[PhishPhix]

Hi all,

My dryer vent makes 3 90 deg bends and travels about 20 ft. 8 of those feet are straight up. Of course my clothes take years to dry so I'm looking at installing a booster vent. I remember reading that if a certain set of conditions is met, than a booster should be installed. I can't seem to remember though if it was just a good idea or if it was code.
Any thought? Thanks.

 

[joecaption]

I'd be trying to figure out a better way to run the lines.

 

[md2lgyk]

I second what joecaption said. Dryers always work better if they are vented straight through the wall instead of through the roof. Have you ever cleaned your ductwork? The dryer? Duct fans work great, but aren't cheap, so you should first try to fix the problem another way.

 

[PhishPhix]

Dryer is in the basement on the wrong wall. The duct goes up to ground level than across to the outside. That only vents under the house. I have cleaned the vent, and the dryer it's self.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

I assume that your duct really is a hard duct and not the flexi-hose stuff. If it is the flexi-hose stuff, replacing it with hard duct will be a major improvement.

I'd also try to get the dryer on the right wall to reduce the duct run length. A booster fan is just another thing to clog up and break.

 

[joecaption]

Or cause a fire.

 

[ddawg16]

I agree with Joe and Thunder.....the booster just adds complexity and another point of failure.

Any way you can move the dryer? And....is the duct flex or hard? Makes a big difference.

For reference....when I was doing the design for our addition...in intentially moved the laundry room to the back next to an outside wall. My dryer vent is all of about 10" long. It's really neat....I just move the dryer into position...from the outside I can see the outlet of the dryer...I line up an insert the vent tube. I have enough wiggle room that it's easy. I have noticed that clothes dry a bit faster than they did when the dryer was in the old location in the kitchen.

 

[PhishPhix]

Ok, I feel like I need to specify this isn't my house, and I would never do this personally. The duct is 4" sewer PVC. I'm not comfortable with this personally, but is it a big enough deal to pressure the owner about?

 

[md2lgyk]

I don't know the temperature rating of PVC, but suspect it's not really suitable for a dryer vent.

Like ddawg16, when designing our log house I made sure the dryer would be on an outside wall. The vent pipe is less than a foot long.

In a previous house I owned, the dryer vent arrangement was similar to yours (but with one fewer elbows). I installed a booster fan and it helped immensely. Yes, they are one more thing that can fail, but in 6 years I never had any trouble with it. Fans are inherently very simple devices. About the only thing that could happen is the airflow switch sticking. I mounted the fan close to the wall so it could be easily be reached from outside for cleaning.

 

[hardwareman]

absolutely nothing wrong with adding a booster vent to your dryer. Many times homeowners have no choice in how the dryer gets vented. Booster fans are a safe and effective way to deal with long runs, install it and your dryer will live a lot longer life. As far as the PVC goes, it is no problem either.

 

[ddawg16]

PVC? I seem to recall somewhere that PVC was NOT to be used. I think it has to do with static electricity and lint getting stuck in it as well as the heat issue.

I believe the temp limit for PVC is 140 deg and a dryer vent can get hotter than that.

 

[hardwareman]

PVC? I seem to recall somewhere that PVC was NOT to be used. I think it has to do with static electricity and lint getting stuck in it as well as the heat issue.

I believe the temp limit for PVC is 140 deg and a dryer vent can get hotter than that.

link? any type of evidence with the electricity? Not doubting you I would just like to verify it as I see it done in apartment complexs very often.
as far as heat goes I can not see that as an issue.

 

[PhishPhix]

absolutely nothing wrong with adding a booster vent to your dryer. Many times homeowners have no choice in how the dryer gets vented. Booster fans are a safe and effective way to deal with long runs, install it and your dryer will live a lot longer life. As far as the PVC goes, it is no problem either.

What booster did you use. I found one for $140 that is at a 90,, so that takes out one bend,, and the fan is out of the air flow so it shouldn't get as linty.

 

[ddawg16]

Here is a 'recent' thread in DIY on the subject....now I know where I got the impression that PVC was not ok....

http://www.diychatroom.com/f47/using-4-pvc-dryer-vent-51213/

Basically the building code says it has to be metal....PVC is not metal...

 

[rkentzel]

One would never want to use pvc for dryer vent code would not allow it for any reason. Read your owners manual of your dryer for venting intructions if that dont convince you I will post a dryer fire picture that may.

http://www.vcisafety.org/dryer_vent_fires.cfm