Dryer Vent Problem

[Sue P.]

A heavy rain just sent water gushing into my gas dryer and the basement floor via the dryer vent. Just moved in to a 1950's ranch with basement laundry. The dryer vent goes through the brick house front and comes out into a small well against the front of the house- about 5 inches below the ground level. So, with heavy rain, the 'well' filled up and water ran into and all around the dryer exhaust duct until the rain slowed and the pooled water drained away from the house. I imagine that during the winter Michigan snow would block the whole vent? I have no idea how this functioned before now? Regardless, I must find how to fix it?!

Ideas on how to duct the gas dryer out? Can't move the dryer away from the gas connection there. No window near there.

Can I extend PVC pipe and elbows outside of the hole in the cinderblock and upward higher above ground level, then attach some cover to prevent pests from entering? Any other suggestions welcome!

[Fred McKenzie]

Ask someone at your local hardware store, in case they have some kind of heat-resistant PVC duct.

I suggest using an extended metal duct rather than PVC, with a gravity-closed cover on the outside.

Fred

[micky]

I don't understand. What does any of this have to do with trump?

[RosemontCrest]

Well, this is a discussion about the ventilation of hot air.

[Ed Pawlowski]

PVC is not good for dryer vents as it can burn. Outside probably cooler but metal is safer.

Yes, you have the right idea. You may be able to just by a kit from the hardware store with a flex pipe and an outside vent cover with screen.

Cut the hose to what you need

[hubops]

It's difficult to give reasonable advice without seeing the problem - can you post a photo and share the link here ? The installation seems so wrong - ask the neighbour if it was a new renovation or if there was previous problems. Fix your outdoor drainage problem ? Landscape / slope everything away from the foundation. Re-route the dryer vent further up the wall and fill-in the well ? I'd be reluctant to just elbow the outdoor section higher - it will fail during your first winter thaw or winter rainfall. John T.

[Frank]

Plastic may not be code. I was told that by a repairman and switched to flexible metal. Easy to install.

Might mention to op that I had rented a house with a drier in the basement and vent to ground level and a rabbit crawled in and got dried to death. One hell of a mess with maggots and smell by the time the repairman got there. Smell remained in drier. We were getting ready to move into a new home and bought our own drier for the last couple of months we rented.

[trader_4]

I thought of that too, but it still leaves the problem of a vent pipe extending through a hole in the house below grade. And water that gets into the well can still get into the house around it, it's tough to keep sealed, water can pool, rot the wood, etc.

I would consider getting one of those clear plastic covers for basement window wells, mount it on the outside above the well, leaving a 1" gap above the well. Make sure the well for the vent extends up above grade by a few inches, that it's deep enough with crushed stone in the bottom, so that any water that still gets in can't reach the vent. If the plastic cover is larger than the well size, you don't even need the 1" gap, it can extend past the top of the well with there still being room for the air to exit.

[gfretwell]

Is there room enough to punch another hole above grade?. If so I would plug the below grade hole with hydraulic cement and run the pipe out higher.

[Tekkiez]

On Fri, 29 May 2020 18:37:15 -0400, Frank posted for all of us to digest...

What, you don't like roasted rabbit? :`)

[Susan Pigg]

[Clare Snyder]

And the post with the dead squirrel or whatever was about "raising a stink"