk out now? : |
Post# 425306 , Reply# 13   3/28/2010 at 12:16 (5,114 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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In addition to the 17' dryer vent, I also have to use this device (periscope) to get the exhaust to the left of the dryer, then another piece of hose to get it to the wall. The idiots that built this townhouse did not even make the closet large enough for my Whirlpools, and the deeper SQs made the problem worse by 2". I had to remove the doors and readjust the tracks for the bi-fold doors. Would this cause any issues? I had to duct-tape the seams in the periscope as it would allow lint to fly all over the place with a gap here or there.
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Post# 425318 , Reply# 15   3/28/2010 at 14:02 (5,114 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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Post# 425331 , Reply# 17   3/28/2010 at 15:17 (5,114 days old) by JeffG ()   |   | |
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If you put the dryer against the other wall you could do away with the side vent altogether. |
Post# 425356 , Reply# 19   3/28/2010 at 18:27 (5,114 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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...and was terrified to find out that SQ recommends removing the entire dryer drum to install it (otherwise, it's very difficult to install). Probably not a huge deal to someone familiar with doing such work, but the appliance store (mom 'n pop) was going to have her installer guy (can you imagine) do it. I expressed my concern (after speaking to SQ on how it's done), that she was kind enough to have her repair shop install it for me.
After waiting 2 additional weeks for her suppliers to get the 90 degree elbow to her, I decided to just install it the way you see it. In addition, if you will look at the picture above, the dryer vent (left side exhaust) would not have lined up with the hole in the wall, skewed by 3"...not aligning would have created another issue to which I did not have a solution (slider pipe things don't align close enough (not far enough from the wall). I threw my hands up at that point and did the best I could and taped up the periscope that I had been using with the 1999 Whirlpools. The wall behind the dryer is probably fire-code wall as the neighbors are on the opposite side. |
Post# 425358 , Reply# 20   3/28/2010 at 18:30 (5,114 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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Post# 425366 , Reply# 22   3/28/2010 at 19:40 (5,114 days old) by surgilator_68 (Maryland)   |   | |
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Post# 425367 , Reply# 23   3/28/2010 at 19:45 (5,114 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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Post# 425372 , Reply# 24   3/28/2010 at 20:31 (5,114 days old) by surgilator_68 (Maryland)   |   | |
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Post# 425379 , Reply# 26   3/28/2010 at 21:00 (5,114 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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I would want to install the elbow myself...would you access from the front, back, or underneath? I've never really inspected the dry.
I could shorten the length, but it was very difficult to install in the closet. I left a bit longer to ease in fastening the Periscope to the back of the dryer. If installing the elbow won't be too difficult, I may re-order it and give it a shot. IIRC, it was about $40, which sounds like a rip for such a simple metal duct. Has anyone installed one of these on a SQ, or would know how to do so? |
Post# 425380 , Reply# 27   3/28/2010 at 21:02 (5,114 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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Originally when I was going to do this, SQ sent me the instructions. They were obviously written for someone familiar...little pics and written more for someone familiar with all the parts. I would imagine it to be difficult. The SQ tech said it's very tight to do without removing the drum, but if you do remove the drum (like I can/would do that) to be extra careful around getting the felt back in place exactly correct.
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Post# 425392 , Reply# 28   3/28/2010 at 21:57 (5,114 days old) by surgilator_68 (Maryland)   |   | |
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You can buy the kit from SQ or go to the hardware store and buy a length of dryer exhaust pipe, some aluminum tape and 2 elbows.
Pull the dryer out, remove the 2 screws at the lower bottom of the front panel, remove panel. At the back of the dryer there is a clip that is screwed to the cabinet that holds the last section of duct in place. Remove that screw. Remove all the metal exhaust ductwork from the dryer. Knock out the left vent hole in the cabinet. You should be able to take it from there. If not let me know and I'll talk you through it or send you some picts of mine. Make sure you unplug the dryer first. You will also want to get 3 or 4 worm gear hose clamps, 4in. Tape the section of pipe that meets the blower housing. Use clamps or pop rivets NOT screws to secure the elbow to the other two sections of pipe in the dryer. The pipe will go directly in front of the heating element and I think it would be too hot to use aluminum tape there. |
Post# 425395 , Reply# 29   3/28/2010 at 22:04 (5,114 days old) by surgilator_68 (Maryland)   |   | |
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Post# 425396 , Reply# 30   3/28/2010 at 22:06 (5,114 days old) by surgilator_68 (Maryland)   |   | |
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Post# 425462 , Reply# 31   3/29/2010 at 07:46 (5,113 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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Post# 425470 , Reply# 32   3/29/2010 at 08:44 (5,113 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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Post# 425492 , Reply# 33   3/29/2010 at 11:20 (5,113 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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Post# 425494 , Reply# 34   3/29/2010 at 11:21 (5,113 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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Post# 425569 , Reply# 35   3/29/2010 at 17:00 (5,113 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY)   |   | |
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To OP
I had a brand new TL washer/dryer set that I bought at Best Buy in 2002 (sold to my sis 3 years later and got a Duet set)...At any rate. I had just moved into an Apartment in 02..(bottom floor of a 3 level apartment building) I noticed the EXACT same thing happening with my Whirlpool dryer and it took a while to dry too (over 60 mins)...I would have to vacuum lint out of the inside of the dryer. I think the dryer exhaust went straight up three levels..How that's a code violation I do not know, but it did the same thing your dryer is doing. When I moved into this house in late 04, the dryer did not do this at all. No lint inside (except lint screen of course).....Strange that some people with proper venting who have this SQ dryer are having that same problem, because that's one of the very symptoms of a clogged vent. |
Post# 425570 , Reply# 36   3/29/2010 at 17:04 (5,113 days old) by surgilator_68 (Maryland)   |   | |
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Post# 425677 , Reply# 38   3/30/2010 at 00:33 (5,113 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY)   |   | |
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12'........I dunno. My laundry room is in the middle of the house and the vents through the roof. I would guestimate 18 feet total....there are no 90 degree turns unless you count the initial turn that is in the beginning of the vent, otherwise there are 2 45 degree turns then it goes out through the roof cap. I have to use an electric leaf blower to blow it out every few months. I have never seen build up like that in my dryer though.
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Post# 425733 , Reply# 39   3/30/2010 at 10:37 (5,112 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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