Dryer venting to garage....solutions?

[Vermont]

This isn't a HVAC question but it does deal with heat....

I'm remodeling my mudroom and the dryer is now stacked on the washer sharing a wall with the garage. I can't run the dryer vent line inside up in the ceiling because of large barn beams. (mudroom is in the attached barn) So I thought I'd run it out into the garage and then run a vent line about 15' to the nearest outside wall and vent. I'm in Vermont and the garage inside temp can get close to zero at times. So the vent line would have to be insulated to prevent condensation.

Has anyone done this? Do I have other options?

Thanks....

 

[i4ni]

Your house looks a lot like one I seen on This Old House years ago where they converted a carriage house to living space. There are videos of how to duct your dryer vent into a bucket with water in it to catch the lint and provide humidity to your house while capturing some of the heat that is just wasted in the winter. I'm sure you could make a diverter of some type to vent to outdoors in the summer. Good luck

 

[acer66]

Your house looks a lot like one I seen on This Old House years ago where they converted a carriage house to living space. There are videos of how to duct your dryer vent into a bucket with water in it to catch the lint and provide humidity to your house while capturing some of the heat that is just wasted in the winter. I'm sure you could make a diverter of some type to vent to outdoors in the summer. Good luck

You buy indoor vent kits from cheap to pricey for electric dryers or go all the way and get vent/duct less dryer.

 

[i4ni]

If I recall some guy from Mo. made a video of a slick homemade one that worked real good.

 

[ez-duzit]

...I thought I'd run it out into the garage and then run a vent line about 15' to the nearest outside wall and vent....[/QOTE]

WAY too far.

 

[i4ni]

The house I'm in had the dryer in the basement vented up and in to the unheated garage. Winters here in NE Illinois can be brutal. The home inspector missed it. The first time we ran the dryer, the garage was like a tropical rain forest, but 35 degrees. Water condensed on everything in the garage. I ran the dryer vent outside and it's been fine, even last winter with temps well below zero. Never had a problem with the vent line. Don't vent the dryer to that space, you'll regret it.

Sent from my smart toaster using The Garage Journal mobile app

His plan is to vent to the outside of the garage.

 

[i4ni]

...I thought I'd run it out into the garage and then run a vent line about 15' to the nearest outside wall and vent....[/QOTE]

WAY too far.

You might be right. Maybe he could use a booster fan?

 

[ez-duzit]

...Maybe he could use a booster fan?

Maybe he can find a shorter route.

 

[i4ni]

Maybe you should read the original post.

 

[ez-duzit]

Maybe you should read the original post.

You mean where OP admits he's chosen an unworkable location for the washer/dryer?

 

[i4ni]

You mean where OP admits he's chosen an unworkable location for the washer/dryer?

I'm just trying to help the guy.

 

[i4ni]

To the op: Although I have no personal experience with booster fans, I know they are available.

 

[Vermont]

Yes, this is a tough spot....but there has to be a way to work it. They do make booster fans...kinda pricey. I may need to rethink the layout. Thanks

"The maximum developed length of a clothes dryer exhaust duct shall not exceed 35 feet from the dryer location to the wall or roof termination. The maximum length of the duct shall be reduced 2.5 feet for each 45-degree (0.8 rad) bend, and 5 feet for each 90-degree (1.6 rad) bend"

 

[i4ni]

Yes, this is a tough spot....but there has to be a way to work it. They do make booster fans...kinda pricey. I may need to rethink the layout. Thanks

Is that your home in the picture?

 

[Vermont]

Yeah...1820's farmhouse that I've been working on for 4 years. Before and after pix

 

[BillK]

That is exactly how mine is. WHen we bought our house new they had dryer vented directly through the wall into the garage I added enough duct to go up to the ceiling and out to the side of the garage, Probably 15 ft total. Has been like that for 40 years now and no problem. I clean it out once a year or so with a long dryer vent brush.

 

[PLOWJEEP]

I have a booster fan. Works great. The only problem that I have ever had with it is the tube on the pressure switch froze a few times and it wouldn’t turn the fan off after the dryer shut off.

 

[juddspaintballs]

If you're going to go that far with the dryer vent, I'd highly recommend a hard vent line with little to no turns. I don't know anything about the boosters, but that also sounds like a good idea. Keep on top of cleaning the duct, too.

 

[i4ni]

:

Yeah...1820's farmhouse that I've been working on for 4 years. Before and after pix

I really like what your doing with it. As I said in my first post This old House converted what was originally the old carriage house/stable on this one particular property into a spectacular post and beam addition to the house. I thought maybe it was the same place at first. Those old New England property's have such a long and interesting history you should start a thread on your renovation and post your progress as a way to document all your hard work. There are so many people on here that are interested in that type of renovation that I guarantee you would have a very captive audience. At the very least post some more pics because my imagination is already getting the better of me. lol
Thanks

 

[Git]

I am not in Vermont but my dryer is vented through the garage near the floor. The builder enclosed it in a chase, probably about 5" wide and 18" or so high. It actually comes in handy at times - sort of acts like a shelf. The washer and dryer are on the other side of the wall. The vent comes out into the garage, makes a 90-degree turn runs about 15' or so across the back wall and then makes another 90 out to exit

Since your dryer is already off the floor - can you run it inside the wall and come out in the garage up at the corner with the ceiling? You could then insulate and enclose it

 

[jbwilkins]

...I thought I'd run it out into the garage and then run a vent line about 15' to the nearest outside wall and vent....[/QOTE]

WAY too far.

Code typically allows 25' or 'per the dryer manufacturers guidelines', which is typically much more. I just looked at a GE unit that allows 90' with no elbows and a restrictive vent cover........I'm talking rigid metal duct here....

https://products.geappliances.com/MarketingObjectRetrieval/Dispatcher?RequestType=PDF&Name=31-3000199.pdf

You loose 5' of run for each 90 degree turn, excluding the 1st 90 at the wall, per code....

 

[pbon]

I installed a power vent in the duct of one of my dryers that has a run of 20-25’. It has a flow detector and turns on when it senses flow. I think it cost about $150. I used a short section of flex to connect to 4” ridgid pipe.

Acme Miami 9460 Clothes Dryer Vent Booster

 

[Vermont]

Thanks for all the great suggestions.... You guys have given me some good ideas to start working on.

- Rigid metal opposed to corrugated vent pipe
- Insulating line
- Maybe building a box around it
- Adding a quick clean out at the first 90 out of the wall
- Possibly adding a power vent

Thanks now I have something to work with.

 

[dfiler2]

You can always check the dryer manufactures guidelines, here is what is standard and 15' is not too far.

The maximum developed length of a clothes dryer exhaust duct shall not exceed 35 feet from the dryer location to the wall or roof termination. The maximum length of the duct shall be reduced 2.5 feet for each 45-degree (0.8 rad) bend, and 5 feet for each 90-degree (1.6 rad) bend.

 

[couch67]

Thanks for all the great suggestions.... You guys have given me some good ideas to start working on.

- Rigid metal opposed to corrugated vent pipe
- Insulating line
- Maybe building a box around it
- Adding a quick clean out at the first 90 out of the wall
- Possibly adding a power vent

Thanks now I have something to work with.

Sounds like you are on the right track Vermont. After reading your thread, the 15' you need to go is definitely not that long. I think having to go through the garage threw a lot of the posters on a tangent. You dont need a power vent for that length. I'd reconsider the cleanout at the 90 as well, that will reduce the flow of the vent. With rigid pipe you can easily remove the 90 when you are cleaning.

 

[Jackfre]

Check out Tjernlund.com. They make the best of the dryer vent fans. They have some good videos on them.

 

[NZGarage]

Hi,
Not sure if it has been discussed already or no, have you considered a heat pump cloths dryer they dont need a vetnterlatieon duct.

Seem like they will all be going in this direction in the future and quite a few brands in the market in New Zealand already, not sure if they are sold in the US stores yet.

https://shop.miele.co.nz/en/laundry/tumble-dryers/tdb-130-wp-7-kg-heat-pump-tumble-dryer-zid10632070

Just another idea.

 

[SGKent]

the prior owner of my house vented into the garage. It made the humidity unbearable, brought in termites from the dampness, and caused rust on everything made of iron. I'd insulate a straight pipe, make sure it had drop to it the farther it got from the dryer, and make sure the dryer went thru a cool down cycle each time. Typically the humidity drops in the pipe as the dryer reaches the end. Also letting a garage drop to zero isn't that good either. Might consider some form of heating to keep the garage in the 40's, especially if it is attached. If the garage isn't attached the real problem is going to be who will want to truck out to the zero degree out building to do laundry in a blizzard? Sounds like the wife will assign that work to the OP, and he just created more work for himself.

 

[In The Doghouse]

Too bad you cannot run it through some means to put some heat into the garage while pushing the moisture outside. Maybe some tubing with heat sinks to radiate heat.

I'm just thinking outloud.....

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Your house looks a lot like one I seen on This Old House years ago where they converted a carriage house to living space. There are videos of how to duct your dryer vent into a bucket with water in it to catch the lint and provide humidity to your house while capturing some of the heat that is just wasted in the winter. I'm sure you could make a diverter of some type to vent to outdoors in the summer. Good luck

You buy indoor vent kits from cheap to pricey for electric dryers...

Both are illegal.

Tommy

 

[nadogail]

If you vented the dryer into a heat ex-changer, could you then capture waste heat for the garage?

 

[i4ni]

Both are illegal.

Tommy

Illegal? That's ridiculous. It's an electric dryer!

 

[ripperd]

If you vented the dryer into a heat ex-changer, could you then capture waste heat for the garage?

Maybe, but I would expect it to clog with lint pretty quickly.

 

[mike93lx]

Both are illegal.

Tommy

Against the law or against code? They are not the same thing

 

[Jackfre]

This link may help you:
https://www.tjernlund.com/dryer_booster.htm
There is good info on dryer specs, etc. Watch the video.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Against the law or against code? They are not the same thing

Sorry, I wasn't clear. They're both code violations.

The only time a dryer can vent indoors is if it's a condensing dryer.

Tommy

 

[taumac]

I’ve done something similar. In Florida it’s common to have W/D in garage vented to outside wall. I moved them inside on other side of garage wall into a closet. I vented the pipe out into the garage and into existing vent. I’ll use rigid pipe where you can as flexible pipe can catch lint on sides and it can build up over time.

 

[ezriderga]

We bought our house 19 years ago and I don't know why builders do this however it is vented to the garage. AFAIK, there has not been issues with this set up. We always leave the garage door(s) open when running the dryer and other than blowing the lint residue outside, we have not had any problems.