A clothes dryer is one of the most neglected pieces of equipment in a household. We push load after load of wet clothes through it to be dried and expect it to work every time without fail. Most of the time the dryer cooperates and just keeps drying load after load of wet clothing. Usually there isn't much on a clothes dryer that can go wrong, but you do have to keep a check on the exhaust line and check for buildup of lint in the line as well as the blower that moves the air around the dryer.
It is fairly easy to do. First you need to disconnect the power source to the dryer and remove the front cover. The lint screen should come out with the cover and can be cleaned better on both sides. You should see the exhaust pipe on the bottom of the dryer once the cover has been removed. There will be a dozen or so screws holding on the cover over the blower fan that will need to come off so you can get at the lint built up in the housing. I usually use a large paint brush to knock the lint loose while I have a vacuum cleaner running to collect the lint that comes out. You will need to insert the vacuum cleaner hose into the exhaust pipe that goes to the back of the dryer vent outlet and remove the lint from there. It is also a good idea to vacuum the first few feet of dryer vent hose to clear the lint from it. If you notice excessive lint built up in the hose and your vacuum cleaner won't reach you may need to hire someone with adequate equipment to clean the exhaust hose all the way through. Leaving any lint is not good and may cause a fire so it is best to completely remove all of the lint.
Once you are satisfied that all of the lint has been removed just re-assemble the dryer front cover making sure to replace all of the screws that came out. Some dryers have a door open safety switch that is attached to the front cover and actuates when the door closes. If you have to remove the switch to get the front cover off be sure to replace the switch when you are reassembling the dryer.
