| Indoor dryer venting. Indoor dryer vent kits |
CONDENSING DRYER VENT FOR SAFE INDOOR VENTING
This simple and easy to install vent is ideal for venting the clothes dryer indoors. The vent traps lint and condenses warm air into water. For more information go to condensing clothes dryer vent. |
US CENTERS for DISEASE CONTROL and PREVENTION (CDC)
According to this US government agency clothes dryer vents should always be vented to the outside. According to published reports Indoor dryer vents expel moist air and lint into the home, which creates mold and fire hazards.
USFA DOCUMENTED CLOTHES DRYER FIRES
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has released a report stating that clothes dryer fires account for an estimated 12,700 residential fires, 15 deaths and 400 injuries annually. The USFA attributes “Failure to clean” as the leading factor contributing to clothes dryer fires in residential buildings.
WARNING
Never leave your dryer or any other appliance running when leaving your home or while sleeping. |
Indoor dryer vent should be checked often to ensure that there is enough water to catch lint |
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| Clothes Dryer - Venting Indoors or into Garage |
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Indoor dryer venting. Indoor dryer vent kits
WARNING
If you have a natural gas or propane clothes dryer ALWAYS vent to the outside. The heated air contains carbon monoxide, a known killer. |
Some will argue that venting the clothes dryer indoors will save on energy and improve living conditions. The dryer can provide free heat to offset heating costs during the winter months and the moisture can solve dry air problems. It seems to be a good idea, right? We know that humid summer days make us feel hot. That is why we add a humidifier to our furnace or use a portable humidifier to add moisture to the air which make us feel warmer so we can lower the thermostat a few notches. So why is indoor venting for the clothes dryer not such a good idea? Well, the simple answer is that a home reacts different to humidity than us human beings.
Many people do not realize that there is a fair amount of moisture in the warm air dispelled from the clothes dryer. Every time a load is dried, a gallon of water (3.8 liter) or more will be released into the indoor environment.
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Indoor clothes dryer vent kit. Add water to trap lint |
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REASONS FOR INDOOR CLOTHES DRYER VENTING
With the cost of rising heating costs it is easy to understand why some people use the heat generated by the clothe dryer to supplement the overall costs for heating the house. It could also be that others do not know that a dryer located far from an exterior wall or attic can still be vented to the outdoors with the help of a dryer vent booster fan. Some manufacturers claim that their fans are powerful enough for clothe dryer vents of 60 feet (18 m) in length or more.
SAVE A BIT ON ENERGY or
SPEND A FORTUNE ON MOLD REMOVAL
Stating that moisture generated by a furnace humidifier or by an indoor clothes dryer vent is the same thing is misleading. A humidifier delivers moisture evenly throughout the house while an indoor dryer vent adds moisture only to the area where the dryer is located, often a cold basement.
Adding unnecessary moist air into your home is a recipe for disaster, especially during the summer months when the humidity levels are already high because of condensation. During my 28 years of inspecting homes I have seen many homes where the structural integrity and stored personal property were affected by mildew and mold. Mold growth is a health hazard and will cause eye irritation, respiratory problems and coughing.
Mold removal and eliminating the source of mold growth is very costly and is a high price to pay for trying to save a bit on heating costs.
INDOOR VENTING - INTO THE GARAGE
In many municipalities it is illegal to vent the clothes dryer into the garage. There shouldn't be anything penetrating the wall that separates the garage from the house, including openings for the central vacuum exhaust, electrical wiring, heating or windows that can be opened. This is to prevent carbon monoxide in car exhaust fumes from entering the house.
WARNING
Never let a car idle in a closed garage. Urea formaldehyde gas levels produced by an idling car can be 300-500 times the acceptable indoor levels. Therefore, it is important to keep an attached garage gas-proofed at all times. For more information go to gas-proofing a garage. |
INDOOR DRYER VENTS
There are several indoor clothes dryer vent systems available. They usually are sold as an indoor dryer vent kit that includes a length of flexible duct. Some indoor vent models come with a basin that has to be filled with water. The water is supposed to catch any lint not trapped by the dryer's lint screen. There are also indoor dryer vents that have a wire mesh screen to catch lint. One of the models checked out has a winter/summer switch, see picture. With the damper closed it will vent the warm moist clothes dryer air to the outside in the summer. With the damper open the air will be redirected into the basement.
DISADVANTURES OF INDOOR VENTING and VENTS
- Water will evaporate fast and if not replenished becomes ineffective in trapping lint.
- Wire mesh filters clog up almost immediately and may have to be cleaned after each load.
- Warm moist air dispelled into the basement by the clothes dryer will lead to mildew and mold growth which can lead to structural damage. Mold is a health hazard and will cause eye irritation, respiratory problems and coughing.
- It makes the house smell like laundry detergent.
- Savings on the cost of heating the house will be wiped out by the costs of removing mold which could be $5,000.00 and up for an average sized basement room. |
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