Anyone have, use, bought, made a powered dryer vent?

[David M Wilkinson (Contractor]

My dryer is on the second floor of my house and the vent goes up through the ceiling and out of the side of the roof, it takes forever for clothes to dry, like 2 hrs a load? i was wondering if a powered dryer vent would help. i want something reliable and wont catch fire

[Joseph Meehan]

Every dryer I have even seen has a powered vent. It would appear what you have may be a vent that is too small or that is clogged or has too many bends.

Dryer manufacturers supply specifications for the vent. They list the length, size and number of bends allowed. They may also list alternatives (like a larger size vent) for those situations calling for it.

I suggest that you may want to start by examining the vent you have. Think about these issues and report back.

1. Vent material. (plastic, foil, metal, corrugated metal etc.) 2. Vent size 3. condition of vent (clogged with lint?) 4. number of bends 5. Proper installation.

If you find the vent is in good shape, consider the possibility of dryer problems.

Is it an electric dryer? If so are you sure you are getting full heat. Often an electric dryer will be at half heat due to any one of several problems like a burnt connections of tripped breaker.

BTW in English the letter "i" is capitalized when referring to yourself. ;-)

[David M Wilkinson (Contractor]

i just bought this house so im not sure how clean the vents are. im going to get up in the attic to check it out. i was just trying to get some other alternative solutions. someone at my job had mentioned that they once saw a fan inline with the dryer vent to assist the air out since its a good 15-20 ft to the end of the vent. my dryer is electric and only 6 months old.

oh, and about the i's, i know they should be caps, im in too much of a hurry to worry about that

thanks alot for everything

Dave

[David M Wilkinson (Contractor]

well its right smack in the middle of the house, not touching an outside wall so the only solution was up through the attic and through the roof or wall up there. i guess im going to have to go up there and rerun the hoses to keep it straight, and clean it while im there

thanks

Dave

[Eric Tonks]

I bought a NuTone in-line fan for my son's bathroom. It is made to fit in a

4" duct/pipe for a bathroom exhaust fan.

The instructions said it was also designed to be used as a dryer booster fan when installed in a dryer exhaust line. Possibly you should check into this. Home Depot sold the fans in their bathroom fan aisle.

alternatives

[David M Wilkinson (Contractor]

i just searched the web and in popular mechanics it has a section on powered dryer ducts, so i guess im gonna check that out as a solution.

do you think that if i were to use the fan that you mentioned that i should install it at the end where the air leaves the house or somewhere in the middle?

thanks again everyone

[Steve B.]

If you have a good shop vac that you can set to blow air put that in the vent and blow the lines out. Go outside and make sure the flapper on the vent is still working properly. Chance are your vent is just clogged up and will work ok again once you get it cleaned out.

Steve B.

[George E. Cawthon]

[George E. Cawthon]

[Paul Franklin]

Check out:

Yes, dryers have built in fans, but as you have discovered, they are designed for a short length vent with few turns.

By all mean, clean the lint out of your existing pipe, because it's a fire hazard and does impede flow causing long drying time, but it's perfectly reasonable to add a booster as well.

HTH,

Paul

[mortguffman]

My mother lived in a condo with one. It had a power switch on the wall. The vent ran up the wall then over the garage, then down the wall and exited outside. It was a crazy setup.

She called me over to see why her clothes would never get dry. I figured out that they had installed the fan backwards so it blew into the dryer.

I told her to complain to the builder - the place was brand new. She never did, she just used it with the fan off.

Dryer vent hoses are one of the most common causes of house fires. Ask a fireman,

mort

[Pat]

If you have to put in a new vent, don't put in one of those plastic ones. I had my 16 year old whirlpool dryer fixed the other day. Needed a new heater.

Repair man said they are now illegal and not to code. Mine is metal and I change it out every 2 years or so, but mine only has to extend about 8 ft to the back of the house. Not an option for you.

Pat.

[David M Wilkinson (Contractor]

ok heres the scoop, heres the old setup, there was an elbow out of the back of the dryer, a double elbow up at the ceiling where it went through the ceiling to the attic, then another elbow up in the attic. the duck out of the back of the dryer was about 4 feet too long and the one up in the ceiling was a patch job of 2 different metal sections and one 3" plastic section that was about 30 ft long and snaked all through the attic. the whole thing was clogged, each section was full of lint, no air was reaching the end of the duct. i ripped all that crap out and threw it all in the trash. i dont know who did the work on this pile of crap but they should be beat in the head, im lucky that it did cause a fire if the lint backed up too close to the dryer

new setup: got one elbow out the back of the dryer and an eight foot section going straight up through the ceiling,its stretched pretty tight so there shouldnt be much air resistence. then one 20 ft section running up in the attic and out of the house, thats it, all 4 inch ducting and when i turned it on, i got air all the way to the end of the ducts. we threw in a load of clothes and they were dry in like 30 mins, its like we got a new dryer

Dave

[Stormin Mormon]

You've got enough time to type an entire paragraph of explaination. You've got enough time to press the caps button.

Now, as to powered dryer vent, I'm sure they are availble. Have you checked Home Cheepo?

[Stormin Mormon]

nnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn (And if you're REALLY in a frieking hurry, don't bother to use different letters. Why bother? If you don't have time to use shift key, you CERTAINLY don't have time to find all them different letters. Incidentally, I just gave you the inexpensive answer that will really make your drier vent work perfectly. Done it just like that already. Works great.)

[Stormin Mormon]

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn Wouldn't that work great?