Dryer vent routing across basement ceiling

[dean]

Hello all,

I pulled my dryer vent duct in the basement away from the wall, only to find that since the deck was built outside (previous owner), the vent exist was blanked off with a galvanize sheet of waterproofing! (damned f*%$wits)

So I want to redirect the vent outside now, so it stops blowing into my basment! (LOL I was wondering what all thet fluff was on my basement walls!)

I want it to go perpendicular to the floor joists, hanging down just below them. Is this an OK scenario? It will exit through a 4" hole in the wall. Do I need to protect the vent from anything? I'm just not sure what the code requirements are.

Thanks for any tips,

Dean ps its a gas fired dryer.

[Todd H.]

Solid tubing rather than anything flexible is vastly preferred especially on a long run like that. If you must use flexible, make sure it's the silver stuff and not the plastic white crapola. And whatever you have, make sure you clean it annually.

You local fire department would be happy to educate you further, as dryer fires are unfortunately quite common.

-- Todd H.

[tbasc]

Check length of run with manufacturer. Most codes now require metal duct. I don't think duct gets hot enough to cause a fire. Collected lint will cause a fire, so have a clean out. TB

[dean]

Yeah I was assuming a galvanized 4" tube, it will run about 25 feet. Do I need some kind of animal-proof wire on the exit?

My other question is whether to drill a 4" hole in the blocks, or try to squeeze it in through the wood that's on top of that. I know the hot water vent and sump pipes go straight through the block.

Thanks,

Dean

[PipeDown]

Use a vent cap with a flap. I find the plastic screens that come with them just collect more lint.

A properly functioning drier will blow its thermal fuse if the vent becomes blocked but I have seen lint buildup fearfully close to heating coils. Driers definately require regular maintenence. clean the vent hose and the area inside just beyond the filter (they have special brushes or you can just vacuum with a crevice tool)

[Paul Franklin]

25' is on the long side so you want as few elbows as possible to minimize flow resistance. So I'd go straight through the wall if you can rather than use two elbows to go up and out.

You may find clothes take much longer to dry because of the reduced air flow due to long duct. If so you can add a dryer duct booster (fantech makes one) but if you can get by without it it's one less thing to break.

As others have said use smooth wall metal ducting and clean it often. I like the wall caps with four or five little louvers that swing open when the dryer is running because I think it has less resistance than the flap type that only open partially.

HTH,

Paul

[PipeDown]

I guess you could go with 6" duct if you can stand the sight of it.

[Stretch]

Make sure you fasten the pipe sections with tape. Screws can catch lint and violate code for that reason.

Stretch

[cod]

Sure, you have to protect it from the rain. You will find a suitable cover at a hardware store(a picture of a cover attached). I don't think you should worry about the code because it puts out clean hot air.

There is one web site I found by google search.

[dean]

All great ideas that I didn't think about. Thanks very much to everyone who responded.

- Dean

[mm]

Depending on where you live, in the winter that's a good thing. You don't waste the heat and you increase the humitidy in the house.

They sell things, filters of various sorts, to attach to the output tube for this.

Unfinished laundry room? Try to use metal, and not the other stuff. I've been using the plastic white crapola for 22 years now, and I have to clean it out some day before it sets fire to my house. Not easy because it's surrounded by the fuse box, shelves, the air diverter box, and the ceiling. You know, for the sake of the clothes, I never use hotter than the lowest temp (except for air). Maybe that's why I haven't burned down yet.

Although I know the first 3 feet are pretty clear, because I have a diverter box and when it is set to exhaust inside the house, there is plenty of air coming out. And there is lint outside the house, so the last 3 feet aren't totally clogged either.

Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let me know if you have posted also.

[dean]

No, the laundry room is on the ground floor, it exhausts through a flexible duct down through the floor and into the basement, where I have not cut it off of the duct that headed into the solid wall. I'm going to vent it through a different wall.

-Dean

[Duane Bozarth]

Which code would that be?

[dean]

Duane - That does sound like a good idea, doesn't it?

[Duane Bozarth]

Yeah, no problem w/ the thought, just the reference that implied there was a Standard addressing the issue. I was just wondering what Standard you had in mind when making the recommendation.