is venting your dryer to the house O.K in winter?

Actually, that's diffusion. Dynamic equilibrium is what keeps the water level in a pool constant when the goes-inta equals the goes-outa.

Was your answer above ($3K technology) responding to my musings about the economics of heat recovery from gym shower room waste water or to recovering heat drom clothes/towel dryers?

Thanks for the links, quite interesting.

Jeff

That is essentially the main point.

Damp, dusty lukewarm air is a commodity that you really don't want inside your house. That's why it is traditionally vented outside the house. Some people have tried heat recovery products, but think about it... How many hours does your dryer operate each week. Probably not too many.

If it is a gas dryer, venting it indoors could kill you. The products of combustion are CO (Carbon Monoxide) and CO2 (Carbon Dioxide). The first is a deadly poison caused by inefficient combustion (not enough Oxygen). Carbon Dioxide can also kill you if there are large quantities. Although not a poisonous gas, people have died because their was too much CO2 in the house, displacing the Oxygen which is essential to respiration. (See the Movie Apollo 13 for more info).

Beachcomber

Pop,

I'm Sorry, I should have given the entire name. International Mechanical Code section of the International RESIDENTIAL building Code. The fact that you have found installations that violate current code is not surprising. The code is constantly changing, getting better. The code is there to PROTECT people and property. Also, people constantly violate codes, the same as people often commit crimes. Sometimes people get away with it. That dos not make it a good idea. Please note that not all inspectors are equal to the task.

Sometimes someone does something that damages property or hurts people that is not covered by code. The code bodies then look at updating code to cover new problems. The changes are not instant, but they do come. The international codes cover both residential and commercial installations. Obviously you did not do enough research. Buy a full copy of each book you wish to quote like I did. Your passages are taken out of context. I did not quote all passages and sections, because my copy is printed and I did not want to type that much.

Go read the whole thing. I quoted you chapter & verse, but I guess you just like to argue.

Stretch

It is okay to vent your dryer in house there are special lint filters to attach . This was tried years ago as an method to save vented heat.

Rey

I bought a used house in MA about 25 years ago. Electric dryer vented inside, no vent in bathroom or over stove.

Window frames and inside corners: loads of mildew. Windows sweated and soaked the sills in midwinter. Far too much moisture (and who knows what else inside)

I replaced the range hood with one that vented outside, did the same for the dryer, and squeegeed the tub walls after every shower to keep moisture out of the air.. No more dripping windows, no more mold. When it was really cold out, I'd go as far as to pre-dry myself with a washcloth after showering and wring the water out into the drain instead of putting it all in a towel, and into the air.

-- Email reply: please remove one letter from each side of "@" Spammers are Scammers. Exterminate them.

No. It's been a while since I checked this. IIRC, before the spin, a 1 pound towel might weigh 3 pounds...

OK.

Time (H) lb/h RH (%)

Nick

Easy: Close the drain, leave the water in the tub until it cools.

-- Email reply: please remove one letter from each side of "@" Spammers are Scammers. Exterminate them.

Allergic to the clothes they are wearing? I'm guessing that would have come out the first time they put it on.

One DOE site lists "Remaining Moisture Content" standards after spins...

warm spin cold spin

So a 12 lb load might weigh 18 after a low speed spin...

Nick

I've taken a piece of leftover rigid foam insulation and cut it to fit into the dryer vent. I leave it covering in the vent whenever I'm not using the dryer, loosely reattaching the connector hose from the dryer. I've left a note for all on the dryer to be sure to remove it whenever using the dryer. It is an extra step, but it keeps the draft out. One other thing I have to do during the winter - lint gets trapped in the flap outside so that it doesn't close completely. That allows a draft into the vent, thus into the house. I occasionally have to stick my hand through the vent and, with a toothpick, clean off the lint to allow me to shut the flap.

Yipes! Now I see why I scored zero on the following "one question" IQ test....

There is a mute who wants to buy a toothbrush. By imitating the action of brushing one's teeth, he successfully expresses himself to the shopkeeper and the purchase is done.

Now, if there is a blind man who wishes to buy a pair of sunglasses, how should he express himself to the shopkeeper? Think about it first before scrolling down for the answer...

He opens his mouth and says. "I would like to buy a pair of sunglasses."

Jeff

Oops, I think I got confused.

During my research for that posting, I did run across several articles where they were talking about heat recovery from waste hot water. This is apparently fairly common, but, I don't think the references I saw were for installations on the order of a "locker room shower".

At least at the higher end, waste water heat recovery can be quite critical in things like power plant cooling streams (so you don't boil the fish).

We routinely vent our electric dryer into the house when it's cool and the humidity is low. It runs through a plastic box ($10 @ HD) half-filled with water to trap the lint

Dear James and all

1. Use a humidifier and change the filter regularly. Your dry nose will get better, as mine did.
2. Use a clothes drying rack or two. The clothes last longer and smell fresher.
3. Use the clothes dryer briefly to "toast up" air-dried clothes before folding. Optionally use a "Bounce" and they will be nice and soft. Be frugal - one Bounce a month. Use old Bounce in your sock drawer.
4. Venting the clothes dryer inside the house will cause mould to grow between the walls. Then you will have to tear down your house, if you survive the ill health that mould causes.

In any case, using the dryer is not frugal living! Did you know that hydroelectricity is produced by burning coal? If you want to heat your house with electricity, do it by baking cookies!

Ammo

And I suppose you think a coal fired power generation facility uses water to generate the electricty...

hy·dro·e·lec·tric ( P ) Pronunciation Key (hdr--lktrk) adj. Generating electricity by conversion of the energy of running water. Of, relating to, or using electricity so generated.

DJ

Yeah, but I bet those rivers are running on burning coal. ;)

Nonsense! The byproducts of proper gas combustion is CO2 and water vapor. CO is not an issue unless something is wrong with the dryer.

Bill Ranck Blacksburg, Va.

Isn't that the point? You can't be certain something won't go wrong with the dryer and it might end up being too late by the time you find that out, or your heirs find out...

DJ