Multiple Dryer Venting

[djmjlcst]

Hi Everyone,

I've got a question to ask the experts. Since many of you have multiple washers and dryers I want to know how you do multiple dryer venting. Do you have a vent on every dryer or do some of you have multiple dryers going into one vent? What's the proper way of doing multiple dryer venting? Is this a fire hazard waiting to happen or can it be done properly? I have three dryers and two were individually vented outside via the basement window frame with two dryer vents. Now the third dryer has the gas line hooked up to it and it needs to be vented as well.

Any advice would be appreciative! Thanks! - Mike

 

[volvoguy87]

Venting.

At the college I attended for grad school in historic preservation (Savannah College of Art & Design) I lived in the dorm for 1 hellish year. They had 5 gas dryers that all vented into 1 duct which was connected to 1 large vent to the outside. The problem was that if 1 or more of the dryers was not on at the time, the other dryers that were running would exhaust into the laundry room back through the inoperative dryers. The result would be a very hot and humid laundry room with the combustion exhaust from the gas burners. Many of the residents became ill from the combustion exhaust, and the lint and humidity also disturbed allergies and led to mold and mildew growth throughout the building's interior.

I say to always vent dryers individually, especially gas dryers using metal ducting, not vinyl, and not the metal foil over a steel wire spring.

Happy drying,
Dave

 

[jeffg]

Something I've always wondered

How does one install rigid metal ducting for a dryer, when the only access (practically speaking) to the rear of a dryer is by pulling it out from a wall?

 

[mayken4now]

Vent individually always. If there is another way that is reasonable, I dont know about it. I know the first story told, has been told many times. Bad Bad.

JeffG - ya know what, me too. I hate those things for their dent's tearing and misery of installation. Foil tubing(flex) for me.

Steve

 

[toggleswitch]

In a commercial laundromat where multple gas dryers exhaust into one much larger duct there are "check-vales" in the form of metal dampers on each machine that prevent above-described backflow. They dont always work well.

Of course residential style machines don't have one.

As a reminder, clothes dryers should NEVER be exhausted into the ductwork of any other type of appliance.

Stove/cooker exhaust hood: GREASE and LINT combined is a big fire and safety hazard.

Hot water heater/furncae boiler. JUST DON'T. The dryer will force posisonous gasses back into the living space by way of these appliances which add their own poisonous byproduct
gasses.

Bathroom exhaust fans: Can't run both a the same time due to excessive volume of air.

In my opinion just install amother spearate vent. Relativley easiest and safest thing to do.

 

[easyspindry]

Single vent ONLY

When my mother lived in a retirement village, there were two Norge dryers connected to the same vent. With one dryer running and other one not, the wet air could come back into the non-running dryer and condense to the point of leaving a pool of water in the bottom of the tub. These were solid tubs with air vents in the back and front.

Bad design from the architect.

Jerry Gay

 

[fa_f3_20]

Perils of common venting

When I was in high school, we had an ancient chemistry lab that had two fume hoods tied to a common duct. We had signs all over the place telling everyone that anytime you used a fume hood, you needed to turn both of them on. If you didn't, the one that was on would just blow the fumes back into the room through the other one.

 

[djmjlcst]

Venting Individually!

Thanks Dave, Jerry, Steve, Steve, Jeff, & fa f3 20! Now I know that venting individually is the only way to go!

Take Care,

Mike