Cleaning lint screens

[Neil]

I have a question. How long can I wait before cleaning lint screens on Maytag 30 lb. stack dryers?

This may sound silly but I clean them every other day and I am a VERY low volume mat. Basically, in 2 days the screen is completely covered with lint but with almost no depth. Due to the size of the screens, it looks like I could almost let the lint get 1 - 1.5" thick but I am concerned what this will do to drying ability and it may triger the safety device that shuts off the gas if the airflow slows down too much.

I have no problem cleaning them every 2 days but I am leaving for a 10 day trip and I am wondering if I can have my employee do it less often than I am doing it?

When I hear what other places are doing for volume, I may do in 5 days what another place does in a day and I can't imagine people are cleaning these filters two or three times a day. Are you?

Thanks....

[MichaelCa]

ONCE a week, on either Tuesday or Wednesday (which are the slowest days), i'll skip cleaning it - it makes closing-up just that much faster.
I only allow myself that because those are 1.7 to 2.2 TURN days MAX, - therefore screens are very light.

I would not skip it with ANY higher usage!

You mention potentially 1-1.5 inches thickness of lint - i'm talking about 1/8" thick - any higher, and i clean.

Yes, i'm an owner who *shares* closing-up/cleaning duties with my employee - we split the week. Why? we're a new(remodeled) mat and ownership, and i have to be there several times a week just to check in & collect to gauge machine usage.

I've left several areas empty waiting to see which machine/size i should put in.

[Jim]

We clean our dryers lint out everyday.

[Gary C]

For a vacation I would not worry too much. Go 3 - 5 days and go enjoy the vacation. When I go away and someone needs a refund I just pay it when I get back and consider it part of the vacation cost.

Gary

[BWJR]

Speaking of Lint Screens, I have 30XG Heubs Dryers, (20x20 screens), any suggestions on where the best value is to buy the good screens and not the Down and Dirty ones ( fire hazard junk)?


BWJR

[Pete_tx]

Presuming most of your business is on the weekend. I'd have my sub clean em on Monday and Thursday.

pete

[troy]

BWJR, the Down and Dirty ones are really cheap, but why do you say they are fire hazard?
To fix them, sometimes I just buy some screen and put them in, take about 15 minutes a screen

[BWJR]

They are made out of a stiff fabric that seems to clog up easy. Bounce sheets really do a number on them. When they clog the dryer efficiency goes way down and the customers start complaining about the dryers not heating. With the poor air flow, the dryers can over heat and if your safety switch is not working or your thermo is bad it could cause a fire.

BWJR

[MSKLAUNDRY.]

On the Maytag stack dryer you could go about a day or 2 of light usage. On weekends or heavy days twice a day or the night shift will start to notice that its not drying very well or at all for that matter. If the air flow is diminished then the air flow switch may not pull in and thus there won't be any heat at all.

[pete f]

I guess here is where we see one brand vs. another on pros and cons. My dexter stacks I clean twice a week, actually the top twice a week and the lower once a week. But most of the lint goes out the exhuast and on the roof, or wherever it is pointed.

I am putting in Maytag in my next store, I guess will have to rething cleaning. And as many here, I do much of that work myself, as I can't find another job that pays more. hehe

serious note: I has a customer leave me a note about her clothes being burned by a dryer. I checked it out, and the themstat probe ( single SQ dryer) was covered by lint. Really, it should have been clean a week ago. The lint acted as an insulator alowing the dryer to reach max temp before the high limit kicked in. Light cotton got fried. I called the customer and offered to pay whatever she felt was right.

keep an eye on that lint!

[Neil]

Hmmm... what would you consider light usage? My stack units (both top and bottom combined) average about 240 minutes a day running time. So each drum runs for about 2 hours a day.

[MichaelCa]

Neil, that sounds like a neat trick: knowing how many mins. your dryers have been used.
Is that an option i'm missing ?

[Anonymous]

Listen to the mechanic!!!(Marc) Lint screens are by far the easiest way an owner can really effect his or her pocket by having a direct effect on dryer efficiency.Lint screens can't be too clean,I have always recommended every day minimum.Making sure they're in good shape is critical as well.

[Neil]

I know how much I take in daily on my dryers, divide that by the number of stacks (5) divide that by 2 (2 drums on each stack) and multiply that by the time per dollar (24 minutes / dollar)

[Anonymous]

Sweep them out daily.
Vacuum 2x week.

My ADC's are always working well, and we're high volume. The attendents do the sweeping, and can (although it's never happened) do it more often if needed. If they notice alot of people doing rugs, then they'll go ahead and sweep them out an extra time.

A central vac is a GODSEND! I can do all my dryers in an hour.

Dave