Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Dryer ducting question
J. Robison
>I'm going to switch from a flexible aluminum dryer duct to a rigid metal one (like a furnace or hot water heater).
For those of you that have these, did you attach the elbows and pipe with sheet metal screws and if so, does that allow lint to hook on and build up around the screws that poke into the pipe.?? Can the 4" hose clamps work in this situation?
Re: Dryer ducting question
Ted Wong
>I made the mistake of using screws. It does hook the lint and makes it a PITA to take apart and clean. If I were to do it over again I'd use aluminum tape.
Re: Dryer ducting question
Jesper, Denmark
>Small aluminum pop-rivets are easy.
Duct tape looks like hell but works for a while.
Re: Dryer ducting question
Barry Irby
>You should build your drier vent so that it is a short and straight as possible and is made of ridged metal pipe if practical. (You already knew that and that�s why you were posting the question.)
The seam on the pipe should be on top and the pipe should slope downward toward the exit. The couplings should be inserted do that the lint is �funneled� toward the exit. The slope is so that any condensation in the pipe will drool toward the exit and the seam is at the top to help prevent leaks. The funneling is to prevent lint getting hung up on the �male� ends of the pipe. The pipe is metal in case you have a lint fire. Hopefully, it will contain the fire, letting it burn out harmlessly. Use aluminum tape to avoid any screws or fasteners providing a point for lint to get hung on.
Not good practice to vent dryers upward. Ask me for a work-around if you need it.
How do you avoid it?
J. Robison
>How do you avoid it if your laundry room is in the basement??
I have a front loader set and I'm looking to stack them as soon as I'm done renovating the laundry room so it will be 3' or so closer to the vent when it's stacked.
Or are you talking about......
J. Robison
>venting it thru the roof like a plumbing vent?? I can see how that's a bad idea. Mine goes up the basement wall and exits on the side of the house.
Re: Or are you talking about......
Al Killian
>Since it is in the basement and you have to go up with it. I would put a tee off the dryer, so the condesation can collect at the bottom and just put a end cap on it. This will also allow you a point at wear you can open up the pipe and clean it out.
Re: Or are you talking about......
Barry Irby
>This is the answer. Use a Tee and make a "drip leg". Install it so that the dryer enters through the leg of the tee and exits through the side pointing up. Put a short piece of duct hanging down with a cap on the bottom to serve as a sump. Several times a year, you remove the cap and empty out the lint.
The problem with trying to vent upward is that you might get the "snowball effect". A ball of lint forms, but the dryer can not blow it all the way up and out and it falls back down every time the dryer shuts off. Eventually it clogs the pipe and chokes off the air flow. Bad news. Over heating dryer, ruins heating elements and scorched clothes. Possible CO from gas dryers.
Re: Or are you talking about......
Ted Wong
>an expensive alternative but fairly effective would be to install a booster fan and an external lint trap. I've heard they work particularily well in situations where you may have longer runs or runs where airflow may be restricted.
24 years straight up, no problems
Keith Newton
>Hey Barry, I have been venting my dryer straight up about 20 feet, for 24 years. I have never had a problem. Warm air rises because it expands and is lighter than the surrounding air.
Re: 24 years straight up, no problems
Barry Irby
>Congratulations! You are the exception. You must have an excellent lint filter on your dryer and you have been fortunate. This is one of those situations where it is often impossible to follow the dryer manufacturer�s instructions. There have been dryer makers that voided the warranty if they were vented upward.
It�s a shame that some builders are lazy and treat the dryer vent as an after thought. I once �reversed� a laundry room layout to allow for a shorter straighter dryer vent. I could see the look on peoples faces. (He�s Nuts).
The other part that is sad is that this is a fairly serious problem that gets ignored. House fires occur because of poor vents. Gas dryers vent combustion fumes back into the house. Mold grows in basements and crawl spaces and joists rot from poorly vented dryers. And there is no telling what the health risk is from breathing the fumes of all those fabric softeners and the dyes and fabrics themselves.
Of course, as a home inspector I also see the newer gas furnaces vented under people�s decks. Ah! Yes. The sort of personal sauna. Nice sunny afternoon on the deck, basking in the steamy exhaust from the gas furnace. Watching the ACQ lumber eat up the fasteners.
Perhaps if you change dryers and get one with inferior filtration you should check that vent once in a while.