Is there any danger insulating around a clothes dryer duct?
I'd like to run a dryer duct through a joist bay, but need to insulate that bay too. I don't want any potential fire hazards.
Anthony
- posted
16 years ago
Insulating around dryer duct?
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- posted
16 years ago
No. Dryer ducts are there to carry out moisture laden air, not to vent the heat, although they do that in the process.
They are not like a furnace flue which is designed to vent the heat and fumes generated by the furnace.
As a side note, I would run a good quality dryer vent. Hard duct or pipe, not flex. If you must run flex, then run hard pipe for the straight runs and use flex where it is necessary, and only use aluminum flex, not plastic. Do not use plastic anywhere. You may find that hard pipe is cheaper than flex, anyway. The reason that I say this is because it will prevent crimps in the dryer duct and ensure a good vent for your dryer. Easier to clean without damaging the vent, also.
If you have good ducting surrounded by insulation, you have no problem. If you have crimped or dirty ducts or damaged ducts surrounded by insulation, you will have problems. Possibly fire, if lint has been allowed to build up to a dangerous level, but mostly humidity which is damaging to almost everything.