Where is the vent hose to my dryer?

My dryer has not been drying properly, as it takes hours and hours to even partially dry a load of laundry. The clothes get hot, but they remain very wet, and create a lot of humidity. I have stacked washing machine and dryer and they are both Kenmore. The machines where here when I moved in, but I don't believe they are that old (maybe 4 years). I have read other questions and believe I may just need to clean out the hose. Can anybody tell me where to find this hose? Does it run from the back of the dryer to the outside??(I live in a condo complex) And if it's in the back of the dryer, can I reach it from the inside of the dryer, or will I have to get the dryer down? . Do you have any other suggestions on repairing the problem?

Public Comments

1. I am not sure how far from an outside wall your dryer is located, but it definitely vents from the back of the dryer (usually an aluminum or plastic 3 inch hose) that will run through the wall and exit to an outside wall of the condo building. you can clean it from the inside once you detach the hose from the dryer itself. you should also make sure you clean around the filter itself, as stuff accumulates in there as well.
2. We had the same problem and it turned out to be the breakers. You will need to call an electrician to do this for you. Be sure to tell him about the dryer. If this is a stack, the last homeowners probable did not vent it. Ours vents to the outside of the house. But you should have a hand lent catcher that you clean out by hand. Sometimes they are right inside the door. Others are on top by the knobs.
3. It's on the back of the dryer, and is accordion looking. It will vent to outside, but being in an apartment, it could vent under the house too. Either way, take the hose off the dryer and off from the wall and clean it out good and clean out the opening in the dryer and wall. If the hose has holes in it, replace it. Also, if you use fabric softener, you should wash your lint filter periodically. Clean the filter off and then run water over it. If the water pools, wash the filter in hot soapy water and scrub with a toothbrush or soft paintbrush. Cleaning your vent and filter will both reduce your risk of fire too.
4. It's on the back of the dryer and I've never seen one that you can get to from the front.. Just slide it out from the wall a little bit, enough that you can see it . It's probably silver in color. Make sure it's not kinked. You might have bumped it and didn't realize you did. Once your sure it's not kinked, dry a load of clothes. If they are still wet, then take the hose off and clean out the vent. To be honest with you , you should probably clean it out either way. But be careful you don't kink the hose when you slide it back.
5. The vent is on the back of the dryer, and you can not reach it from the inside. You must slide the dryer away from the wall. You may have to run something through the vent pipe to get the built up lint from the pipe. It may also have to be cleaned by someone like a chimney sweep to remove most of the lint. there are prosessionals who do this type of work.
6. You are just have to get a flashlight and look for it. It should either be in the back or coming out on one side. It should vent to the outside, but if your laundry room isn't against an outside wall, it might go thru duct work, up and around and over, etc:) Are you sure that your washer is spinning your clothes good enough?? If you've noticed them being wetter and heavier after washing them, it could be your washer instead of the dryer. And be sure you clean out your dryer lint trap after every load. That can cause it to take longer, but not as bad as you described I don't think. The MAIN thing I would check, is to make sure your dryer is actually tumbling. If the belt is broke on it, it could just be heating up but not turning the clothes to dry them. If you are getting a lot of humidity, it sounds like your vent hose might actually be off of the dryer, but that wouldn't affect the drying time, so it sounds mostly like it isn't turning. Good Luck!!
7. None of these well meaning folks have a nice blue hat like I do . Remove the panel under the dryer by removing two screws and wiggling it a little and it will expose the dryer vent. Remove the duct and run the dryer and see if the air comes out strong and hot and if it does, then your duct is clogged up. If it doesnt, you have internal clogging in the dryer or the blower is broken. Make sure you have cleaned the lint filter in the dryer door opening and if you hear a rumbling, your blower is probably defective and has to be replaced. Some of these units have a piece of cardboard insulation in the door itself and they get warped with moisture and you have to dig it out, as there is no screws to facilitate this.
8. A footnote to all these suggestions: You should fix this problem before you use the dryer again. With the heat not being vented, you run the risk of a fire starting from overheating. Believe it, the threat is real.