Author Topic: Dryer vents to garage, would you fix or not?  (Read 42367 times)

yogagirl95

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Dryer vents to garage, would you fix or not?
« on: February 11, 2016, 07:18:06 PM »
I have an electric dryer that vents in the garage. I do not use the dryer much except for winter, and then its clothes that I dont hang up. It will cost about 200 to vent correctly. Would you do it? My house was built in 1968 so that is how it was routed origanally.

lukebuz

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Re: Dryer vents to garage, would you fix or not?
« Reply #1 on: February 11, 2016, 07:21:16 PM »
"Free" heat to garage?  Why not.  If the possible dust/lint problem doesn't bother you, then keep it.  Only been that way for 50 years....

tobitonic

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Re: Dryer vents to garage, would you fix or not?
« Reply #2 on: February 11, 2016, 08:05:34 PM »
Are there any toxic gases coming out of that vent?

Goldielocks

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Re: Dryer vents to garage, would you fix or not?
« Reply #3 on: February 12, 2016, 12:16:13 AM »
The problem is humidity and lint...  if your garage, you may not be worried about humidity....   but the means to trap lint would be nice.

I would install this, even if I did not vent to outside.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Deflect-o-Extra-Heat-Dryer-Heat-Diverter-EX12/100167911

or
  note the plastic lint resevoir...
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Dundas-Jafine-ProFlex-Indoor-Dryer-Vent-Kit-TDIDVKZW/202449697?MERCH=REC-_-PIPHorizontal1_rr-_-100167911-_-202449697-_-N

GuitarStv

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Re: Dryer vents to garage, would you fix or not?
« Reply #4 on: February 12, 2016, 06:03:46 AM »
How cold does it get in the winter where you live?  Venting a dryer to the garage (especially in winter) means that you're pumping humid air into a cold place . . . which almost guarantees condensation and mold.

Another concern is the passing of fumes (from say, a car running) in the garage back into the home through the vent opening.  Personally, for only 200$ I'd get it done properly.

AlanStache

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Re: Dryer vents to garage, would you fix or not?
« Reply #5 on: February 12, 2016, 06:17:38 AM »
My last place had the dryer vent into the storage room that had large openings to the outside; temperature/humidity were not a problem but after a year or two I got fed up with everything being covered in lint and added an extension to exhaust to the outside.  Dont remember but I think materials were under 30$, just needed a dril, jigsaw, some screws and zipties.  Really was not hard at all.  Without knowing your specifics its hard to be sure but dryer vent lines are not hard for a do-it-your-selfer.  But even hiring it out for 200$ I would have it done.

Joggernot

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Re: Dryer vents to garage, would you fix or not?
« Reply #6 on: February 12, 2016, 10:56:09 AM »
The first dryer vented inside.  Our solution was to put a nylon stocking over the outlet.  That caught all the lint coming through the dryer filter.  Humidity in Colorado was welcome in the winter.

mtn

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Re: Dryer vents to garage, would you fix or not?
« Reply #7 on: February 12, 2016, 11:20:45 AM »
I had a washer/dryer in a bathroom once in college. No clue where it vented to, but I do know that *everything* in that bathroom was covered with lint. I cleaned that bathroom every single time I did laundry, ESPECIALLY if I did my sheets which were either red or blue. Normally that bathroom would have needed to be cleaned about 3 times in the year (more for the toilet and sink).

homestead neohio

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Re: Dryer vents to garage, would you fix or not?
« Reply #8 on: February 12, 2016, 11:28:32 AM »
How cold does it get in the winter where you live?  Venting a dryer to the garage (especially in winter) means that you're pumping humid air into a cold place . . . which almost guarantees condensation and mold.

Another concern is the passing of fumes (from say, a car running) in the garage back into the home through the vent opening.  Personally, for only 200$ I'd get it done properly.

+1, mold is bad.  Wet wood also rots, which leads to structural problems eventually.  Get that humid air entirely outside the building envelope, especially if you are in an already humid climate. 

The risk of fumes from cars, etc. entering depends on whether your house has a positive pressure relative to the outside, or negative pressure.  Negative pressure is created by pumping air inside your house to the outside via running a kitchen range hood, bathroom exhaust, or warm air rising up your chimney (all very common).  Positive pressure is created by forcing air in from outside, which is usually done by ventilating equipment such as heat recovery ventilator (HRV), energy recovery ventilator (ERV) or ventilating dehumidifier, none of which are common in a home built in 1968.  Those are installed to prevent or address indoor air quality issues, and while they work well, are expensive to install and maintain.  They are only really necessary if you are correcting a problem (radon gas is a good example) or have done a deep energy retrofit, air-sealing the house to such an extent that you need to bring in fresh air constantly.  All that to say that you probably have a negative pressure, and could theoretically pull fumes into your house via the dryer vent.  Probably not enough to notice, but why allow that stuff in at all?

My last place had the dryer vent into the storage room that had large openings to the outside; temperature/humidity were not a problem but after a year or two I got fed up with everything being covered in lint and added an extension to exhaust to the outside.  Dont remember but I think materials were under 30$, just needed a dril, jigsaw, some screws and zipties.  Really was not hard at all.  Without knowing your specifics its hard to be sure but dryer vent lines are not hard for a do-it-your-selfer.  But even hiring it out for 200$ I would have it done.

+1, this should be well under $200 if you DIY.

JAYSLOL

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Re: Dryer vents to garage, would you fix or not?
« Reply #9 on: February 12, 2016, 12:12:04 PM »
Always always vent things properly, $200 (is that the DIY cost?) is a small price to pay.  Also make sure your bathrooms aren't vented into your attic or somewhere else they shouldn't be while your at it :)

Fishindude

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Re: Dryer vents to garage, would you fix or not?
« Reply #10 on: February 12, 2016, 12:15:39 PM »
Just leave it alone.  Isn't going to hurt anything

MicroSpice

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Re: Dryer vents to garage, would you fix or not?
« Reply #11 on: February 12, 2016, 02:22:29 PM »
We had the same problem when we moved into our house, and I'm going to go with the majority of previous posters: get it properly vented.

We also had to deal with lint and humidity in the garage, not to mention the fact that DH's tools began to rust as a result (in our very dry desert climate). We ended up doing the work ourselves (and when I say "we" I mean DH and my dad), but honestly it would have been worth paying $200 to someone for the job. That seems like a reasonable price.

NV Teacher

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Re: Dryer vents to garage, would you fix or not?
« Reply #12 on: February 12, 2016, 04:44:43 PM »
I don't think that would pass fire code in most places.  I wonder if there might be a problem with the insurance company paying out if you ever had a fire.  Just speculating.

JAYSLOL

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Re: Dryer vents to garage, would you fix or not?
« Reply #13 on: February 12, 2016, 04:54:18 PM »
Keep in mind when you go to sell your place at some point, getting this taken care of will mean one less defect the home-inspector will point out to a potential buyer.  I'm going to repeat what i said in my post a few spaces up, check the bathroom venting too!!  :)

yogagirl95

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Re: Dryer vents to garage, would you fix or not?
« Reply #14 on: February 12, 2016, 07:34:34 PM »
The 200 is to have a friend who does hvac do it for me. It is thru concrete so not an easy job.

I bought the house last year and knew about the venting issue. I opted to have other issues fixed instead. I live in n Illinois so very cold right now. In the summer I line dried.

yogagirl95

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Re: Dryer vents to garage, would you fix or not?
« Reply #15 on: February 12, 2016, 07:39:43 PM »
There is no bathroom vent just the window.