Dryer Venting

The best way to dry clothes is in the open air. Not only is it a power savings, and thus less of a drain on the power grid, but th clothes smell fresh and last longer.

However, in reality not everyone can get out and hang clothes. As well, in most areas there is a covenant against this even though the sun and the wind dried 95% of the clothes just 100 years ago. So we have clothes dryers.

Dryers come in two basic formats: electric element and gas-fired. Both have to be vented to the outside to expel moisture. There are attachments that can be bought which switch the air indoors for heating in the winter however this creates a moisture build-up that finds its way into walls causing mold and rot problems.

A remote hazard with dryers is fire. can This happens when lint clogs the pipe and the heat backs up into the dryer. Floating particles of superheated lint form a chain reaction from the heat element to the lint trap and then combustion occurs. Fire may not be a great danger but an overheated dryer will cost money in repairs or a new dryer.

Basic Rules for Venting:

• Vent outdoors to prevent moisture build-up
• Use smooth pipe, not accordion flex-pipe
• Tape pipe together, not screws which can trap lint
• Try to avoid angles in the pipe
• Support pipe securely with hangers
• Check outside vent regularly when dryer is running for blockages
• Clean out pipes from both the dryer side and the outside vent at least twice a year
• Clean dryer lint rap before every drying.

Accordion, flex ducting isn’t the best choice for long ducting as the corrugated surfaces are like hundreds of traps which narrow the actual airflow. Therefore, clothes take longer to dry which wastes energy.

In addition, water condensation can form and over time get caught in the flex pipe. This can cause soggy lint which not only plugs the vent but directs water back into the dryer. At first it may seem as though the dryer is malfunctioning when in fact it is moisture backing up and traveling back into the dryer. Excess moisture gets into the machine causing shorts and corrosion shortening the life of the machine.