Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Jan 29, 2000 07:33am | #1

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   Sure, you can hang em outdoors in summer. But they come back in mighty cold and crunchy in winter.

   I don't think you have many options in summer. The dryer generates heat. The heat has to be removed, and what gets removed must be replaced. With AC air from the house. If you can seal off and insulate your laundry room, then you could vent it to outdoors. Then at least you'll be feeding the dryer with unconditioned outdoor air instead of AC indoor air. Of course that's going to make your laundry room warmer than the rest of the house, maybe a small trade off.

   There's no reason why you couldn't recover that heat in the winter though. It would have to vent through some kind of heat recovery device. I've never heard of one for a dryer, probably because of the lint and moisture build up would really make it a maintenance nightmare. You could maybe try one of those tube in a tube pipes that are used for gas fireplaces. The hot air exits through the inside tube and is cooled by the cold fresh air returning through the outside tube. Or in otherwords, the cold outside air is pre-heated by the hot dryer exhaust. I'm sure there's rules about this kind of thing. If you have cold winters, you run a real risk of plugging the dryer exhaust with frozen condensation. That wouldn't be good. At the very least, you could try running the exhaust through a long length of metal ductwork. It's bound to transfer some of the heat back into the laundry room before leaving the house.

   Round here some people just tie an old pair of pantyhose on the dryer vent in winter. Traps most of the lint, and keeps the warm humid air indoors. I think I've seen comercial "ventless" attachments that do basically the same thing.

1. 
   Guest_ | Jan 29, 2000 10:22am | #2

   *Oy!Not touching this one. When do good intentions & good advice intercect(sp?)?

1. 
   Guest_ | Jan 29, 2000 08:16pm | #3

   *I've seen a device that hooks up to the dryer vent and the humid air runs through a small pan of water, capturing the moisture but passing the air. Don't know if it works, but it looks good on paper.

2. 
   Hultman | Jan 29, 2000 11:47pm | #4

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   First are you useing a gas or electric dryer? If it is gas, do not use a item that lets the warm air of your dryer blow in the house you will be filling your home with carbon-monoxdie. If is electric your dryer does not give off any gases. Venting your laundry room is very simple you can use 4" vinyal dryer vent run to the outside of the house to bring fresh air in, when you run it make a Cold Air Trap in the flex (this looks simaler to a plumbing P-Trap) Cold air is traped it the bottom to stop air movement unless there is a suction drawing air in. Your dryer creates this suction when you turn it on. Some air from your home will still be used and vented out But, this will cut down on how much of you already heated or cold air your dryer uses. This is based on the same princapale that in most areas is used on gas hot water heaters and furnaces. your local power company may also be able to help you with this.Hope this might help.

3. 
   Guest_ | Jan 30, 2000 07:53am | #5

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   I'm not up on the latest building science with respect to home ventilation and the provision of make-up air to equalize indoor air pressure, but isn't this thread related to the < Obsolete Link > thread on motorized damper Control in that make-up fresh air is what Chris Z. wishes to provide for his exhaust ventilators? Could a HRV somehow fit into either situation? I know that heated make-up air is used in commercial environments but what about residential?

   And in introducing make-up air into the home is there a concern with bringing common air borne pollutants into the home such as pollen and dust?

   In the case of this thread it would seem that the heat exhausted from the dryer could be used to temper the incoming make-up air during the winter. Good in theory but any real (economically feasible) application in a residential situation?

   Re the makeup flex air duct that Hultman describes for electric dryers: Could a standard dryer exhaust vent hood/flapper be mounted on the make-up air tube at the entrance to the living space - kind of a reverse of normal configuration, in order to provide a more positive air stop then just the cold air P-trap that he describes?

   Hultman:

   Is the configuration you describe commonly used where you live? - If so, what area is that?

   Inquiringly,

   Matt

1. 
   Guest_ | Jan 30, 2000 07:26pm | #6

   *If you want to have a more efficient system, your money would be well spent on investing in top quality equipment. We have installed quite a few Miele ($$$$$) washers and dryers, and the customers love them. The washer is front loading, uses much less soap, and spins so rapidly that your clothes are much dryer when you take them out. This obviously means less work for the dryer, and the dryer spins in one direction, stops for a few minutes, and spins in the other direction. This apparently makes it more efficient and doesn't wrinkle your clothes. I don't know what the time frame is to repay your investment, but you will almost certainly see a marked difference in efficiency. That way you don't have to feel so bad about expelling that nice warm house air.

4. 
   Clif_Ching | Feb 04, 2000 12:57am | #7

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   Ever consider buying a condensing dryer? Bosch and a few other European manufacturers make them mainly for apartments and condominiums where dryer vents are not easily installed. The condensing dryer extracts water from the dryer similar to air conditioners and the excess moisture is pumped out the same drain as the washer. Check out the Bosch website...I think it's http://www.boschappliances.com.
   Clif

5. 
   Kathy_&_Joe | Feb 04, 2000 12:57am | #8

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   We have a fairly tight home, so our dryer pulls our nicely heated air and sends it out, replacing it with cold air (or air-conditioned air is replaced with hot air). We are currently redoing a first floor laundry room. Is there a good way to vent the room? We want to maximize the dryer efficiency, but keep the house from loosing out.