Dryer Vent

Status
Not open for further replies.
J

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
Our dryer has been doing poorly lately. I had been promising to check the vent but kept putting it off. Too exhausted after working my 3rd shift hours. My wife put her foot down today & I forced myself to check it. Some lint but a section of hose was full of water. I drained it & cut the hose loose. Instant fix. I will install a new hose tomorrow, insulated & with a lot fewer droops. I may even cut a new wall vent to allow a straighter run. But that’s a lot of doing in cinder block.
I gotta put stuff like this on the planner. I know better than the average guy but I forget just as easily. I should do this at least twice a year.
 
Considering that lint build up is the #1 cause of dryer fires keeping the vent clean is important. I thoroughly clean mine once a year with a shop vac and a brush. I have a flat attachment that can go deep into the dryer in the slot where the lint screen sits.

When I was a kid one of neighbors had a dryer fire and the house burnt to the ground.
 
I thought I was going to be smart years ago so I installed a piece of PVC pipe for my vent. Even sloped it for any potential condensation. PVC was the wrong thing to do…
changed it to metal sections of vent pipe a few years later…
 
Friend's house burnt down a decade ago from a dryer fire. I inspect my vent twice a year. After snow melt and before snow fall.

Normally that inspection was just cleaning around the outside area. This year we needed to move the dryer out to get at something behind it. There was 1/4 of lint attached to the metal duct all the way around. Yikes. I started cleaning it out and the Mrs says "No, you're just going to go buy a new one. A new one is cheaper than a house fire isn't it." Yeah, ok, she won that one.

I believe some new dryers have sensors in the vent output to shut them down if the output temp or air flow isn't right. If it's not required, it should be.
 
While checking out a poorly working dryer, I once found a small possum napping in the vent. She had carefully removed the outside grill.
 
When we moved in, we kept the jury-rigged solution the prior homeowner had employed, which was to remove one pane of the basement window nearest the dryer location and set in a panel of wood securing a vent hood and attached to the dryer. When we decided to replace the windows in the home, a better solution was called for. I had a company that does coring for us core the basement wall and sleeved through a new dryer vent connection. I think I paid them about $150 for the job.
 
I think I’ll make it a habit when we change clocks twice a year. That’s easy to remember. We replace smoke detector batteries then too. I got some new duct today & will get it in today or tomorrow.

I had thought of moving the vent cap but it is next to heat pump. Could only move behind it which wouldn’t be good either. My patrents’ dryer was on an outside wall. We managed to line it up with the dryer port sliding straight onto the vent duct. Total of less than 12 inches. Most trouble free vent I ever saw. Replaced the outdoor cap every 4-5 years.
 
I am fortunate enough to have my dryer on an outside wall, so all I needed was a capped vent and a periscope. I still have to clean the vent cap from time to time or the damper will end up stuck either open or closed.
 
GoldDigger said:
I am fortunate enough to have my dryer on an outside wall, so all I needed was a capped vent and a periscope. I still have to clean the vent cap from time to time or the damper will end up stuck either open or closed.
Click to expand...
Part of the issue I've seen over the years is that people forget to leave free space behind the dryer for the hose. Instinct is to push it to the wall and crush the hose. Plus most methods of running hose mean at least 1 90, often 2.
 
jmellc said:
Part of the issue I've seen over the years is that people forget to leave free space behind the dryer for the hose. Instinct is to push it to the wall and crush the hose. Plus most methods of running hose mean at least 1 90, often 2.
Click to expand...
That is a big advantage for the periscope. It incorporates both right angle bends and has an oval cross section for minimum depth for a given duct area.
 
tank728 said:
I haven't gotten around to installing this but have wanted to for awhile. They have a few associated products also that look good.

dryerbox.com

Dryerbox® - Safely Vent Your Dryer - dryer vent pipe, dryer vent hose, dryer vents, dryer venting, dryer lint, dryer vent kit, dryer vent box

Today, you can place the dryer flush to the wall without crushing the exhaust hose or restricting airflow. Install the Dryerbox� for safer, roomier and more efficient homes. Dryerbox Exhaust Receptac...
dryerbox.com dryerbox.com
Click to expand...
I may have seen an ad for these. I'll have to look into it. I did hear of a type of indoor vent that you change a filter every so often but never saw one. This is good that someone is working on the issue.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top