The warm, humid air of dryers in the house causes moisture problems. Try these five simple energy-saving tips instead.
A heat sink connected to an electric dryer absorbs waste heat, but can also cause problems with humidity and air quality. Get better results by managing the loads and keeping the dryer fluff under control.
The air in and out of your tumble dryer to turn your wet pile of laundry into dry clothes ready to be worn. A small blower in your dryer pushes the water, wet lint, and fumes through a duct and out of your house. Effective venting prevents lint from accumulating in your system, making the dryer run more efficiently and reducing the risk of fire. The installation of the dryer vent via vinyl sidewalls is a
Ventilation dryer outside
- Drill a 4¼-inch hole through the vinyl where you want to prime the vent using a metal hole saw.
- Screw a vinyl mounting block onto the outside of your vinyl. Vent caps work best when there is a strong seal between the cap and the outer wall, but this is difficult if you have an outside wall with a structure like vinyl. A vinyl surface mount block design helps to create the seal you need for your dryer vent to work its best.
- Slide the vent cap through the hole. Then screw it in place with the sealant.
Pass channels from the back of your dryer to the bleed point. Galvanized steel pipes work best because they are smooth, meaning that lint does not get caught in the grooves on their way to vent. Press a lower elbow on your dryer and an upper elbow on the inside of your vent cap. Slide the crimped end of the galvanized steel channels into the fixed end and pull out as many parts as necessary to connect your dryer to the vent cap. Glue the seams together and use metal foil tape to get a good seal. Use galvanized steel angles to make turns as needed, and cut galvanized steel channels to the correct size with shears.
- In cold weather, the dryer is vented outside. To make the dyer more efficient, you can buy a cheap heatsink and install it only in the exhaust duct of electric dryers (not gas dryers). You save about 50 cents of heat per load in the winter.
- But we do not recommend it for two reasons. First, pump a high dose of moisture into your home with each charge. In cold weather, this moisture can condense where you do not want it – on windows, interior walls, in the attic – and cause mold and rot. And second, you’ll blow fine particles of lint through the filter into your household air. Here are better ways to save energy when drying clothes:
- Dry similar types of fabrics together because some dry much faster than others.
- Dry, full loads, and one load in quick succession to save heat.
- Clean the lint filter regularly.
- Check the outside of the breather to make sure it is not clogged with lint.
- When you buy a new dryer, you should buy a dryer that automatically shuts off the laundry when the laundry is dry, even if the cycle is not over. No “cooked” clothes anymore!
Tools needed for this project
Make the necessary tools for this DIY project ready before you start – saving you time and frustration.
- Rechargeable drill
- tape measure
- shears
Tips
- The dryer openings should be at least 12 inches above the floor at a location that is the shortest distance from the vent to the dryer. Longer lines and more curves rather mean a chance that lint is included in the line, which reduces the efficiency of the dryer and increases the risk of a fire.
- Wear leather gloves when installing dryer openings with galvanized steel channels to avoid cuts on your hands.
Leave a Reply