Exhausting Gas Dryer through chimney
I own a 3 family new construction building. I’ve installed a gas dryer in the basement. Currently I’m venting the exhaust pipe into the backyard but I’d like to connect the exhaust of the dryer into the same chimney that the three gas water heaters and three gas boilers use so that the exhaust would…
I own a 3 family new construction building. I’ve installed a gas dryer in the basement. Currently I’m venting the exhaust pipe into the backyard but I’d like to connect the exhaust of the dryer into the same chimney that the three gas water heaters and three gas boilers use so that the exhaust would exit the building high above all the windows instead of 10 feet below a window.
Is this legal? Any advice?
Alternatively I’m interested in installing a stack on the back of the house that runs all the way up to the roof.
Ideas? Thanks.
Your dryer manual will tell you exactly what limits not to exceed for venting.
Rick,
I’m not so worried about seeing the vent as I am about breathing in its gases since I am finishing a home office in the basement.
I noticed recently that if I open my backyard door (at the basement level) I can start to smell the aroma of dryer sheets. The CO detector didn’t beep. I think that if I had kept the door open it would have beeped.
I think Rick and everyone else has made a very good point. I’ll keep the duct as is (short & only one bend) and just keep the office door closed when I’m drying.
Thanks to everyone.
You can vent the dryer from the basement. I have my dryer set up against the back wall of the basement and I ran the 4″ duct into the back yard 2 feet from the house. This is what I thnk you should do, keep the vent near the house. Not a good idea to run the duct so far from the dryer. It will work best keeping it a short run to the outside air. It’s best not to have many bends in the duct too, so any lint build up will be small. By your ideas, I can tell you really don’t want to see your vent. However I don’t think you want to set up something that could set up a possible fire. I’m a contractor and I hear stories about gas dryer fires often. It’s always because of poor venting.
I’m the original poster… okay I get it..
1. not legal to vent anything into the boiler or hot water heater.
2. dryer won’t work.
3. lint will get stuck at the bottom and may catch fire.
4. overall dangerous.
This is why I asked! Thanks OE, anon and MP.
Okay so both ideas are out.
What do you guys think about putting a plastic or metal pipe under the backyard soil and having it pop up on the far side of the backyard. Then when I run the dryer all the gases will be released into the air on the far side of the backyard. Since I’m digging up my backyard right now, this would be pretty easy.
Thoughts?
Please don’t do this! It is a terrible idea.
You will be creating a dangerous condition and run the risk of fire or carbon monoxide poisoning.
It is NOT code compliant.
Please find a better way.
The dryer will not work well at all if you vent it that high. You cannot combine anything with the exaust from a boiler or hot water heater
I can’t see how the lint will fly that high, which means it will accumulate at the bottom of the chimney, which could be a fire hazzard.