Q: I have a gas clothes dryer that was having a problem drying clothes β possibly because lint was building up in the unit and the vent. We tried to clean out the vent tube in the wall and filled up an entire shop vacuum with the lint debris. But then my husband went up on the roof to clean out the vent opening up there, but he couldnβt find the outdoor end of the vent. Where in the world is it?
A:Β Itβs possible that your dryer vent ends up in your attic somewhere. Itβs against code to do that when you install a dryer. But workers take that dubious shortcut all the time.
It might be hard to find in your attic β especially if the roof is really low and there is very little space to move around.
One trick you can try is putting some flour in the bottom of the vent and then blowing it up into the attic so you can see where the vent empties out. However, the vent may also exit through an opening in the exterior wall. So look around for a louvered vent or other type of exterior wall vent.
If the vent is truly in the attic, you might consider having it moved so it exits on the roof.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building and remodeling industry expert for 25 years, Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program, heard locally from 8-11 a.m. on KNST-AM (790) in Tucson and KGVY-AM (1080) and -FM (100.7) in Green Valley. Call 888-767-4348.
