There are many reasons why your dryer may be emitting water. It could be that the vent in your home is not connected to outside air. Or if it is connected, it might not be connecting properly. Or perhaps there is a leak in the vent itself that is allowing water to seep into your home. Whatever the reason, you will need to fix it immediately. You can’t let a wet clothes closet ruin your entire laundry room and leave you with the task of buying a new one. If you have recently noticed excess water coming out of your dryer or have been hearing strange noises when it runs, make sure you read this article so you know what could be causing these issues and how to fix them as quickly as possible.
How to Fix a Water Leak in Your Dryer Vent?
There are a few basic things you can try to get rid of excess water in your dryer vent. Before we get into that, however, let’s first make sure you have confirmed that you have a leak and there is actually water coming through it. For example, if you have had the vent connected to the outside for a while, you will notice that your clothes start to smell a bit like water. This is because the clothes are getting wet and going stale, causing the smell and making you think you have a leak when you actually don’t. We will go through these steps to fix a water leak in your dryer vent and hopefully, you won’t need to do any of them. But if you do, at least you can follow the steps correctly this time.
Make Sure Outside Air Is Being Used
The first thing to check is if the outside air is being used by the dryer. If you have a vent that connects directly to your home’s outside air duct, then you will need to have an outside plumber check your ductwork to see if it is clogged or broken. When there is a clog in the duct, the air inside the duct will not be able to enter the vent, which could be causing your dryer to be using too much water. In order to check if the outside air is being used, turn off your dryer and open the front door slightly so you can check if the air from outside is entering the house. If you can feel the air from outside, then you can be certain that your dryer vent is not connected to outside air.
Check the Tension Cable on Top of the Dryer
If you have confirmed that the outside air is not being used and the dryer is using too much water, then the next step is to check the tension cable on top of the dryer. There is a metal cable running through the dryer that is used to pull the dryer up and down. This cable could be getting damaged due to the water buildup. If the wire is damaged, it will break and allow water to enter the dryer, causing excess water and ruining your clothes. The easiest way to check this is to unplug your dryer and open the front door slightly to see if there is any water coming in from the outside. If there is, you can take off the front panel of the dryer and inspect the cable. If it is damaged, you can replace it.
Test for Standing Water in the Vent
The last step you can take to fix a water leak in your dryer vent is to try to find a leak in the vent itself by using a water leak detector. There could be a small hole in the vent allowing water to seep into the dryer. A good water leak detector will emit a high-pitched sound that you can hear from a distance away. You can then test if the sound comes from your dryer vent by plugging it in and placing the detector in the vent. If there is standing water in the vent, it will emit a sound when it is tested. Now that you have found the source of the leak and the cable is not damaged, you will have to clean out any water in the vent and make any adjustments to the cable to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Repairing Your Dryer Vent Is Not as Easy As You Think
Now that you have cleaned out the water and adjusted the cable, there is still the issue of the vent being clogged. Even though you have repaired the cable, the vent could still be clogged and not allow enough air to enter the vent. This could be due to dust or debris that was in the vent causing it to be blocked. If this is the case, you will have to remove the debris and clean out the vent with a brush. Once you have done this, you can then reattach the cable and run the dryer once again. If the vent is still clogged, you can try blowing it out with a compressed air can or using a dryer vent cleaner.
Conclusion
If you have recently noticed excess water coming out of your dryer or have been hearing strange noises when it runs, make sure you read this article so you know what could be causing these issues and how to fix them as quickly as possible. You can’t let a wet clothes closet ruin your entire laundry room and leave you with the task of buying a new one. These steps should help you get your dryer running again and hopefully, you won’t have to fix it again for a while. If your dryer is still not working after using this guide, you can contact a professional to come and inspect it and give you an estimate on how much it will cost to get it working again.