Gardus RLE202 LintEater 10-Piece Rotary Dryer Vent Cleaning System
by Gardus
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Gardus RLE202 LintEater 10-Piece Rotary Dryer Vent Cleaning System
Customer Review: Got the job done, relatively little blood
Summary: 5 Stars
After 11 years in the house, the dryer wasn't working so hot anymore, and my investigation suggested the vent stack needed cleaning. Problem: my dryer vents through the roof, and it's a pretty long reach. Shop vac didn't do anything. Air hose from compressor didn't do anything except blow a huge amount of dust into the house. Teeny six foot vent cleaner from Walmart got only the first few feet of lint and the stack was still clogged.
I ordered this and the 12-foot extension pack based on the customer reviews and the manufacturer's video. Looked easy, and it was, relatively.
In real life, the procedure is reminiscent of a colonoscopy, luckily with someone(thing) else on the receiving end. Gotta watch out for a few things: if there's too much rod outside the vent, it can whip around and kink up on itself and almost yank the drill out of your hands. Watch out for that. Also, feeding the rod into the vent and pulling it back out is a bit hard on the knuckles, hence the blood. Great adrenaline rush though.
My dryer vent was so clogged with lint it took several passes before the cleaning ceased being productive, and filled half a large trash can with lint. Amazing.
Result: My dryer works great again, my knuckles have healed up, and the colonoscopy imagery has mostly faded away. I'll redo the procedure yearly from now on to avoid the extended ordeal caused by waiting a decade.
Customer Review: Overall a fairly good item
Summary: 4 Stars
Overall I like the the cleaning system, but next time I would do it a little slower and sooner. I had not cleaned the dryer vent since it was installed over eight years ago, and should have done it at least once a year. I had about a 20' run with two elbows. Because there was so much lint, apparently the shop vac did not suck all the lint out and caused a big build up at the first elbow, which I did not realize. I used a 19 volt drill and started on the outside with the shop vac inside. When I put some pressure on the drill, the shaft twisted like a pretzel. I was able to stop right away, but had I not, it would have ripped the duct. I was able to slowly untwist the shaft by hand and pull it out. I could not reverse the drill because the shaft would ripped the duct and might have detached at the various extensions even though I had used duct tape. I figured it twisted because I had such a long run to the first elbow. I then started on the inside with the vaccum outside. As soon as I reached that same elbow, the shaft twisted like a pretzel again. I turned on the dryer and noticed no air was going through. I then used a leaf blower from the inside to force the blockage out. The ball of lint was fairly large and compact, and wet too, and that was probably why it didn't get sucked out. After that, I ran the brush thru again and the vent pipe looked spotless. Next time I will clean it at least once a year!Customer Review: Great Product with great directions
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of the few products out there that actually provides directions that are so stupid proof, it is literally impossible to experience failure. The reviews that have stuck brushes and broken rods did not read directions. This product is so simple and so well made, it shouldn't be blamed for user error. It even comes with a DVD just to make sure you don't do something dumb.
The results of a vent cleaning with this product are immediately noticeable. The amount of time to dry a load of towels dropped from ~90 min. to ~45 min. The energy savings will be representative, I expect.
The amount of lint and dog hair that came out of our dryer vent was disgusting. We don't own a dog! Our house was built in 1991 and I expect this was the first dryer vent cleaning.
As stated in the directions: Don't use a standard vacuum with the vent attachment. The directions told me not to, but I did anyway and experienced exactly what the directions said I would: A clogged vacuum hose. Not a big deal, but if you don't have a shop-vac, don't try to rig your house vac. Use one of the many other cleaning options outlined in the directions.
There is also a dryer vent trap cleaning brush included in the box, so you can clean under the dryer, inside the dryer lint trap and your refrigerator coils too. (Directions are included for these operations too).
Customer Review: Linteater is AWESOME!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have a two year old LG dryer and from the start we never seemed to get our clothes dry on the first cycle. Regularly, it would take about three cycles to completely dry our clothes. I can say that we were definitely disappointed on the performance considering its price but never really gave it further thought. Then, we started to get a funky smell from our clothes and a burning scent from the chamber.
Thats when we called for service and the technician quickly diagnosed a clogged vent. He recommended we get it cleaned for about $120 but I declined. I then turned to the net and soon found this great tool everyone was raving about. I can tell you it did not disappoint at all. It is very easy to use and does exactly what is says, as long as you follow the directions.
All negative reviews seem to stem from user error and turning drill wrong way. Its is clearly printed in bold letters to ensure drill spins clockwise, otherwise you will end up with brush and rods stuck in your vent. All in all, it took me an hour to clean 15' of pipe and remove about three gallons of lint with no issues. WOW!, what a difference. Our drying time is a fraction what it used to be and our clothes are dry on the first try.
Follow the directions and you will be very pleased with your results. I definitely recommend the Linteater for its simplicity, cost, and performance. More than satisfied customer.
Customer Review: Works Very Well!
Summary: 5 Stars
My dad and I tried the vent cleaner today. We were very impressed with how well it worked. The kit came with just enough extensions to reach the drier. If you have a fairly large home, you may seriously want to order the 12' extension kit with it. My De Walt 18V drill had plenty of power to spin the brush effectively. When we started the first pass, we couldn't believe how much lint and dust came out of the vent! There was a fire hazard lurking under my home this whole time. We are very good about emptying the lint trap but it obviously is not enough. A few points I observed:
1. There are plenty of instructions included; both paper and a DVD.
2. My small shop vac hose diameter was smaller than the shop vac attachment and I used duct tape to seal the vacuum hose to the adapter. this proved enough air flow to send all lint and dust through the venting.
3. Make sure you check under your home to examine the condition of your vent tubing. I found that mine had disconnected some time ago and lint was collecting under the house. This was a good time to fix it.
4. If you are fixing loose or disconnected venting, some aluminum metal tape works extremely well for the job.
5. Having an extra set of hands to help move the dryer, etc, can really make the job more pleasant!
I highly recommend the cleaning system.