# Dryer Venting



## velvetfoot (Jun 20, 2006)

I'm looking for some opinions, so here goes:

I want to re-route the dryer outlet right out through the side of the unit through an adjacent exterior wall.
The pipe run would be a foot or so.
Thing is, in part based on last winter's experience with a frosty aluminum-framed kitty door, I want to limit heat loss.
I guess the heat loss mechanisms would be through conduction (the metal pipe to the outside) and convection (the air in the pipe).
I imagine I will have some type of flapper vent on the outside, like the current arrangement, and insulate the outside of the short run of pipe to the dryer with fiberglass.

Q's:  
-Am I on the right track, or...
-Will no matter what I do result in a cold laundry room because of the short run of pipe, etc?
-Any tips?

Thanks very much.


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## Eric Johnson (Jun 20, 2006)

I would say spend a little extra on a decent, aluminum vent assembly with a good flapper on it. The ones I'm familiar with run about $15 at Home Depot. If you keep the dryer door closed when not in use, I don't think you'll lose much heat through the vent, especially when that spring-loaded flapper is shut.

Have you considered an inside vent? If you can beat the dust problem, it makes more sense to keep the heat and moisture in the house. You probably can't do that with a gas dryer, but I know it works with electric.


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## elkimmeg (Jun 20, 2006)

> Have you considered an inside vent? If you can beat the dust problem, it makes more sense to keep the heat and moisture in the house. You probably can't do that with a gas dryer, but I know it works with electric.


[/quote]

This reminds me of a funny story where the builder told me he did not need a dryer vent. He would supply a bucket of water and attach a sock on the end of the vent.  I told I would sign off the home ,if he could produce it in either manufacture spect or in the International Mechanical Codes.  Final inspection requires a dryer vent passage  passing threw the  interior envelope  exiting outside.

 Flexible vent pipe of any kind can not be concealed Plastic and tin foil type have been  non code compliant since 1988  All manufactures manuals spec hard pipe vent. Been this way for at least the past 10 years. 15,000 dryer fires in USa every year and not all are gas dryers. Most due to lint build up in the vents.  Vents should be cleaned like your wood stove every 6 month moderate use,light use once a year. Vents  passing in un headed spaces outside the insulation envelope  are required to be insulated Verticle rising vents require cleanout tees A lot of codes to have a dryer to run safe and effecient.


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## Eric Johnson (Jun 20, 2006)

I knew I was going to catch hell for even suggesting that.

I guess a laundry room would be a great place for a smoke detector.


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## Corie (Jun 20, 2006)

shoot, the dryer vent in our apartment terminates in the kitchen and there is dust EVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERYWHERE.

SWMBO has to dust the kitchen 4 times a week so a film doesn't built up.  Very unpleasant.


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## Eric Johnson (Jun 20, 2006)

I think I read somewhere that if you stretch an old sock over the vent line and terminate it into a bucket with water at the bottom, you won't have that problem.

Pardon my ignorance, Corie, but WTF does SWMBO stand for?


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## velvetfoot (Jun 20, 2006)

Thanks for the replies.


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## elkimmeg (Jun 20, 2006)

> SWMBO stand for?


[/quote]

She who must be obeyed


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## Sandor (Jun 20, 2006)

I like Gideons response.

Dry the clothes outside on a line spring through fall, and inside during the winter. The dryer is one expensive azz appliance to run


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## Eric Johnson (Jun 20, 2006)

Actually, my SWMBO dries them outdoors year-around. Clothes will dry just as well when it's below freezing, as long as the sun is shining. About the only time she uses the machine is when it's raining. Of course in the winter somebody (MWMO) has to shovel out a path to the clothesline.


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## begreen (Jun 21, 2006)

Corie said:
			
		

> shoot, the dryer vent in our apartment terminates in the kitchen and there is dust EVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERYWHERE.
> 
> SWMBO has to dust the kitchen 4 times a week so a film doesn't built up.  Very unpleasant.



Actually, there are several indoor lint traps. One type has a water pot at the bottom that is designed to handle lint better. Others are just extra screens.

http://heating-and-cooling.hardware...ries/lint-trap-kit-lama-flex-duct-654857.aspx
http://heating-and-cooling.hardware...nt-accessories/lint-trap-vent-kit-243048.aspx
http://www.indoorlinttrapfilter.com/servlet/Search?category=Lint+Trap+Filter&f=1


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## BrotherBart (Jun 21, 2006)

I used to use one of those things with water in it. Kept reading that no matter what you do minute fibers are in the air and end up in your lungs. 

Ditched it.


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## velvetfoot (Jun 22, 2006)

Thanks for the tips.
When you think about it, you are exhausting air that has already been heated by the building heating system, and then warmed further by the dryer. 
I just wouldn't want to mess with the dust and moisture.
I'll probably do this after I finish the front paver walk.  (PS:  I should have hired the guy with all the machines instead of doing it myself by hand!)


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## Eric Johnson (Jun 22, 2006)

Too bad there isn't some kind of heat exchanger you can run the exhaust through.


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## fbelec (Jun 23, 2006)

Eric Johnson said:
			
		

> Too bad there isn't some kind of heat exchanger you can run the exhaust through.



how about running the exhaust thru one of those things you can put on a chimney pipe (i forget what they call them) they have them for oil or gas with a fan that runs when it heats up. they throw a ton of heat. i seen one run on a oil burner i think it will go as high as 30000 btu output and dryers are i think 22000 btu.


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## d.n.f. (Dec 14, 2007)

If you have a well sealed house, running your dryer vent to 'heat your house' is going to give you a mold problem up the wazoo.

Vent that wet damp air outside.  Live with the heatloss.  Frontload washer and dryer will save you bucks on power and water.


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## velvetfoot (Dec 14, 2007)

Just coincidentally, going back to my original post, I checked to see how cool it was around the short vent pipe.
I wasn't cold at all.
I consider the operation a success.


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## struggle (Dec 14, 2007)

What did you use for a vent on the outside? A flapper door or did you get one of the things that slides a cup up when the dryer is one and gravity brings it back down to close air off.


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## velvetfoot (Dec 14, 2007)

It's not louvered.  It a cover for the tube that goes up when air is pushed through it and gravity closes it.  It seems to have a pretty good seal.  I wasn't crazy about the louvered type.


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## mrmojo (Dec 26, 2007)

My gas dryer quit lighting years ago. I use a wood close drying rack, in the summer I have a de-humidifier next to it that sucks the moisture out quickly. In the winter it's so dry that I turn the settings off. This is in my basement and I have a very dry basement-no odor or effervesense.


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## Moose (Dec 29, 2007)

My dryer is in the same room as my wood burner and I put a pair of panty hoes over the vent and vent it right twards the wood stove I'm looking for a little extra moisture anyways.  I just replace the panty hoes everyonce in a while.  no more figure I'm saving the money for the panty hoes with the extra heat I'm gaining from the dryer.  Then in the summer I just hook it back up to the outside vent


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## dlpz (Jan 2, 2008)

struggle said:
			
		

> What did you use for a vent on the outside? A flapper door or did you get one of the things that slides a cup up when the dryer is one and gravity brings it back down to close air off.



My .02,  I ditched the the regular dryer vent for the gravity cup type, awesome!  Have to clean the lint on the outside to make sure it seals good about half way through the winter but I will never buy anything else and always recommend it.


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