Thread Number: 30915
Drier venting indoors.
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Post# 466728   10/1/2010 at 16:56 (4,927 days old) by akronman (Akron/Cleveland Ohio)        

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As winter approaches, I'm thinking of venting the drier into my 94 year old semi-messy basement instead of out thru the wall. Can anyone recommend a good brand of indoor filter that allows indoor venting? The basement is old, very utilitarian, I wouldn't try this in a newer beautiful basement, and it's only one drier. I'm just trying to watch the gas bill a bit, and get a little extra heat in the basement on winter washdays.
Thanks





Post# 466729 , Reply# 1   10/1/2010 at 17:04 (4,927 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)        

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DO NOT vent a gas dryer indoors.  Gas units discharge combustion byproducts through the exhaust airflow, there's too much risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.


Post# 466730 , Reply# 2   10/1/2010 at 17:06 (4,927 days old) by stevet (West Melbourne, FL)        
Not the best Idea!

Mark, I can see it now. We are all going to caution you about the same thing... Burning gas releases carbon monoxide into the air and that is not something you should really have going on in your home no matter what shape the basement is in.
If you want to save energy, get a machine that really spins out the water from the clothes which results in dramatically shorter drying times, or hang the laundry in that basement to dry.Then you will add moisture to the house and it may feel more comfortable and you won't be burning any gas!
And don't forget the option of drying them outside as well.

I am sure that you realize that there are other improvements you could make to your home of that age that will result in greater savings than the gas you would save from venting the dryer indoors and energy conservation improvements could result in rebates from the Feds and local or state funds and utility companies as well.

You also prevent excessive lint buildup in the basement which can cause problems with your furnace whether it is gas fired or oil fired.


Post# 466731 , Reply# 3   10/1/2010 at 17:17 (4,927 days old) by macboy91si (Frankfort, KY)        
Electric or Gas?

macboy91si's profile picture
I guess the question is electric or gas. Gas could be potentially deadly, but I've vented electric dryers indoors before with my portables with out issue. It's not the best way by far to do things but sometimes one has no choice in my case. The best lint traps I've found are the water filled units. The dryer is going to slowly lint up things, this is a given but the water filters really cut back on this. I speak of this only from portable dryers not full size units. I know 2 people that have their electric full sized dryers vented indoors without issue though aside from a bit more dusting things than usual. I don't however think it will help as much as you might think with heating, mostly it can add some moisture to the air from the humidity.

-Tim


Post# 466774 , Reply# 4   10/1/2010 at 19:19 (4,927 days old) by akronman (Akron/Cleveland Ohio)        
Glad I asked

akronman's profile picture
OK, cool, it stays vented outdoors. Glad I asked--I was thinking heat, not about the gas fumes, my bad.
Mark


Post# 466793 , Reply# 5   10/1/2010 at 21:48 (4,927 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
Glad To Hear It

launderess's profile picture
There isn't a dryer filter on the market today that captures anywhere >80% of the fine dust that comes out of dryer exhaust. Over time this will collect any and everywhere the air currents in your house goes. Such dust will also reek havoc with electronic equipment if it is allowed to build up internally.

Yes, as stated above; never, never, never *EVER* vent a gas dryer indoors


Post# 466799 , Reply# 6   10/1/2010 at 22:45 (4,927 days old) by mayguy (Minnesota)        

I do not advise venting any dryers in home that are in the northern zone. Way too much of a risk of mold or some type of damage to the sheet rock.

I grew up with a dryer vented into a large two story home, and we had mold growing in the corner of the wall on the far end of the house! It was a big mess.. As soon as it was fixed, dad vented that dryer out doors!

Also, you are breathing all the chemical that are on your clothes mostly the fabric softener.


Post# 466837 , Reply# 7   10/2/2010 at 01:06 (4,927 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California)        

sudsmaster's profile picture
I have sometimes thought that a way to do this would be to run the dryer vent through a heat exchanger. One problem with that however is that the moisture in the vented hot air would condense on the cold exchanger surface and clog it up with lint very quickly. Even a straight through metal vent duct is supposed to be insulated if it runs through unheated spaces, to keep the moisture/lint accumulation to a minimum.

There is no free lunch. But one good thing is that the amount of energy that a gas dryer uses is minuscule compared to the energy used for space heating in winter. Personally I'd rather not have all that lint and moisture dumped into the home, anyway.


Post# 466838 , Reply# 8   10/2/2010 at 01:50 (4,927 days old) by rapunzel (Sydney)        
Apart from the dust, think of the moisture, especially in wi

Even if your basement is utilitarian. The additional heat in the house would negligible and of no economic benefit. There would be additional inconvenience via dust build-up and increased mustiness.

Post# 466853 , Reply# 9   10/2/2010 at 08:20 (4,926 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains)        
Everybody has, of course

panthera's profile picture
pointed out the obvious - CO is nothing to mess with. In fact, when that dryer is going full blast and exhausting to the outside, take a look at whether your gas furnace and water heater are down drafting back into the house - if they are, then you have a problem.

The advice to up the spin speed (which you can do cheaply with a stand alone centrifuge) is undoubtedly the best single step towards saving energy. I'm not going to endorse the spinner at the link, I've never used it. My German spinner does, however, cut the drying time by more than half - and it spins at 2800rpm (and I've used it for over 20 years with no damaged clothes, an old debate we've had here for centuries). A few other things which will help, too:

Try to dry on days when the ventilation is useful - that dryer is pulling in quite a bit of basement air, make use of it. If a window would be open anyway, then it's not such a painful loss.

Make sure you dry at least two loads, one behind the other. There is quite a bit of mass to heat up in a dryer and drying two loads or more back to back saves some energy.

What Laundress said about all that icky lint also applies to the innards of the dryer, the vent hose (best if it's a straight, smooth pipe with minimal joints and approved for gas dryers) and the exhaust vent cover. Especially if you use fabric softeners or dryer sheets, it is sheer unbelievable how much lint and dust builds up everywhere. Best to unplug the dryer first, though and watch for very very sharp edges. I had a Sears gas dryer peel quite a bit off my thumb many years ago when I only brushed against an inner edge.

What about hanging things up to dry until dry or nearly so outside then giving them a last, short heated tumble to make them softer and finish drying them?

If you have the opportunity to reuse the last rinse water as wash water and don't use a fabric softener, a trick from the bad old days of low spin speed washer-dryer combos was to use hot water for the last rinse. It cuts down on the drying time quite a bit - but only really saves money with a gas dryer if you can then reuse that clean, formerly hot water for a warm water wash load.

Hope that all helps.



CLICK HERE TO GO TO panthera's LINK


Post# 466870 , Reply# 10   10/2/2010 at 10:46 (4,926 days old) by supremewhirlpol ()        

Just put a sock on the end of the duct->problem solved. Venting an electric dryer inside provides heat, but causes the air to become moist. Drying clothes can take longer because after a certain period of running it, the air intake of the dryer will no longer be cool and of less humidity. If you have cold water pipes above, the moist hot air will condense on the pipes causing them to sweat.

Post# 466879 , Reply# 11   10/2/2010 at 11:12 (4,926 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains)        
ah, Melvin,

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We're talking about a GAS dryer.

Don't you think that might be a bit dangerous?


Post# 466882 , Reply# 12   10/2/2010 at 11:23 (4,926 days old) by dogboy44 (Los Angeles)        
We tried that years ago

It was an electric dryer, and with all the condensation and lint everywhere after about a month, yuck. I would think that amount of moisture in the house is asking for trouble. Lol, but I totally get where you're coming from.

Post# 466890 , Reply# 13   10/2/2010 at 11:42 (4,926 days old) by supremewhirlpol ()        

Keven,
If the dryer is gas, the person who is thinking about venting the dryer inside is signing their death certificate. Not a good idea by any means. What can probably be done is still vent the dryer outside but attach heat sinks to the outside of the duct coming out of the dryer. Then have a fan move air through the fins of the heat sinks. I was under the impression that an electric dryer was to be vented inside, not gas. Otherwise venting a gas dryer inside is the same as venting a furance inside.-> no good!!


Post# 466895 , Reply# 14   10/2/2010 at 12:19 (4,926 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains)        
Melvin,

panthera's profile picture
Heat sinks are a good idea, at least, if the condensation problem is addressed. I didn't think of that.

I just don't know - the microscopically fine particles of lint, the humidity...it just doesn't seem like a good thing to put into a house.


Post# 466911 , Reply# 15   10/2/2010 at 13:20 (4,926 days old) by whirlcool (Just North Of Houston, Texas)        

Jeesh! $229.00 for that Spin Dryer?
We still have out Pakistani built (with a GE plexiglass lid insert) from Laundry Alternative. We only paid $129.00 for it several years ago.

It does do what it says it does, it pulls a lot of water (and detergent residue) out of the clothes. It reduced drying towels from 40 minutes to 20 minutes. Shirts are dried in 12 minutes.

But it is very noisy. We take precautions with it. Several people on this website had these and they all exploded during use. We put ours in the nearby bathroom, set it and run for our lives until the noise stops. No explosions yet.


Post# 466973 , Reply# 16   10/2/2010 at 21:56 (4,926 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
VENTING DRYERS INDOORS

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The best way to vent any dryer indoors is to build a vent box that uses a high quality Pleated filter at least 20' by 20' in size. Doing this will capture a very high percentage of the lint expelled by the dryer. I am interested by how many people were concerned about the possible problem of carbon monoxide from a gas dryer. While I agree that I don't like burning anything inside my house that is not vented to the out doors, which is why I wouldn't have a gas range in my house. But how many of you guys have gas ranges?. A gas range produces far more carbon monoxide than a gas dryer ever could, I have never seen a warning about using an unvented gas dryer as something that could be dangerous. But you always hear warnings about not warming you house with a gas range. A gas clothes dryer burns much cleaner because of the high airflow and the fact that the flame doesn't touch any cold metal which can make for poor combustion. For example when using the top burners on a gas range the flame should never touch the pot, doing so produces a lot of carbon monoxide. Of coerce using a gas range this way will make a slower way of cooking even slower.

Post# 466977 , Reply# 17   10/2/2010 at 22:09 (4,926 days old) by supremewhirlpol ()        

And that's probably why I get dizzy every time I go into someone's house who has a gas range. I can't explain it, but the air is different and it knocks me for a loop.

Post# 467001 , Reply# 18   10/3/2010 at 00:37 (4,926 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
Our Place Isn't Wired For An Electric Range

launderess's profile picture
However since the day I had my first apartment, always have windows open and some sort of fan going when using a gas range or oven/broiler.

Some buildings have tried going all electric in NYC, even to the point of separate heating units in each apartment, but time and time again it comes down to cost. Natural gas is just so much cheaper in most areas of the East, and electric more expensive, people want none of it.

Landlords of course love an "all electric" unit because they can move heating and cooking costs onto tenants. That is if they are paying their own ultilites.

When it comes to cooking, some just will not move from gas. Others like "dual fuel" ranges or electric for ovens with gas for stove burners. Methinks much of this boils down to "response" time, and those prefering gas for stove top because the heat adjusts faster. Maybe newer electric ranges/burners have solved this problem?

Induction seems to be catching on, but then one has to go out and purchase all new pots and pans.



Post# 467018 , Reply# 19   10/3/2010 at 05:07 (4,926 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

Electric cooking in apartments-yes its cost for the electric service for the apartment building that uses electric ranges.The landlord has to usually go with 208V ranges-these are more expensive than gas ones-most apartment buildings I have dealt with use 208-120v three phase power.Ranges made for 220-240V may not work as well on 208V-cooking time is longer.The aparment houses I lived in all had gas cooking.Ovens too.I saw the service entrance transmformer for a building that had electric cooking in each apartment-was much larger than any other I had seen-and would be more expensive to run.Was in Wash DC area.Another apartment building I lived in was fed with 480V 3 ph-this ran the buildings HVAC equipment and chillers.A transformer in the basement stepped down the 480V to 208-120V for the apartments.And the building I work in-the main feed is 4160V-its is stepped down to 208-120V 3Ph for HVAC and other building equipment.Another is 4160 to 230V 3Ph for 3 of our transmitters-this runs pumps,blowers,fil supplies and LV supplies.In all transmitters the 4160 feeds the HV supplies transmformers.Yes,in most cases the gas is cheaper to run heating devices and cooking with-In NC area the electric is cheaper.Gas is expensive here.Propane is the next choice.In the Eastern NC area you see lots of electric cooking and HVAC.Heating at the transmitter site comes from transmitters and oil fired boilers.the fuel oil also is used in our 1.8Mw Cat diesal genset. Used for load management and emergency power.

Post# 467024 , Reply# 20   10/3/2010 at 06:22 (4,926 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
ELECTRIC COOKING

combo52's profile picture
Some good points raised about the mechanics of wiring in a lot of electric ranges in apartment buildings Rex and Laundress. There are no longer any 208 volt ranges made so now you have to go with a 240-208 range and accept the 25% slower heating time 208 volts produce. I and several of my good friends have been cooking on induction cook-tops for over 20 years and have never found the cook ware issue a big deal, some of my favorite cook ware is my moms old 1958 EKCO FLINT pots and pans I also found all sorts of other cook ware that worked as well and even better than the new stuff.

Post# 467055 , Reply# 21   10/3/2010 at 10:50 (4,925 days old) by autowasherfreak ()        

When I had my portable electric dryer, I would use a nylon to catch the extra lint during the winter months.

Post# 467170 , Reply# 22   10/3/2010 at 21:46 (4,925 days old) by bobofhollywood ()        
pillow case

I have been known to use a pillow case attached to about 8 feet of rigid metal vent pipe . It resembles an old style vacuum cleaner bag and works just fine. The length of vent pipe is necessary to route the dryer exhaust away from the back of the dryer and away from where the dryer breaths in. Also the vent pipe should be vertical and chimney like because heat rises.

Post# 467404 , Reply# 23   10/5/2010 at 06:41 (4,923 days old) by polkanut (Wausau, WI )        
Mark,

polkanut's profile picture
Have you ever thought about stringing some clotheslines in your basement, and hanging your laundry to dry? It would definitely save on your gas bill, add moisture to your house, and no carbon monoxide worries.

Post# 467405 , Reply# 24   10/5/2010 at 06:51 (4,923 days old) by akronman (Akron/Cleveland Ohio)        
Drier venting indoors

akronman's profile picture
Trust me guys, it's staying vented outdoors. I hadn't thought about the gas, as soon as folks reminded me I knew I was dead wrong. My gas bill isn't that bad, I don't get overly cold in the basement, I was just thinking about the heat I'm throwing outdoors and hadn't thought about the fumes. Everything stays as is, thanks for advice.
Mark


Post# 467451 , Reply# 25   10/5/2010 at 10:33 (4,923 days old) by spookiness (Alexandria VA)        
hanging

like others have said, I hang indoors a lot more often in the winter. The heat really dries out the house, so the clothes dry quickly, and theoretically I'm saving money but not running the dryer or a humidifier.

Also humidify the house with a dishwasher, sort of. Once the cycle is done, I immediately open the door and pull the racks out. With the dishes still hot, they'll all be dry in like 5 minutes.



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