Dryer Booster Fan

Status
Not open for further replies.

Ragin Cajun

Senior Member
Location
Upstate S.C.
Have an apartment building that will use these. Thinking about powering them off the laundry/washer circuit. Sure don't want to "tap the dryer" circuit.

They have a flow switch of some sort that turns them on when the dryer is running. They are mounted (accessible) close to the dryer.

Suggestions?

Thanks ahead of time.

RC
 

charlie b

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Lockport, IL
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
Not sure I know what that fan is. Does it cool the room, or perhaps help push air through the gas combustion or exhaust lines (for a gas dryer)? In what way is it related to laundry equipment?

Regardless of the answers to my questions, I don't think you can put it on the laundry circuit, even if it is related to the dryer. 210.11(C)(2) talks about the laundry receptacle circuit, and it allows no other outlets.
 

Terrynistler

Senior Member
Location
Central Texas
Is the model you have hardwired or cord and plug? I have only installed one and it was hard wired with a whip about midpoint in the run. They vary though depending on the manufacturer and intended point of use. Mine came with instructions on approved wiring and use.

I would think that if it is close to the vent and cord and plug connected you could use the laundry plug. IMO I know nothing that prevents this. Are they gas or electric dryers?
 
Last edited:

Ragin Cajun

Senior Member
Location
Upstate S.C.
These are hard wired and some require that it must be no closer than 15 ft from the dryer and accessible to clean, etc.

I see it as a "laundry related load." Also, if the breaker were tripped, the homeowner couldn't get a load of wash to put in the dryer.

RC
 

raider1

Senior Member
Staff member
Location
Logan, Utah
I see it as a "laundry related load."

It may be a "laundry related load" but it can't be installed on the required 20 amp laundry circuit as Charlie pointed out. (See 210.11(C)(2))

You will have to find another circuit to use to feed this booster fan.

Chris
 

charlie b

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Lockport, IL
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
Let me add emphasis to the word "receptacle" in 210.11(C)(2). This article does not talk about how many outlets can be on a laundry-related circuit. It says that the circuit powering the laundry "receptacle outlet(s)" cannot have any other outlets.

I suspect that if you provide one 20 amp branch circuit to the laundry room, and put two duplex outlets on it, with the understanding that one will serve the washing machine and the other will serve a plug & cord connected "dryer booster fan," you will be within code. But as the fan under discussion in this thread is hard wired, it must be on a different circuit than the circuit supplying the laundry receptacle outlet(s).
 

inspector23

Senior Member
Location
Temecula, CA
CHARLIE'S QUOTE
"Let me add emphasis to the word "receptacle" in 210.11(C)(2). This article does not talk about how many outlets can be on a laundry-related circuit. It says that the circuit powering the laundry "receptacle outlet(s)" cannot have any other outlets.

I suspect that if you provide one 20 amp branch circuit to the laundry room, and put two duplex outlets on it, with the understanding that one will serve the washing machine and the other will serve a plug & cord connected "dryer booster fan," you will be within code. But as the fan under discussion in this thread is hard wired, it must be on a different circuit than the circuit supplying the laundry receptacle outlet(s)."



I need to learn how to do the quote box!


Anyway -


Our jurisdiction does not allow more than one duplex receptacle on the laundry room circuit. In your example, you state one duplex outlet just for the for the washing machine and a second duplex outlet for the dryer and/or plug & cord connected ?dryer booster fan?. Our interpretation is you have one single receptacle for the washing machine. The second receptacle outlet on the washing machine duplex outlet, by definition, is an outlet where receptacle(s) are installed. . An outlet, by definition, is a point of the on the wiring system at which current is taken to supply utilization equipment. And utilization equipment, by definition, could be anything electronic, heating, lighting, etc.

The point is by having the second receptacle outlet serving only the washing machine you are allowing any utilization equipment to be used on a laundry branch circuit.

Bottom line - We allow one duplex receptacle for both the washing machine and the gas dryer igniter, or two single receptacle outlets, one behind the washer for the washing machine and one behind the dryer for the gas dryer igniter.

Interesting how different areas see things differently??
 

charlie b

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Lockport, IL
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
inspector23 said:
Our jurisdiction does not allow more than one duplex receptacle on the laundry room circuit.
I hope your will forgive me, if this comment comes across a bit harsh. But I believe this is an abuse of your authority. Please let me invite to your attention that both 210.52(F) and 210.11(C)(2) speak in the plural, when they mention laundry outlets.

inspector23 said:
I need to learn how to do the quote box!
When you hit the ?QUOTE? button at the bottom right corner of any previous post, a window will pop up. It will contain the entire text of the previous post, preceded with the word ?quote? in brackets, and ending with ?/quote? in brackets. If you are commenting on only a portion of the previous post, it helps if you delete all other text, before adding your own comments. Be sure to leave the bracketed ?quote? and ?/quote,? and to type your comments after the final ?/quote.?

I usually have Microsoft Word open while I am using this Forum. When I hit the ?QUOTE? button, I do a ?cut and paste of the entire text (including the ?quote? and the ?/quote?), and do my editing in Word, then copy and paste it back to the Forum.
 

cadpoint

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
This is a Multi Code Application

This is a Multi Code Application

I don't know the exact IBC code reference, please post the same if its on your finger-tips, The IBC and former code for NC require(s)
that booster fans for dryers over X number of feet, and I knew for a fact at one time that they liked to have the dry vent no longer than 6'-0".
The only thing I do know its not a rural or urban legend. :rolleyes:
 

inspector23

Senior Member
Location
Temecula, CA
charlie b said:
When you hit the ?QUOTE? button at the bottom right corner of any previous post, a window will pop up. It will contain the entire text of the previous post, preceded with the word ?quote? in brackets, and ending with ?/quote? in brackets. If you are commenting on only a portion of the previous post, it helps if you delete all other text, before adding your own comments. Be sure to leave the bracketed ?quote? and ?/quote,? and to type your comments after the final ?/quote.?
Thanks! Appreciate the Help!

I consider myself like a presidential advisor. I give the Building Official my interpretation, based upon code sections and input from other inspectors, but ultimately the final decision is the Building Officials?.

I do not necessarily agree with all his decisions, (we allow plug and cord connected FAU?s in the attics) , but they are his decisions for our jurisdiction and I was hired to enforce those decisions. I try to persuade when I can, and this forum helps a lot when I go in to discuss issues.

Thanks again for your quote help!
 

inspector23

Senior Member
Location
Temecula, CA
cadpoint said:
I don't know the exact IBC code reference, please post the same if its on your finger-tips, The IBC and former code for NC require(s)
that booster fans for dryers over X number of feet, and I knew for a fact at one time that they liked to have the dry vent no longer than 6'-0".
The only thing I do know its not a rural or urban legend. :rolleyes:


The 2003 IRC (International Residential Code) reference is M1501.3 with the exception 1 for booster fans
 

raider1

Senior Member
Staff member
Location
Logan, Utah
inspector23 said:
The 2003 IRC (International Residential Code) reference is M1501.3 with the exception 1 for booster fans

This exception has been eliminated in the 2006 IRC, so you can't use a booster fan as an alternative if you dryer dust exceeds the length permitted in the IRC.

I believe that it was eliminated due to the lack of avaliability of listed booster fans. But I could be wrong.:)

Chris
 

raider1

Senior Member
Staff member
Location
Logan, Utah
RC,

Yes, this is the only listed booster fan that I have seen.

Again I am only going off hearsay (that could be bad:D) as to why the ICC removed the exception for listed booster fans from IRC section M1501.3.

Chris
 

stickboy1375

Senior Member
Location
Litchfield, CT
I actually failed a final inspection because I ran the duct work to long, Typical builder puts the laundry in the middle of the house...well most dyers if you read the specs let you install 70' of duct, well since this was a spec house, and no dryer was present, the longest I could run the duct was 25', so I had to install a dryer booster, I never new about the 25' rule, live and learn...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top