Just wondering....

I have to hook up my new dryer. The way the old one was hooked up, the
vent goes into the floor, goes across a short distance to the outside.
I am planning on replacing the plastic vent hose with metal. However,
since this is a century home and the basement tends towards the cold
side during the winter....I was thinking...that maybe it would be a way
of heating the basement, just leave the hose open down there, rather
than connecting it to the outside. Is this a stupid idea? If so...why?

thanks

caledon wrote:
Just wondering....

I have to hook up my new dryer. The way the old one was hooked up, the
vent goes into the floor, goes across a short distance to the outside.
I am planning on replacing the plastic vent hose with metal. However,
since this is a century home and the basement tends towards the cold
side during the winter....I was thinking...that maybe it would be a way
of heating the basement, just leave the hose open down there, rather
than connecting it to the outside. Is this a stupid idea? If so...why?

Is it a gas or electric dryer?

Gas MUST be vented outside, it forms a "chimney" for the gas burner in the
dryer.

All that moisture and lint will not be good for the basement. If you have
winter and the basement is cold it will condense all over the place. This
could cause mould and decay in the wood framing. Don't do it.


"Lawrence" wrote in message
oups.com...

caledon wrote:
Just wondering....

I have to hook up my new dryer. The way the old one was hooked up, the
vent goes into the floor, goes across a short distance to the outside.
I am planning on replacing the plastic vent hose with metal. However,
since this is a century home and the basement tends towards the cold
side during the winter....I was thinking...that maybe it would be a way
of heating the basement, just leave the hose open down there, rather
than connecting it to the outside. Is this a stupid idea? If so...why?

Is it a gas or electric dryer?

Mine vents into the garage (not good) and this leaves a layer of
condensation all over, even when it's very cold out. I'd vote for
outside venting.

caledon wrote:
Just wondering....

I have to hook up my new dryer. The way the old one was hooked up, the
vent goes into the floor, goes across a short distance to the outside.
I am planning on replacing the plastic vent hose with metal. However,
since this is a century home and the basement tends towards the cold
side during the winter....I was thinking...that maybe it would be a way
of heating the basement, just leave the hose open down there, rather
than connecting it to the outside. Is this a stupid idea? If so...why?

thanks


This topic / issue has been discussed many times in the group. I
suggest you search the group archive for a complete answer.

Short answer

when you say vent I assume you mean the moist heated air from the close
drying not the combustion vent from a gas dryer.

Combustion vent must got outside, dryer air SHOULD be vent outside but
that said

My mom's house has the electric dryer in the garage & vents into the
garage (since 1959). We control lint with a stocking over the end of
the vent goose neck (visible so we can easily assess condition &
repalce). Since the house is in OC, CA moisture has never been an
issue.....in 45 years I have never seen any condensation due to this
situation.

Depending on locale YMMV

cheers
Bob

caledon wrote:
Just wondering....

I have to hook up my new dryer. The way the old one was hooked up, the
vent goes into the floor, goes across a short distance to the outside.
I am planning on replacing the plastic vent hose with metal. However,
since this is a century home and the basement tends towards the cold
side during the winter....I was thinking...that maybe it would be a
way of heating the basement, just leave the hose open down there,
rather than connecting it to the outside. Is this a stupid idea? If
so...why?

thanks

Do you really want to vent all that moisture into your basement? I
might add that you would also be venting lint into the basement. That
combination should be great at growing mold.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

On 13 Oct 2006 06:52:49 -0700, "caledon" wrote:

Just wondering....

I have to hook up my new dryer. The way the old one was hooked up, the
vent goes into the floor, goes across a short distance to the outside.
I am planning on replacing the plastic vent hose with metal. However,
since this is a century home and the basement tends towards the cold
side during the winter....I was thinking...that maybe it would be a way
of heating the basement, just leave the hose open down there, rather
than connecting it to the outside. Is this a stupid idea? If so...why?

thanks


imho:

Converting plastic vent to metal, very smart idea.

As to venting directly into the basement, some concerns come to mind.

1. Are you creating a Carbon Monoxide danger?

2. Are you creating a humidity problem?

3. Is this a bandaid on the real problem, you need to upgrade your
homes insulation, and envelope.

Just asking....

later,

tom @ www.FreeCreditReportAdvice.com

Yea, I'd go with stupid...or maybe just dumb.
"caledon" wrote in message
oups.com...
Just wondering....

I have to hook up my new dryer. The way the old one was hooked up, the
vent goes into the floor, goes across a short distance to the outside.
I am planning on replacing the plastic vent hose with metal. However,
since this is a century home and the basement tends towards the cold
side during the winter....I was thinking...that maybe it would be a way
of heating the basement, just leave the hose open down there, rather
than connecting it to the outside. Is this a stupid idea? If so...why?

thanks

caledon wrote:
Just wondering....

I have to hook up my new dryer. The way the old one was hooked up, the
vent goes into the floor, goes across a short distance to the outside.
I am planning on replacing the plastic vent hose with metal. However,
since this is a century home and the basement tends towards the cold
side during the winter....I was thinking...that maybe it would be a way
of heating the basement, just leave the hose open down there, rather
than connecting it to the outside. Is this a stupid idea? If so...why?

thanks


With a gas dryer, yes outside as others say.

With an electric it somewhat depends on where you live. Many exhaust
inside during the winter to raise the humidity in the house and take
advantage of the extra heat. If venting inside you need to filter out
the lint.

Some use a nylon stocking for a filter.

They even sell Tee's so you can switch from inside to outside. Many of
the filters you see in hardware stores don't do a very efficient job of
filtering.

On 13 Oct 2006 06:52:49 -0700, "caledon" wrote:

Just wondering....

I have to hook up my new dryer. The way the old one was hooked up, the
vent goes into the floor, goes across a short distance to the outside.
I am planning on replacing the plastic vent hose with metal. However,
since this is a century home and the basement tends towards the cold
side during the winter....I was thinking...that maybe it would be a way
of heating the basement, just leave the hose open down there, rather
than connecting it to the outside. Is this a stupid idea? If so...why?

thanks

I vent my ELECTRIC dryer into the house all winter. I put a nylon
stocking on the end to catch lint. My house needs moisture in winter
or my skin cracks, so this saves using a humidifier as much. In
summer I reconnect to the pipe going outdoors. (Yeah, I plug the
outside pipe in winter with a rag).

NEVER vent a GAS dryer indoors. Carbon monoxide and gas fumes are
why.

"caledon" wrote in message
oups.com...
Just wondering....

I have to hook up my new dryer. The way the old one was hooked up, the
vent goes into the floor, goes across a short distance to the outside.
I am planning on replacing the plastic vent hose with metal. However,
since this is a century home and the basement tends towards the cold
side during the winter....I was thinking...that maybe it would be a way
of heating the basement, just leave the hose open down there, rather
than connecting it to the outside. Is this a stupid idea? If so...why?

thanks


My old house had the dryer in the basement, and a vent with a door so I
could vent outside or inside. I was told if I vented inside it would warm
the basement for "free". So I tried it. The basement had a drywall
ceiling, and moisture was accumulating very rapidly on the drywall. It just
seemed like a good recipe for growing bad mold, so I never used it like that
again.

S

On 13 Oct 2006 06:52:49 -0700, "caledon" wrote:

Just wondering....

I have to hook up my new dryer. The way the old one was hooked up, the
vent goes into the floor, goes across a short distance to the outside.
I am planning on replacing the plastic vent hose with metal. However,
since this is a century home and the basement tends towards the cold
side during the winter....I was thinking...that maybe it would be a way
of heating the basement, just leave the hose open down there, rather
than connecting it to the outside. Is this a stupid idea? If so...why?

thanks

Be inventive. Attach aluminum heat absorbing fins and radiate
some heat into the house.

I think you'd be crazy to vent ANY dryer inside. Pick up a laundry basket
full of laundry fresh out of the washer. Now dry it. Put it back in the
basket and pick it up again. Way lighter, right? Well all that moisture is
what will end up in your basement/wherever else you'd be venting to.

-Tim

I vented into my basement for a while. Ended up with a lint mess all over
the place, even with lint trap. I also had a house in Vegas for several
years with the drier venting into the garage. After a while I realized that
a lot of the metal items in the garage were rusting from the moisture. Since
then, I always vent outside. Between the lint and the moisture, venting
anywhere else is just not a good idea. YMMV.

"caledon" wrote in message
oups.com...
Just wondering....

I have to hook up my new dryer. The way the old one was hooked up, the
vent goes into the floor, goes across a short distance to the outside.
I am planning on replacing the plastic vent hose with metal. However,
since this is a century home and the basement tends towards the cold
side during the winter....I was thinking...that maybe it would be a way
of heating the basement, just leave the hose open down there, rather
than connecting it to the outside. Is this a stupid idea? If so...why?

thanks

it is an electric dryer. sorry should have mentioned that


Lawrence wrote:
caledon wrote:
Just wondering....

I have to hook up my new dryer. The way the old one was hooked up, the
vent goes into the floor, goes across a short distance to the outside.
I am planning on replacing the plastic vent hose with metal. However,
since this is a century home and the basement tends towards the cold
side during the winter....I was thinking...that maybe it would be a way
of heating the basement, just leave the hose open down there, rather
than connecting it to the outside. Is this a stupid idea? If so...why?

Is it a gas or electric dryer?

OK well, that resolves that. I certainly do not want to cause mold or
rott in the basement. I am in canada, and it has already gotten very
cold and has snowed. Condensation would definitely be a problem. So
outside venting will be the thing.

thanks for the info.


Ook wrote:
I vented into my basement for a while. Ended up with a lint mess all over
the place, even with lint trap. I also had a house in Vegas for several
years with the drier venting into the garage. After a while I realized that
a lot of the metal items in the garage were rusting from the moisture. Since
then, I always vent outside. Between the lint and the moisture, venting
anywhere else is just not a good idea. YMMV.

"caledon" wrote in message
oups.com...
Just wondering....

I have to hook up my new dryer. The way the old one was hooked up, the
vent goes into the floor, goes across a short distance to the outside.
I am planning on replacing the plastic vent hose with metal. However,
since this is a century home and the basement tends towards the cold
side during the winter....I was thinking...that maybe it would be a way
of heating the basement, just leave the hose open down there, rather
than connecting it to the outside. Is this a stupid idea? If so...why?

thanks

In your case you would just get ice all over the place LOL. Until spring,
then it melts and you have a foot of lint and water in the basement :-P

"caledon" wrote in message
ups.com...
OK well, that resolves that. I certainly do not want to cause mold or
rott in the basement. I am in canada, and it has already gotten very
cold and has snowed. Condensation would definitely be a problem. So
outside venting will be the thing.

thanks for the info.


Ook wrote:
I vented into my basement for a while. Ended up with a lint mess all over
the place, even with lint trap. I also had a house in Vegas for several
years with the drier venting into the garage. After a while I realized
that
a lot of the metal items in the garage were rusting from the moisture.
Since
then, I always vent outside. Between the lint and the moisture, venting
anywhere else is just not a good idea. YMMV.

"caledon" wrote in message
oups.com...
Just wondering....

I have to hook up my new dryer. The way the old one was hooked up, the
vent goes into the floor, goes across a short distance to the outside.
I am planning on replacing the plastic vent hose with metal. However,
since this is a century home and the basement tends towards the cold
side during the winter....I was thinking...that maybe it would be a way
of heating the basement, just leave the hose open down there, rather
than connecting it to the outside. Is this a stupid idea? If so...why?

thanks

"caledon" wrote in message
ups.com...
OK well, that resolves that. I certainly do not want to cause mold or
rott in the basement. I am in canada, and it has already gotten very
cold and has snowed. Condensation would definitely be a problem. So
outside venting will be the thing.

thanks for the info.


so if you run a long metal vent, it can act as a heat exchanger and you
can have the best of bpoth worlds, the lint and moisture will go
outside but the heat can escape from the metal vent pipe and heat the
basement..

Mark

In article .com, "Mark" wrote:



"caledon" wrote in message
ups.com...
OK well, that resolves that. I certainly do not want to cause mold or
rott in the basement. I am in canada, and it has already gotten very
cold and has snowed. Condensation would definitely be a problem. So
outside venting will be the thing.

thanks for the info.


so if you run a long metal vent, it can act as a heat exchanger and you
can have the best of bpoth worlds, the lint and moisture will go
outside but the heat can escape from the metal vent pipe and heat the
basement..

I thought about that. However, I think a significant amount
of water will condense in that vent. You'll probably need to
allow for drainage and it's likely corrosion will still be
an issue. I'm not sure the amount of heat recovered is going
to be worth all of these issues.

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On 14 Oct 2006 10:37:11 -0700, "Mark" wrote:




"caledon" wrote in message
ups.com...
OK well, that resolves that. I certainly do not want to cause mold or
rott in the basement. I am in canada, and it has already gotten very
cold and has snowed. Condensation would definitely be a problem. So
outside venting will be the thing.

thanks for the info.


so if you run a long metal vent, it can act as a heat exchanger and you
can have the best of bpoth worlds, the lint and moisture will go
outside but the heat can escape from the metal vent pipe and heat the
basement..

Except that then you have to clean the vent-pipe every second
load, on account of the dryer doesn't have enough oomf to
clear the pipe, and unless you've got a moderately high-end
damper at the end, cold air leaks back inside whenever you're
NOT using the dryer, driving your heat exchanger backwards.

And the pipe rusts out, because of all the water condensing on
the inside.

Unless you do laundry for a small army, the amount of heating youll get from
a dryer vent would be fairly minimal, as well as sporatic. The amount of
heat from a couple loads a week would hard have much effect on keeping your
basement warm.


"Mark" wrote in message
oups.com...



"caledon" wrote in message
ups.com...
OK well, that resolves that. I certainly do not want to cause mold or
rott in the basement. I am in canada, and it has already gotten very
cold and has snowed. Condensation would definitely be a problem. So
outside venting will be the thing.

thanks for the info.


so if you run a long metal vent, it can act as a heat exchanger and you
can have the best of bpoth worlds, the lint and moisture will go
outside but the heat can escape from the metal vent pipe and heat the
basement..

Mark

On Sat, 14 Oct 2006 00:06:12 -0500, "Tim Fischer"
wrote:

I think you'd be crazy to vent ANY dryer inside. Pick up a laundry basket
full of laundry fresh out of the washer. Now dry it. Put it back in the
basket and pick it up again. Way lighter, right? Well all that moisture is
what will end up in your basement/wherever else you'd be venting to.

That's half of the goal. Some people have mold risks, but many people
don't.

Keeping the humidity higher in the winter than normal is good for the
furniture. Especially pianos.

-Tim

On 13 Oct 2006 06:52:49 -0700, "caledon" wrote:

Just wondering....

I have to hook up my new dryer. The way the old one was hooked up, the
vent goes into the floor, goes across a short distance to the outside.
I am planning on replacing the plastic vent hose with metal. However,
since this is a century home and the basement tends towards the cold
side during the winter....I was thinking...that maybe it would be a way
of heating the basement, just leave the hose open down there, rather
than connecting it to the outside. Is this a stupid idea? If so...why?

thanks

I live in Baltimore, plenty humid much of the summer, but then, that's
not the season we're talking about.

I have done what you're talking about for 22 years with no ill
effects.

No rust on any of my tools (although I did get rust when the line to
kitchen sink broke and 50+ gallons of water poured into the basement
from a dozen places in the ceiling. So my tools aren't magic.)

My basement and probably yours is like a heat sink and doesn't get
that hot in the summer or that cold in the winter, but the humidity
helps me feel comfortable in the whole house, and I'm sure the warmth
makes some difference. I have a humidifier on the furnace, but there
is a month or more in the fall and just as much time in the spring
when the furnace is not on, but I need the humidity. And I vent the
dryer inside all winter too.

Heck, they sell kits for this, that take a four-inch vent pipe or
hose, and have a louver that goes from outside to inside, and includes
a filter for when it is venting inside. It uses aluminum window
screen. I have a filter in the dryer itself of course, so the filter
in the air valve only requires cleaning every year or two. Of course
i'm the only one doing his drying here, and my clothes don't have much
lint.

I've had mold in one corner by the floor that was always wet, and at
the base of one wall in the other room after the basement got wet, or
the water heater burst. After the basement dried out, the mold
stopped growing and then died. The dryer venting didn't cause it or
make it worse.

Not all basements are alike, one would assume.

If I were in your shoes but cautious, I would try it for a while and
come to my own conclusions.

"mm" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 14 Oct 2006 00:06:12 -0500, "Tim Fischer"
wrote:

That's half of the goal. Some people have mold risks, but many people
don't.

Not THAT much water... I'm from MN where at times we heat the air 90
degrees higher than outside, causing incredibly dry conditions. But venting
a dryer inside would cause terrible condensation issues. There are right
and wrong ways to humidify a home...

-Tim