YOUR LAUNDRY AREA
Part 4: Keep your dryer flues and connectors short and smooth
Moisture damage and fires can result from improper dryer venting.
Dryer lint, when dry, is a highly flammable material, and the dryer flue can become very hot, possibly resulting in lint fires and flue fires.
Dryer lint, when wet, is very absorbent. A distribution of lint in some areas, like the foundation crawl space (see Figure 1) or the attic (see Figure 2) can cause extensive moisture damage very quickly.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Wildlife loves lint, so a lint problem like that shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 encourages wildlife to find a way to move on in.
Since some of our foundation crawl space areas, like around the bathtub, are open to the wall framing, any unwanted wildlife in the foundation crawl space could get into the structural framing, thereby creating a health and safety hazard.
While there should not be any openings from the attic to the living area, wildlife does have a motive (food and warmth) for finding a way in. I remember being young and hearing my parents talk about rats in the walls. Well, now I know how they got there because there are many openings from the attic into the walls.
Although corrugated plastic (see Figure 3) or corrugated metal foil (see
Figure 4) connectors are typically installed from the dryer to the flue, the length of those connectors should be kept as short as possible, and corrugated materials should not be used as the main dryer flue.
Figure 3
Figure 4
Corrugated plastic and metal foil are easily damaged (see Figure 5) and can result in lint accumulating in the flue (see Figure 6), possibly resulting in dryer inefficiency (longer drying times); heat damage to the plastic; dryer overheating (shorter life expectancy); and possibly dryer, lint, or flue fires.
Figure 5
Figure 6
If the connector from the dryer to the dryer flue is over three feet long, have a shorter, smooth metal section installed instead of using longer, corrugated connectors.
Flues or flue connectors that are too long (see Figure 7 and Figure 8) can result in lint accumulating in the flue or connector because the dryer blower motor is not powerful enough to force moist, lint-laden air through the long flue or connector.
Figure 7
Figure 8
Once lint accumulates in the flue, there is the possibility of the dryer overheating and causing dryer or dryer flue fires. Flues with excessive bends or an excessive number of bends (see Figure 5 and Figure 8) also can result in lint accumulating in the flue, again with the potential for dryer and dryer flue fires.
Vertical flues, especially if they are corrugated materials and run a long distance (see Figure 9) create the same type of problems since moist, lint-laden air is heavier than normal dry air — a fire waiting to happen.
Figure 9
Previous posts in this series:
» Part 1: Washer water supply and drainage hoses
» Part 2: Noisy water supply pipes
» Part 3: Interior washer locations and drain pans
