Has anyone Tried to Recycle heat from Dryer vent?

[Sharix]

As a fellow Edmontonian, let me point out that NO diversion...except to the outdoors, should be made to the exhaust was a clothes dryer using natural gas or propane as a fuel.

[Lou]

It's probably not water in the fuel. All heating oil contains paraffin (wax) dissolved in it. When the oil get cold, the wax freezes out, blocking the fuel feed.

[Albert]

Marty wrote: <snip>

<snip>

Thanks, Marty. I've been waiting for someone to post where to get one of those. In the winter we keep a pot of water on the stove to keep the humidity up. Your solution will really help.

Albert

[CBhvac]

Actually..no.. Alcohol absorbs water..and no, the furnace cant burn it just fine. IF he was going to do this, and not simply use the tanks water drain plug he would use a diesel mix....

BUT.....

Unless the furnace is stuttering, or tripping the control box for the CAD, there isnt any water in the tank to worry about. The filter assembly will separate the water, and trap it, and depending on his temps, its not water freezing in the lines, but the fuel is waxing.

[CBhvac]

Lot of problems.

Lint, and lots of it. Uncontrolled humidity release If you have a gas dryer, CO release into the home. And its against all codes now. There IS a reason for that.

As someone else suggested, if you are that worried about saving a buck, get a heat recovery unit for your central air system, and have it installed.

[CBhvac]

Get one while you can....mechanical code prohibits the use of these in most areas that follow the IBC, and many stores here no longer carry them. Thankfully...

[Sharix]

Cheaper to simply not drain the bathtub until next time the tub is needed. Surface area of water in tub is much greater than pot on stove.

>

[ing]

Hope this isn't a dumb question - bear with me if it is. I'm just puzzled is all, and a real mechanical dweeb when it comes to stuff like this.

I have both a gas clothes dryer and a gas stove ... (also gas furnace and gas water heater), but here's the question ... if there are dangerous carbon monoxide fumes that are released from a gas dryer due to gas combustion, how come I don't have that problem when I use the gas stove and gas oven? Or do I? Am I supposed to be venting the fumes from my gas stove elements to the outside someplace? If so, nobody ever told me that - it's been over 8 years without a problem. I *do* have the gas dryer vented to outside, and the furnace as well - just not the stove or the water heater.

thanks for any explanation offered.

ing

[Dave, Chris & Ben Oinonen Ehren]

in article [e-mail], Arri London at [e-mail] wrote on 1/6/04 7:05 PM:

In climates where the winter is cold and dry (like MN & WI) having the extra humidity and heat inside is a boon, but you want to be able to switch it back to venting outside in summer, 'cause then the heat and humidity are a drag. Also want to monitor the humidity-get a humidistat. They're pretty cheap. You don't want the humidity to get over 50% if you can help it. That can do damage to your house, as well as encouraging dust mites and mold.

I've seen indoor dryer vent attachments in Home Trends (a catalog). I think they have a website.

Chris OE [e-mail]

[Sharix]

Don't know about gas stoves BUT not having a water heater vented?? I thought even the super efficient ones (gas powered) were vented.

[Chris Lewis]

According to Lou [e-mail]:

Heating oil (and diesel) _is_ essentially "paraffin wax" - it's just that it's (supposed to be) above its melting point.

In more extreme climates, you have to pay attention, because normal "summer weight" fuel oils and diesels can freeze at 10-15F. With a result that looks very much like candle wax. Normal winter weight is usually more like -35F, but in some cases you need it even lower than that.

I used to work in a refinery lab, and one of the tests we routinely did was check freeze points on fuel oils and diesel fuels.

The OP may wish to consider discussing with his fuel oil supplier what he's getting. They should be able to give him the exact specifications. He may have to pay attention to what the supplier is providing in any particular season, and judging whether he'll be using the summer weight stuff up before it gets that cold. Then again, a good supplier should be taking his usage patterns into consideration when he fills the tank, and not "pushing" summer weight into the winter.

If the problem recurs this winter, a top up of winter-weight may solve the problem.

Extending the vent (and/or tenting it with plastic, say) may be a good solution until you get the situation settled.

[Chris Lewis]

According to Sharix [e-mail]:

I've never heard of one that wasn't. The high efficiency types often have plastic pipe vents sticking out a wall, and may not appear to be vented to those who're not familiar with the new units.

Gas stoves/ovens don't need to be vented nearly as much as furnaces or water heaters simply because they don't burn nearly as much gas to operate. Secondly, furnaces and water heaters tend to be more enclosed, leading to more likely "pooling" of CO.

[~^Johnny^~]

"pooling"? I thougt it had to do with too much recycling of the combustion makeup air.

[tock]

Ya, I did . . . first I used one of those plastic box things that you flip a lever and air is vented either outside or through a wire screen fliter. Then I just disconnected the exhaust hose and used a rubber band to hold a large pillowcase over the end, and ya, that worked better. Usually in winter, indoor humidity levels get pretty low, so I don't think there will be much problem with extra drying time. I didn't have any problem. All ya gotta do is turn the pillowcase inside out once a month and run it through the washer, and you'll be golden . . .

--Tock

[~^Johnny^~]

Storm windows can greatly alleviate humidity loss.

I make mine on a frame of 5/8 inch unfinished bolding stock, mitred, glued, and stapled at the corners. Then 3 mil acetate sheet is stretched over the frame and stapled down. Finally, foam weather stripping is attached around the frame's perimeter, to make a tight seal against the window casing.

[suzn]

I tried it once....The entire room from floor to ceiling was one drippy wet mess. Horrible.

[Alexander Litvin]

How do you fasten it to the window casing? Just screws?

[Mogie]

We bought a cheap unit at Home Depot that filtered out the link and allowed the warm air to circulate through the house. But it also circulates a lot of humidity. We took it off and wouldn't recommend it.

[Edgar S.]

don't do it. Air from dryers is saturated with micro fibers from clothing. This is NOT good stuff to breathe.

If ur looking to save power, hang laundry to dry.

[Arri London]

That wasn't really a problem in London. Outside humidity can easily be

50 percent or more on a regular basis. As for dust mites and moulds, keeping the house clean really does minimise those problems. LOL not to mention my flat was in a 260+-year old church. Any wood was buried within metre-thick walls of stone and later concrete. The floors were also concrete about 2 foot thick. Mould was never an issue.