Interersting Energy Saving Idea.....

[yogitunes]

I have done something similar once, but only pulled air from outside....as not to kill off my conditioned air.....sort of a sealed combustion

this guy took it one step further, and pulled that already hot air from the attic, into the dryer, and exhausted it back out side.....

he may have gone a bit overkill on some things, but it does make sense.....attics do get super hot in the Summer, willing to bet the element would not have to come on....

especially if you have a mobile home, or rancher type, if your dryer is located in the living areas....you would be surprised how much air a dryer pumps out per cycle...

may not be for everybody, or possible in all homes, but it does make you think....

 

[toploader55]

Hi Martin.

Very Cool Idea and makes an awful lot of sense. Providing you have somewhat easy access to the attic.

 

[DADoES]

 
1)  Wouldn't have a large effect for me considering that I run the dryer much less than average.

2)  Hot incoming air impacts dryer cool down.  Mine runs until the temp sensor registers 95°F.  Presumably there's a time-out ...

3)  The intake filter 'box' will need to be rebuilt/replaced on some recurring basis.

4)  The duct must be detached to move the dryer for servicing.

5)  Has the opposite effect in cold weather of bringing colder attic air into the dryer which needs more heating, but of course also offsets cold outside air infiltration into the climate-controlled envelope.  Does the decreased dryer heating load in summer offset the increased dryer heating load in winter as a positive, negative, or break-even?

 

[arbilab]

*Helpful hint:  Before mapping the attic intake project, excurse yourself to the attic on a hot day and sniff.  You may not want your laundry smelling like that.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I have gas dryers outside for summer use. In the winter, I use electric unvented dryers inside to add heat and humidity to the air. Laundry is very well extracted before drying. When I run the inside dryers, I set the furnace fan to constantly run to circulate the air. The dryers are vented through filter boxes to catch the lint. Most dryers pull approximately 150 cubic feet of air per minute through them and send it outside.

If you have to use an inside dryer in the summer, try to use it during cooler hours outside. It will help your AC bills and lessen strain on the grid.

 

[circlew]

Several of my relatives in the South live in houses that have the laundry in an un-airconditioned area off the garage, so they don't worry about it affecting the cooling of the rest of the house. When I asked my Aunt Julie about this when I was younger, she said only rich people like Aunt Doris (her sister-in-law) have them in the main part of the house.

 

[iowabear]

That's funny!  Sometimes I browse rentals in the south/southwest and I see washers and dryers just sitting on (barely) covered outdoor porches.  Seems like an electrical hazard!

 

[pulltostart]

My laundry is in a utility room on the carport.  My (electric) water heater is in the same space.  I've only been concerned with freezing on one or two occasions since moving here.  The dryer uses outside, unconditioned air so the only drawback here is the extreme humidity that exists in the summer.  However, it's a gas dryer and I'm sure the burner takes care of humidity before the air is drawn into the drum.

 

In the summer the dryer is my only gas appliance and my bills range from $14 to $17 a month.

 

lawrence

 

[DADoES]

 
Burning natural gas or propane largely produces carbon dioxide and water vapor ... it's a "moist" type of heat by nature.

 

[kb0nes]

This is similar to what I have been pondering for a spell. I just want to bring in outdoor 'make-up' air into my dryer. I hate the idea that I an exchanging all the air in the house for either non-heated or non-cooled air just to run a dryer cycle. I try to only run my dryer on days when it isn't too hot/humid or extremely cold as a result.

Not sure about drawing hot air out of the attic, but in a way it would be a "solar" heated dryer!

 

[ozzie908]

If using heated air

How will the dryer do the cool down phase?

 

[circlew]

One thing I wouldn't like about getting hot air from the attic for the dryer is that I'd be afraid it might pull in some particles of insulation. It's not very comfortable to have fiberglass in your clothes - itchy. I wouldn't like mineral wool or cellulose in them either.

 

[lakewebsterkid]

Energy saving

In the summer my heating element would never run. I could nearly guarantee temperatures of approximately 120F. I could run a timed dry air fluff cycle and save major money. However, the insulation and dust issue would be quite bad. Though winter would be an issue. I agree that having a vent directly from outside would be the best solution. I have also always wanted to have a dryer on the 'back porch' to eliminate any turbulence in the duct work.

 

[yogitunes]

installing an air intake from the outside is easier than you think...

using one of the spare exhaust ports for an intake.....and installing another vent in the wall, get the ones with a screen built in(no flapper), and install a one way damper on the inside of the house....

I have to steal this guys idea of sealing off as many gaps as possible....I never thought of this when I hooked one up this way years ago, but I know it worked as I used smoke to confirm air was being drawn in, plus the room stayed a lot cooler...

this is not much different than newer water heaters, and home heaters with sealed combustion.....pulling air from outside, and returning back to the atmosphere...

 

[wayupnorth]

I dont use my Maytag 410 dryer much and dont have it vented permanently outside. I have a board that fits perfectly in the window beside the dryer for winter use with a metal flex vent hose and a box you can turn for inside or out. Learned a good lesson on permanent outside vents in my old house when I threw a load in, phone rang and I forgot it until morning. Turned dryer on to a big bang, bang, as that load froze solid from the cold air coming in the vent.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Lawrence, if there is gas service to the utility room, why is your water heater electric? Wouldn't it be cheaper to operate a natural gas water heater?

 

[pulltostart]

Tom,

The water heater was originally gas, but was switched to electric at sometime before I bought the house.  The furnace is gas and there is a gas line behind the range so it could be gas, too.  However, I have no problem with the electric water heater and the electric stove and when time comes to replace the furnace, if that time is on my watch, there's a good possibility that I'll install a heat pump.

 

lawrence

 

[superocd]

@arbilab Have been in many attics in my HVAC career - can confirm! Especially with the attics of older homes.

Better to use this system with outdoor air on warmer days. Even still, what about filtration?