I just discovered that the dryer duct on the interior (inside the walls), of our recently purchased home is vinyl. I am not sure how old it is, but the section I can see from the dryer side of the duct has deteriorated. I vacuumed out what I could and have stopped using the dryer completely. The dryer is on the second level of the house, about 14 feet from the exterior. I assume the only way to rectify this is to somehow pull out the old vinyl duct and replace with a rigid metal duct, hoping that the pathway from out to in is straight.

Any other suggestions?