Venting Dryer to Indoor Space
taos
| Posted in Mechanicals on
I work at a condo complex and one of the owners wants to add an electric dryer that will be vented through a filter into 2x3x8 foot closet. The board of directors doesn’t want any holes in the building envelope for aesthetic reasons, so this is the solution that the owners are considering. I dissent!
My concern is the moisture from the laundry will end up in a closet where the lint trap will be located. At best, it will diffuse through the condo, and due to very poor air sealing during construction, into the attic and walls.
Could you guys please weigh in on venting a dryer into an indoor space?
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Replies
The condo owner should buy a condensing dryer. The moisture will condense into a reservoir which is then emptied.
+1 for a condensing dryer, otherwise try a roof or under eave vent (you have to be careful those don’t feed back into a soffit vent though) so that you can hide the exterior vent. You don’t want all that moisture going into the living space.
Bill
Melissa,
I'm not that familiar with US codes, but my reading of IRC M1502.3 is that you can't vent dryers indoors.
"M1502.2 Independent exhaust systems. Dryer exhaust systems shall be independent of all other systems and shall convey the moisture to the outdoors. Exception: This section shall not apply to listed and labeled condensing (ductless) clothes dryers.
M1502.3 Duct termination. Exhaust ducts shall terminate on the outside of the building."
Heat pump dryer, or condensing dryer (heat pump dryers are condensing, but not all condensing dryers are heat pump).
If the compact size and longer drying times of condensing dryers are an issue, there are some nice looking Seiho dryer vents that may be more palatable on the building exterior.
We used to do that type of arrangement in the 70's to help heat the house. It's messy and creates a lot of humidity.
Get the condensing dryer instead.
Even though I have a dryer vent with a nice straight path outdoors I opted for a Miele heat pump dryer. It uses the same drain as the washer. Humidity isn't a problem. After adding a few wool dryer balls the dry time hasn't been much longer than with a regular dryer, though the washer takes about 90 minutes to spin most of the water out. I like how little electricity is needed and it's been large enough for our 3 person household.
I used that exact vent in your picture. It worked for a while but it sent humidity into the room and eventually it stopped handling lint and it ended up everywhere. It needs to be maintained regularly. I originally got it because it was in a basement and I couldn't put a hole in the foundation wall. I ended up using a window vent. They sell one online that, it's a metal piece with a hole for your tubing. Not sure if you have a window nearby.