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I have a very long exhaust line (about 5 meters) from the dryer and have issues with moisture staying in it when I do laundry. Since the old dryer broke down, I am now shopping around for a new dryer and want one that will minimize this issue. Are there specific features or specifications of a dryer that I should be looking for?

BMitch
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Joe
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    You should reformulate this question to make it more generally useful for this site (we discourage shopping questions). Otherwise you risk your question being closed. E.g. "What parameters are the most important in helping me ... and why?" – Peter Ivan Jun 13 '13 at 06:23
  • Brand specific advice is off topic here. I've edited the question to try to save it, but it's a fairly drastic edit. If what you really want is brand specific advice, then this should be closed and you're welcome to drop by the chat room where we don't mind getting a bit off topic. – BMitch Jun 13 '13 at 11:11
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    This question shouldn't be about the dryer (since that's a shopping question, and off topic), it should be about how to improve the exhaust line so that any dryer can be attached to it. – Tester101 Jun 13 '13 at 12:09
  • While the rules of the site may say otherwise, I have about zero control over the length of the exhaust line, or its structure. The main thing I can choose is what dryer to buy, thus the question. But yeah, any information or advice is useful, so thanks for saving the question through edits. – Joe Jun 14 '13 at 02:33
  • I realized there is also a type of dryers called "condenser dryer", I am seriously considering this now. – Joe Jun 15 '13 at 23:25

1 Answers1

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At 5 meters, your actually well within the allowed length of duct work allowed for a dryer vent (depending on how many bends you have).

International Residential Code (IRC) 2012

Section M1502 Clothes Dryer Exhaust

M1502.4.1 Material and size. Exhaust ducts shall have a smooth interior finish and be constructed of metal having a minimum thickness of 0.0157 inches (0.3950 mm) (No. 28 gage). The duct shall be 4 inches (102 mm) nominal in diameter.

M1502.4.2 Duct installation. Exhaust ducts shall be supported at intervals not to exceed 12 feet (3658 mm) and shall be secured in place. The insert end of the duct shall extend into the adjoining duct or fitting in the direction of airflow. Exhaust duct joints shall be sealed in accordance with Section M1601.4.1 and shall be mechanically fastened. Ducts shall not be joined with screws or similar fasteners that protrude more than 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) into the inside of the duct.

M1502.4.4 Duct length. The maximum allowable exhaust duct length shall be determined by one of the methods specified in Section M1502.4.4.1 or M1502.4.4.2.

M1502.4.4.1 Specified length. The maximum length of the exhaust duct shall be 35 feet (10 668 mm) from the connection to the transition duct from the dryer to the outlet terminal. Where fittings are used, the maximum length of the exhaust duct shall be reduced in accordance with Table M1502.4.4.1. The maximum length of the exhaust duct does not include the transition duct.

Table M1502.4.4.1

M1502.4.4.2 Manufacturer’s instructions. The size and maximum length of the exhaust duct shall be determined by the dryer manufacturer’s installation instructions. The code official shall be provided with a copy of the installation instructions for the make and model of the dryer at the concealment inspection. In the absence of fitting equivalent length calculations from the clothes dryer manufacturer, Table M1502.4.4.1 shall be used.

Just make sure you construct the duct with rigid metal and you should be fine.

Moisture in a dryer vent (water) may be caused by a blockage due to lint - make sure the lint trap is clean and using a rigid duct would allow air to flow more freely.

Tester101
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lsiunsuex
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  • @Joe if your vent is smooth and direct, as lsiunsuex suggests, any new dryer will dry much quicker. If the effective duct length is longer (due to flex tube, multiple 90 bends, etc.), a duct booster is an add-on possibility. – HerrBag Jun 13 '13 at 13:15
  • A duct booster in a dryer vent sounds like a bad idea to me, since anything in the duct will collect lint and lint buildup can lead to fire. – Tester101 Jun 13 '13 at 13:21
  • @HerrBag - Dryer vent boosters aren't allowed under the IRC anymore. The bit allowing them (Exception 1 to M1501.3) was struck in the 2006 revision. – Compro01 Jun 13 '13 at 14:30
  • In what countries is the IRC enforced? I am in Canada. – Joe Jun 14 '13 at 02:34
  • @compro01 and Tester101 I stand corrected. Thanks – HerrBag Jun 14 '13 at 02:47
  • @Joe - The IRC is a US thing (The name is misleading. It's not really international). Canada doesn't have a nationwide code per se. We have the National Model Construction Codes (Building, Fire, Plumbing, and Energy codes), but provinces add various modifications or write their own codes (AB, BC, ON, and QC do). A bit more info can be found here. We'd need to know what province you're in to determine whether the booster is allowed. – Compro01 Jun 14 '13 at 05:07
  • @Compro1 A misleading name indeed... I am in British Columbia. – Joe Jun 14 '13 at 05:15