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Topic:   Dryer vent - 1321 visits (1 today, 1 this week)

Robert Thompson
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posted March 15, 2006 09:39 AM            

Are there any required vertical hts. for dryer vents. This one goes through the roof. 14' total ht. -Bob-

Robert Thompson
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posted March 15, 2006 09:51 AM            

Sorry, I see this was covered 1/28/2006. The 25' pipe + elbows = I've known to be for horizonal? -Bob-

Susan Cieslewicz
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posted March 17, 2006 06:50 PM            

HI Bob,

Welcome to the board. To the best of my knowledge, the code does not specify horizontal versus vertical. With the 25', you have to deduct from the 25' (2.5' for 45 deg. elbows, 5' for 90 deg. elbows). Many new dryers allow for more footage but you have to look at manufacturer's specs.

Sue

Gunnar Alquist
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posted March 17, 2006 07:22 PM            

Bob,

I typically find a lot of lint in the roof caps and (if I can see) at the bottom of vertical dryer exhausts. I always recommend cleaning.

Bob Harper
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posted March 18, 2006 05:09 AM            

All vertical risers require cleanouts.

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Gunnar Alquist
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posted March 18, 2006 10:30 AM            

Bob,

Where would the cleanout go? I have yet to see one in my area.

Bob Harper
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posted April 14, 2006 01:33 PM            

Cleanouts would have to be in the elbow at the base of the riser. In other words, if you came out of the dryer and turned vertical, you'd need a cleanout right there at the floor level, which is ridiculous.
Hey, I didn't write these codes!

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Rick Hurst
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posted April 14, 2006 09:11 PM            

Bob,

I've never seen a "cleanout" on a vertical dyer vent either. Do you have picture of one anywhere yourself?

Surely I can understand the benefit of the cleanout but would it be practical for use?

Have you ever noticed at the trash and clothing behind persons washers and dryers? If they can take the time to slide them away from the wall, I doubt very serious that the average person is going to open that "cleanout" and remove the lint.

Rick

Jack Feldmann
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posted April 14, 2006 09:32 PM            

Which code has the requirement for a cleanout?

Paul MacLean
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posted April 15, 2006 08:36 AM            

At a meeting awhile back, a chimney sweep asked us to write-up those roof top dryer vent covers that are laced into the roof shingles like other roof vent flashings. His argument is that in order to clean the dryer vent from the roof, he has to call a roofer to remove and reinstall the dryer vent cover.

Another example of a product that didn't get enough thought before hitting the market.

Around here almost every house with a laundry closet not on an exterior wall has the dryer vent going through the roof.

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Paul in Austin
www.newdayinspections.com

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Rick Hurst
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posted April 15, 2006 10:24 PM            

And some of the dryer vents that were supposed to go to the roof never made it past the attic insulation.
Click for photo (68788 Bytes)

Rick

Tim Moreira
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posted April 16, 2006 12:47 AM            

Four years ago I worked for a hospital that had the housekeeping dryer venting into the ceiling plenum. Apparently the dryer vent had become dislocated and was no longer venting to the outside. The lint and debris that escaped past the dryer’s lint screen was blowing up into the ceiling plenum. The plenum was literally covered in lint. Who knows how long this had been going on, but one day the dryer malfunctioned. Instead of going into its normal cool down mode in which the dryer continues to spin without adding heat, the dryer stopped short of this cycle. The result ended up in a spontaneous combustion fire (most likely greasy mops and rags that were not thoroughly cleaned) and all of the lint that had accumulated in the ceiling plenum ignited. The result was a fire that caused over 80,000K in damages (fire, smoke, water from FD and sprinkler system putting out the fire). Luckily no one was hurt and the fire suppression system did its job along with the help of three fire hoses from the local FD. What a mess. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures to share as I no longer work there and this occurred over four years ago. However, as the project coordinator, I was the one responsible for organizing the clean up. Very expensive and could have caused injuries or deaths if the fire sprinkler system didn’t work correctly.

Moral of the story, make sure your dryer vents are kept clean!!!

Just my two cents.

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Tim Moreira
Suncoast Home Inspections
Suncoasthomeinspections@yahoo.com

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BARRY ADAIR
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posted April 16, 2006 02:37 PM            

"International Mechanical Code" specifically states on "Section 504.3 Cleanout - Every vertical riser shall be provided with a means of cleanout." The intent of this code element is to provide an accessible means to remove the lint accumulation that would fall vertically (settle) to a low spot in the vertical run.

Dryer Venting Guidelines
· All dryer ducting must be a minimum of 4" in diameter. Clean, unobstructed, frictionless ducts encourage air flow efficiency, quickens drying times, adds longevity to clothing's life and reduces utility bills.
· Flexible transition hose between the dryer and the wall outlet should be either the foil type or the aluminum flexible duct (most preferred). Do not use the plastic or vinyl.
· Concealed ducting must be rigid metal (galvanized or aluminum) duct.
· Duct joints shall be installed so that the male end of the duct points in the direction of the airflow.
· Joints should be secured with metal tape (not duct tape). Do not use rivets or screws in the joints or anywhere else in the duct as these will encourage lint collection.
· Length of concealed rigid metal ducting shall not exceed 25 feet. Deduct 5 feet from the allowable length for every 90 degree elbow and two and a half feet for every 45 degree fitting. These lengths may vary per local codes and dryer manufacturers recommendations.
· Dryer venting shall be independent of any other systems (chimneys or exhaust vents)
· Termination of dryer venting must be to the exterior with a proper hood or roof jack equipped with a backdraft damper. Small orifice metal screening should not be part of the hood or roof jack as this will catch lint and block the opening in a very short time. The hood opening should point down and exhibit 12 inches of clearance between the bottom of the hood and the ground or other obstruction.
· Tip to make it easier to attach Aluminum Flex: Flatten aluminum flex with pipe like dough roller, click here to see image.
· Comparison graphic of the port openings (round, model 425, model 350), click here to see image.
Good Practices
· Actually inspect the termination port of the dryer and the wall or roof jack. Look for birds nest or clogged openings. Most importantly, feel for proper exit velocity of the air leaving the vent and look at or feel the interior walls of the duct.
· If you suspect clogged or partially clogged exhaust ducting, it is likely you need to have them cleaned. Dryer vent cleaning improves the safety and efficiency and depending on the venting circumstances, should be cleaned or inspected every 6-12 months.
· Make sure your flex transition hose is not kinked or crushed. The space behind your dryer should be sufficient as to provide adequate room for the flex transition hose to make its bends with minimal deflection and restrictions.
· Dryer vent cleaning is a very real commercial trade and the contracted work is sometimes described as Routine and Problem Cleaning. Routine cleaning is done from the outside by sending an air-propelled "jet-snake" through the vent. It blows air 360 degrees backwards, blasting the lint loose and blowing it outside. The lint is caught in a special bag.
· Problem Cleaning is performed when an individual dryer is not drying clothes fast enough. They disconnect and pull the dryer out, install a large blower on the vent, and blow, brush, vacuum and/or dismantle - whatever it takes to get the vent clean.
· Look in your Yellow Pages under Duct Cleaning or search the Internet.
· The use of the white vinyl flex pipe is all but completely prohibited, both by building departments and appliance manufacturers. Some municipalities allow or do not discourage the foil covered vinyl flex but almost all appliance manufacturers insist on the use of the aluminum flexible pipe. I have created a very useful comparison page. Click here to view it.
· Keep exhaust duct as straight and short as possible. Exhaust systems longer than the manufacturer's recommendations can extend drying times, affect appliance operation and may encourage lint build-up on pipe lining.
More Dryer Vent Cleaning information can be found here. Great site dealing in all aspects of vent maintenance, cleaning and solutions.

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life is the random lottery of events followed by numerous narrow escapes

Badair

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John Arnold
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posted April 16, 2006 02:58 PM            

Barry - Thanks for the guidelines. What is the source? Is this something you have come up with over time and include in your reports or is it from a manufacturer's site, or ...?

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John Arnold
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Mike Schulz
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posted April 19, 2006 07:07 PM            

Vertical run dryer venting is the dumbest thing ever. Here is what you need to give to your clients. Seen to many moisture and lint problems with that application. http://www.fantech.net/dryer_boosting.htm

Rick Hurst
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posted April 19, 2006 09:12 PM            

While on the subject here is a dryer vent from today. It is helping insulate the attic space.

Click for photo (77632 Bytes)

Rick

BARRY ADAIR
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posted April 23, 2006 02:19 PM            

John,
I forgot to add the link in previous post.

You ought to know ME by now if it's worth a hoot, it's stolen from another source.
http://www.dryerbox.com/dryer_venting_guide.htm

I ran into this vertical Dryerbox device Fri. on a new build.

Click for photo (39197 Bytes)

You still have to pull the dryer out and disconnect vent hose for cleaning, but there is less habitat and forage space for the SOCK MONSTER.

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life is the random lottery of events followed by numerous narrow escapes

Badair

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Jerry Peck
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posted April 23, 2006 08:15 PM            

Barry.

Those are popular because (among other things) they permit the dryer to be pushed back closer to the wall without crushing the dryer connector.

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Jerry Peck
South Florida

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wes owens
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posted April 25, 2006 02:06 PM            

So I guess this dryer vent on a new slab construction I did today is a no-no.
Click for photo (35922 Bytes)
And the reason would be static charge?

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Absolute Home Inspections,LLC

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John Arnold
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posted April 25, 2006 03:56 PM            

Wes - And the other reason would be no backdraft/small animal damper. Around these parts it would get buried in snow,too, but I guess you don't have that to worry about.

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wes owens
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posted April 25, 2006 05:14 PM            

How far can the duct stick out from the wall or should it be flush so the cover can mount to the exterior wall?
Also, is there a height restriction from the ground?

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Absolute Home Inspections,LLC

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John Arnold
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posted April 25, 2006 05:38 PM            

On the ones I've seen, the backdraft damper has a lenght of vent on it that goes through the wall and the duct coming from the dryer connects to that on the inside.

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John Arnold
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wes owens
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posted April 25, 2006 06:42 PM            

This duct, or pipe should I say, runs from the center of the house, through the slab, and out the left side of the house. About a 12' run. Green all the way.

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Wes Owens
Absolute Home Inspections,LLC

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wes owens
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posted April 25, 2006 08:54 PM            

So what would the builder have to do to replace this pipe with rigid metal pipe since it is already in the slab?
Also, has anyone seen this green pipe used for dryer duct before?

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Wes Owens
Absolute Home Inspections,LLC

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[This message has been edited by wes owens (edited April 25, 2006).]

Fritz Kelly
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posted April 25, 2006 10:33 PM            

I have seen the green PVC used and havent noticed any problems with it. IMO, it is better than the cheap metal duct with seams. I dont know what it is called.

Mike Schulz
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posted April 26, 2006 05:21 PM            

Haven't seen the green but seen PVC. I don't think you want metal in concrete becuase of corrosion.
Mike

Frank Fucci
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posted June 27, 2006 12:02 PM            

Okay, you are allowed to use the aluminum flexible duct from dryer to the wall, what about vertically up from the wall to the roof? Should it not be of solid pipe? Don't the flexible ducts get clogged easier with lint?

Jerry Peck
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posted June 27, 2006 04:26 PM            

"Okay, you are allowed to use the aluminum flexible duct from dryer to the wall,"

Yes, "flexible" metal duct, NOT "foil" though.

"what about vertically up from the wall to the roof?"

No.

"Should it not be of solid pipe?"

In the wall and attic, yes.

"Don't the flexible ducts get clogged easier with lint?"

Yes.

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Jerry Peck
South Florida

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