Seiho Dryer Vent – Review
I recently purchased a Seiho dryer vent. It’s this one: https://seiho.com/product/sfbp/sfbp.html
I was excited for this because I’ve been using the $11 Home Depot special for years and it’s always been utter trash.
The Seiho isn’t trash. It’s made of aluminum, and they’ve done a good job. It feels like it will last. That’s where the good points end.
The louvre is gravity-powered. There’s no spring. I’m not convinced that wind will have a lot of trouble opening it. I’m definitely not convinced that mice would have any issue whatsoever.
Insects probably can’t get through the louvre where it closes, as it does line up well. They won’t need to, though, because the axel over which the louvre rotates has ample space for the pests. There’s probably 4-8 sq. mm on each side around it. I don’t know how you’d seal that up without rendering the mechanism inoperable.
Finally, the thing is _just_ aluminum. No attempt has been made for the louvre to be airtight anywhere.
For $60, I’m very disappointed. It really does not seem too difficult to place the axel out of the way of the duct. I plan on sending it back.
GBA Detail Library
A collection of one thousand construction details organized by climate and house part
Replies
It's a trade off. I've used the Seiho and agree - they do look great, but don't seal well. Vent terminations of all kinds should be detailed so the they can be easily switched out and still maintain good air-sealing to the duct. Then you can use a fairly cheap one which works well but may have a short lifespan. Something like this: https://www.lambro.net/product/4-dryer-vent-seal/