custom dryer vent cleanout & ABS pipe

[SteveB]

hello all.
The last time I was here I was looking for advice on a dryer vent cleanout.
I have since come up with an idea for a vacuum powered maintenance device.
I'm a retired sheet metal mechanic who used to install dryer vents as part of my job doing residental work, and after years of seeing all kinds of problems with dryer vents, I made a custom box for my own house, and it hasn't worked as good as I'd hoped, so I'm on to my next invention.
The contractor who'd installed my dryer line had installation mechanics who lacked some common sense about lint, gravity, and humidity, or the lack thereof. Now I'm left with the mess.
What I want to do is to make/buy two ell fittings that will allow me to attach hoses from a shop vac, and place those inline with my dryer vent line. I'll then place the shop vac motor on top of a metal box that I'll make, along with electrical, timer switch, etc..., and once a week or so turn it on from a timer switch to "flush" the lint out of the system to keep my vent line clean.
Forget the fact that I shouldn't need to do this that often, or have so elaborate a device for cleaning out my dryer vent line. I'm disgusted with having to clean out my line once a year, and after my last crawl under my subfloor, I'd rather do this once more, and leave it alone for the next 40 years. (I'll figure out a way to clean out the large metal box I'll place the shop vac motor on later. I have a basic idea, but it's not important here. 8 years got me a sum total of 1 cubic foot of compressed lint in my dryer vent pipe.)

My real question has to do with using ABS ell fittings that have another line going off them as my ells.
1- Does ABS have a high enough heat capacity/resitivity to not be bothered by dryer heat once it get's 3 to 10 feet away from the dryer heat source?
I'm wondering, because I was looking at the ABS fittings at my local home depot, and they have one that would work perfectly for my idea.
I know there's a reason why we use sheet metal, and I figured heat was it.
Your professional perspectives would be deeply appreciated.
Oh, and this idea is patent pending, so if you decide to use it, send me the royalties of $20 per installation. ;)
Thanks again for your responses.

[OkieBill]

I'm not sure a shop vac has enough Ommmmf to do what you are looking for...

I use a commercial leaf blower to clean drier exhaust's ( that's the only thing I have found with enough velocity)

I wanna say ABS operating temperature is around 150 degrees F and cpvc is around 200 degrees F. Both of these materials are not suited to operating at the 250 Degree temperature's of a home dryer.

Just a few thoughts..

[SteveB]

Okie,
Thanks for the reply.
So even a high hp shop vac won't work, eh?
I like the idea of a grass blower, but my hope was to use an electric motor, as opposed to a blower with a gas motor.
I definitely see where a high velocity impulse type blast of air would do the job better than something with a slower start response.
So the temps for cpvc, and abs are too low, are you aware of any other materials, aside from steel that'd be suitable?
While I'm prepared to either make, or see if any of the supply houses have premade designs, I'd prefer to use something like an abs/cpvc/high-temp plastic fitting.
Again, thanks for your response. It really is appreciated.

Best Regards.

[ToUtahNow]

Both PVC and Styrene dryer vents in slab homes are fairly common so I'm sure you will find a material which will work for you. As far as the vacuum cleaner goes I think you would be better off with a fan which is designed for dryer vents if you can't get the standard one you have now to work.

Mark