My neighbor's dryer vent on a shared common wall is located 3' from my bedroom window. It is an 8 townhouse structure in Boston.
I don't know if it is electric or gas.
Since the siding is vinyl, if the dryer catches fire, my bedroom will burn faster that her house.
Is this not a safety and health hazard?
What can I do?
They promised to move the vent, as they did a gut renovation. The renovation is complete, but they reneged.
First take a photo of this hazard take it to your local fire department for their input and also do the same with your home insurance agent.
I'm guessing it was like that when you moved in so tough noogies. Sheeeesh!
You can get a fire in a dryer vent but I suspect they are not common and moving it a few feet further is not going to make any difference if there is a big fire in her unit.
If they renovated, hope they checked the vent. I found my vinyl coated wire tubing to the vent was no longer code and when replacing with an aluminum coated one found the old full of lint. These things should be checked occasionally. Also birds will often try to nest in the exit if flapper does not fully close. Years ago, in a house we rented, a rabbit crawled in the open drier vent at ground level and died and ruined the dryer.
That is quite a stretch. A dryer fire in her townhouse will burn your bedroom faster? Please explain that.
Call the city's building department and find out what the code for dryer vent placement is. I'm not saying to file a complaint, I'm only offering a possible way to get the answer to your question: "Is this not a safety and health hazard?"
If 3 feet is within code for your area, then you don't have any legal standing for a complaint - unless there is a nuisance issue such as odor.
If it is a code issue, then talk to your neighbor and discuss the issue. If she refuses to do anything, then it might be time to file a formal complaint.
What was the promise based on? Code compliance or a just an agreement between neighbors. Once again, unless it's a code issue (either health, safety or nuisance) they had no legal requirement to honor the promise.
Sure, they could have been "nice" and moved it, but there may have been structural issues that prevented it.
One has to think that a gut renovation in the city of Boston probably required a permit. I would also think that the dryer vent might have been covered, unless the dryer area was not part of the renovation.
Clothes dryers are NOT a big fire risk.
54% of dryer caused fires are confined to the dryer itself. The main cause of fires is failure to clean the vent and filters. Moving the vent would not have done anything to reduce the fire risk to your premises. Fires spread.If you see lint hanging out of the vent, by all means, go over and remove it or talk to the neighbor.
If you don't want to live in a co-operative environment with your neighbors, get a private house.
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If it is 3', that's probably within UBC altho I've seen a reference that said 4' for gas. I don't have a current copy in hand, but basically it'll be up to the local building code enforcement folks there if they want to push it.
SECTION M1502 CLOTHES DRYER EXHAUST
M1502.3 Duct termination. Exhaust ducts shall terminate on the outside of the building. Exhaust duct terminations shall be in accordance with the dryer manufacturer?s installation instructions. If the manufacturer?s instructions do not specify a termination location, the exhaust duct shall terminate not less than 3 feet (914 mm) in any direction from openings into buildings. Exhaust duct terminations shall be equipped with a backdraft damper. Screens shall not be installed at the duct termination.
I think you are probably over reacting. But anyway, tough luck you have no recourse according to code.
M1502.2 Duct termination. Exhaust ducts shall terminate on the outside of the building or shall be in accordance with the dryer manufacturer?s installation instructions. Exhaust ducts shall terminate not less than 3 feet (914 mm) in any direction from openings into buildings. Exhaust duct terminations shall be equipped with a backdraft damper. Screens shall not be installed at the duct termination.
You can always move.
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