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Thread Number: 76175
/ Tag: Other Home Products or Autos
Interersting Energy Saving Idea..... |
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Post# 1000172 7/13/2018 at 11:55 (2,113 days old) by Yogitunes  (New Jersey) |
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I have done something similar once, but only pulled air from outside....as not to kill off my conditioned air.....sort of a sealed combustion
this guy took it one step further, and pulled that already hot air from the attic, into the dryer, and exhausted it back out side..... he may have gone a bit overkill on some things, but it does make sense.....attics do get super hot in the Summer, willing to bet the element would not have to come on.... especially if you have a mobile home, or rancher type, if your dryer is located in the living areas....you would be surprised how much air a dryer pumps out per cycle... may not be for everybody, or possible in all homes, but it does make you think.... | ||
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| Post# 1000173 , Reply# 1 7/13/2018 at 13:21 (2,113 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod) | ||
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Post# 1000187 , Reply# 2 7/13/2018 at 15:11 (2,113 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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 1) Wouldn't have a large effect for me considering that I run the dryer much less than average. 2) Hot incoming air impacts dryer cool down. Mine runs until the temp sensor registers 95°F. Presumably there's a time-out ... 3) The intake filter 'box' will need to be rebuilt/replaced on some recurring basis. 4) The duct must be detached to move the dryer for servicing. 5) Has the opposite effect in cold weather of bringing colder attic air into the dryer which needs more heating, but of course also offsets cold outside air infiltration into the climate-controlled envelope. Does the decreased dryer heating load in summer offset the increased dryer heating load in winter as a positive, negative, or break-even? | ||
| Post# 1000227 , Reply# 3 7/13/2018 at 20:00 (2,113 days old) by arbilab (Ft Worth TX (Ridglea)) | ||
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| Post# 1000466 , Reply# 6 7/16/2018 at 20:17 (2,110 days old) by IowaBear (Cedar Rapids, IA) | ||
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Post# 1000510 , Reply# 7 7/17/2018 at 11:44 (2,109 days old) by pulltostart (Mobile, AL) |
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 My laundry is in a utility room on the carport. My (electric) water heater is in the same space. I've only been concerned with freezing on one or two occasions since moving here. The dryer uses outside, unconditioned air so the only drawback here is the extreme humidity that exists in the summer. However, it's a gas dryer and I'm sure the burner takes care of humidity before the air is drawn into the drum.
In the summer the dryer is my only gas appliance and my bills range from $14 to $17 a month.
lawrence | ||
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Post# 1000515 , Reply# 8 7/17/2018 at 13:14 (2,109 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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Post# 1000530 , Reply# 9 7/17/2018 at 15:07 (2,109 days old) by kb0nes (Burnsville, MN) |
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This is similar to what I have been pondering for a spell. I just want to bring in outdoor 'make-up' air into my dryer. I hate the idea that I an exchanging all the air in the house for either non-heated or non-cooled air just to run a dryer cycle. I try to only run my dryer on days when it isn't too hot/humid or extremely cold as a result.
Not sure about drawing hot air out of the attic, but in a way it would be a "solar" heated dryer! | ||
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Post# 1000540 , Reply# 10 7/17/2018 at 16:33 (2,109 days old) by ozzie908 (Lincoln UK) |
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If using heated air  | ||
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Post# 1000543 , Reply# 11 7/17/2018 at 16:43 (2,109 days old) by CircleW (NE Cincinnati OH area) |
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One thing I wouldn't like about getting hot air from the attic for the dryer is that I'd be afraid it might pull in some particles of insulation. It's not very comfortable to have fiberglass in your clothes - itchy. I wouldn't like mineral wool or cellulose in them either. | ||
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Post# 1000574 , Reply# 13 7/17/2018 at 18:42 (2,109 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey) |
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installing an air intake from the outside is easier than you think...
using one of the spare exhaust ports for an intake.....and installing another vent in the wall, get the ones with a screen built in(no flapper), and install a one way damper on the inside of the house.... I have to steal this guys idea of sealing off as many gaps as possible....I never thought of this when I hooked one up this way years ago, but I know it worked as I used smoke to confirm air was being drawn in, plus the room stayed a lot cooler... this is not much different than newer water heaters, and home heaters with sealed combustion.....pulling air from outside, and returning back to the atmosphere... | ||
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Post# 1000583 , Reply# 14 7/17/2018 at 20:04 (2,109 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine) |
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I dont use my Maytag 410 dryer much and dont have it vented permanently outside. I have a board that fits perfectly in the window beside the dryer for winter use with a metal flex vent hose and a box you can turn for inside or out. Learned a good lesson on permanent outside vents in my old house when I threw a load in, phone rang and I forgot it until morning. Turned dryer on to a big bang, bang, as that load froze solid from the cold air coming in the vent.
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Post# 1000643 , Reply# 15 7/18/2018 at 08:47 (2,109 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD) |
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Lawrence, if there is gas service to the utility room, why is your water heater electric? Wouldn't it be cheaper to operate a natural gas water heater? | ||
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Post# 1000675 , Reply# 16 7/18/2018 at 15:46 (2,108 days old) by pulltostart (Mobile, AL) |
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Tom, The water heater was originally gas, but was switched to electric at sometime before I bought the house. The furnace is gas and there is a gas line behind the range so it could be gas, too. However, I have no problem with the electric water heater and the electric stove and when time comes to replace the furnace, if that time is on my watch, there's a good possibility that I'll install a heat pump.
lawrence | ||
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