On the back of our new Kenmore dryer, it says that only metal piping should be used for venting the dryer, and that plastic and foil are a fire hazard? Our old dryer has used foil piping for years...
Anyone care to comment?
Howie
some modern dryers put out more heat, and dry clothes faster.
i would be inclined to go with the manufacturer recommendation.
randy
I know what you are saying, but our old dryer put out a ton of heat and we had a foil piping vent...
ya i hear ya. some foil piping seems better than others too.... judgement call time
randy
Ask a fireman. He'll tell you to use the metal pipe.
Those instructions were written by Sears' product liability lawyers. They don't want anybody suing because "I wasn't told
*not* to use plastic or foil".......
Always metal. The other stuff can cause problems, like fire. Just ask your local fire department what they think of the other vents. Also remember, no screws securing the pipe and make sure all pipes from the dryer side slip into the next pipe, not the other way around.
Let me add to that. SMOOTH metal pipe, not the corrugated stuff. It catches lint and that builds up.
So you have concluded that it is safe?
The plastic and foil vent hoses have all kinds of ridges that can catch lint and allow it to build up. While a fire is unlikely, the chances are increased with that setup. I had a house that had had a dryer fire, so it does happen.
With the metal pipe, you'll have the shortest distance to the outside, as opposed to the flexible stuff winding all over the place. Shorter distance and less lint means less air resistance, which means your clothes will dry faster.
In my houses, I've always replaced the flexible hoses with metal piping. All you need are a pair of tin snips and some foil tape (not duct tape). Sheet metal screws are good too, but the foil tape holds the sections together very well. In other words, while the metal pipe may not be as easy to install as flexible hose, it still doesn't qualify as anything close to difficult. Worth the effort IMHO.
At times, I wonder if there's any thought process at all in the American manufacturing sector.
A. A dryer is usually positioned "against the wall"
B. They want to require ridgid metal ductwork.
C. How in Gods name do you get behiond the dryer, connect the ridgid duct, then push it into place ?
If they were really THINKING, they'd vent the dryer duct from the top !
Hi,
Comment:
Pictured is the dryer before we cleaned it and the danger involved in using the white vinyl venting. I say it again. If you have the white vinyl venting on your dryer, redo the vent with good pipe and save your self lots of dollars in power savings and maybe even save your life from a burnt house. There are many aluminum semi-rigid, flexible, rigid products that does a good job in venting. Use the white vinyl stuff if you insist, but don't be surprised when problems occur, and don't be surprised if you burn your home down. Picture of the dryer -
jeff. Appliance Repair Aid
so vent it from the top. pull out the dryer, attach an elbow and a short straight, push dryer back in to place. voila. vents from the top.
randy
Sheet metal screws are not recommended. They provide rough areas to start lint collecting.
I decided to go with the metal piping. It was a bit more hassle, but it appears to be worth it.
Howie
Good choice!! :)
Thankx for the update!!
jeff. Appliance Repair Aid
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