Replies

1. 
   WayneL5 | Apr 13, 2005 01:47am | #1

   It dumps all the moisture back into the house, which, except in very unusual conditions, is a bad thing.  It's probably not worth the risk to the structure (mold, etc.) for the energy savings involved.

2. 
   stonefever | Apr 13, 2005 01:49am | #2

   Oh yeah.  Used them for years.  Wadda freaking mess and hasssle...

   If you want fine lint particles everywhere, use them!

   The water based type?  Drys out fast and you have to keep refilling the darn thing.  And when it's dry, blows straight lint in the air, unfiltered.

   The filter type?  Small pieces still get thru and everywhere.  The filter plugs quickly and causes backflow and extended running cycles, thus losing any hope of energy savings.

   And we're only talking electric dryers.

    

3. 
   rjw | Apr 13, 2005 02:18am | #3

   And NEVER use it with a gas dryer

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4. 
   BillHartmann | Apr 13, 2005 03:49am | #4

   If the need is bad enough there is a ventless clothes dry.

   I believe that it is European had has a builtin dehumidifier or somethig lese to condense the mositure.

   And I assume some supper filter for the lint.

1. 
   DanH | Apr 15, 2005 06:05pm | #9

   Yeah, there are ventless dryers, but they essentially use a dehumidifier and cost an arm to run (even compared to a regular electric).The various filters that are advertised may catch some of the lint, but they still keep all the heat and humidity in the house. In the dead of winter in Minnesota this isn't so bad, but it's not great under most other circumstances. The filters also seriously reduce the efficiency of the dryer.And absolutely DO NOT vent a dryer into an attic or any other "spare" space. The lint that a dryer puts out is highly flammable and the situation in an attic can be darn near explosive.

1. 
   jarcolio | Apr 15, 2005 06:18pm | #10

   I have had an ASKO for 8 years -- it is the stupidest thing I ever did because each month I have to unscrew the front panel and take this fin type thing out and rinse it off in the shower, and mop up all the lint inside this chamber.In concept it is good but the monthly maintence is a drag. They say you have to do it occassioanally but it is simply not true. If you do not do the monthly maintenance, it gets hot and the internal fuse trips and you have to reach behind the unit and reset the fuse and let the machine cool down.This one drains all the water down the drain or it could have gone to a small catch bucket that you would dump in a sink. So, there is no humidy in the house and in the winter you enjoy the warm room, we had to move the thermostat because it was always kicking the A/C on in the summmer becaeue of the 'false reading'It is a soluion that should only be sought if you cannot vent. Fortuantley, mine is in a stacked configuration so there is no bending to pull the fin out and clean the fin chamber

5. 
   csnow | Apr 14, 2005 06:26pm | #5

   There are a bunch of them marketed.  Some are just a series of matrix filters, others use water as a lint filter.  The 'bucket' ones are probably the water type. Either way, you create a moisture problem.

   The technology for this does exist:

   http://www.lib.niu.edu/ipo/ic980618.html

   http://itotd.com/index.alt?ArticleID=304

   Somewhere I saw one that worked like an HRV, but it was not cheap.

1. 
   SenecaDog | Apr 14, 2005 08:25pm | #6

   Bosch makes a nice model.  However, we were told by the appliance salesman that it was very slow getting items dry and he didn't recommend it unless it was a requirement.

   http://www.boschappliances.com/laundry/1492_WTL5410_detail.asp

   Not venting to the outside dumps a huge amount of water vapor into the house and the lint is a significant fire hazard (and mess).

1. 
   constantin | Apr 15, 2005 04:25pm | #7

   Allow me to quibble...The Bosch unit adds no interior humidity to the room. Instead, it condenses the water and stores it in a slide-out tray that you have to empty. Presumably, it can also be attached to a drain. However, the Bosch dryer is electric, so there are no flue gases to worry about. These are great units for apartment buildings and any other situation where running a vent is impossible, expensive, etc. On the flipside, the unit is far more expensive and takes 2 hours to dry a full load.There is no way I'd ever vent a gas dryer (or any other gas appliance) into the home, with the exception of a cooktop. Even there, I have a range hood above to capture most of the flue gases...

1. 
   SenecaDog | Apr 15, 2005 04:56pm | #8

   You're quite correct that the Bosch unit condenses the water out of the dryer where it can either be drained off or dumped from a tray.  It's a good, though expensive and slow, solution if you can't vent to the outside easily. 

   Venting a standard electric or gas dryer into the indoor space of a house with one of the lint traps discussed is not a good idea for a range of reasons. Condensing units like the Bosch are an exception.