Dryer Vent Installation
Whether you just bought a new home, renovated your home or have just been living in your home for a while, there are maintenance issues you cannot avoid. Sometimes those maintenance issues can be delayed or set aside for a while – that new tile you want for the bathroom or that table leg that just keeps wobbling – but other issues cannot be ignored. Your dryer vent is one of those things. Replacing a damaged or improperly installed dryer vent can, in the short term, mean the difference between high energy bills and lower energy bills. In the long term it can mean the difference between having a home and losing a home.
Rely on professional, honest, affordable Action Air Duct to replace your damaged, or improperly installed, dryer vent, quickly, safely, and at a reasonable price.
Dryer Vent Installation
You just moved into a newly built home. You probably discussed where you wanted your laundry room. Perhaps you just bought an existing home that already has a laundry room. You might like where it is, or you might want to move it. You might just wonder why the laundry room is where it is. Well, believe it or not, it all comes down to dryer vent installation.
The dryer vent is an important part of your home’s ventilation system. It helps to remove hot, moist air from the dryer and expel it outside. If not properly installed or maintained, the dryer vent can become clogged with lint, which can lead to a fire hazard. Thousands of house fires every year are caused by clogged lint traps and dryer vents.
So where should your dryer vent have been installed? When installing a dryer vent, a professional must decide which route the duct will take from your clothes dryer to the outside of your home. Ideally this route is as direct and short as possible.
The most common route for a dryer vent is through an exterior wall. This is the preferred option as it allows for the shortest and most direct route to the outside of your home. Colorado building codes require that clothes dryer vents be routed to the outside of the house.
Is it time to replace your dryer vents?
If you’ve noticed that your clothes are taking longer to dry, or if you can smell a musty odor coming from your laundry room, it might be time to replace your dryer vents. Over time, lint and other debris can build up in the vents, reducing air flow and leading to inefficient drying. Replacing your dryer vents is an important part of maintaining the safety of your home. In addition, it can help to save energy and money by increasing the efficiency of your dryer.
To replace your dryer vents, you will need to first determine what type of vent material is best for your home. Plastic flex-duct should not be used as it is not code approved and may void any warranties. Mylar flex ducts are also not recommended as they are easily crushed and trap lint quickly. The best option is to use semi-rigid or rigid metal dryer vent ducts, such as aluminum or galvanized stainless steel. In fact, for purposes of Colorado building codes, dryer exhaust ducts must be made of metal with a smooth interior finish.
Action Air Duct always uses the right materials for the job and ensures that every job they do is up to code.
Locating your dryer duct
The dryer vent is usually a 4 inch diameter hole, or port, found at the back of the dryer, near the bottom middle of the dryer. If you gently pull your dryer away from the wall you will see it sticking out of the back. The tube coming out of the port goes through the wall until it reaches the outer wall of your home. There is an opening in the outer wall to allow the wet air to flow to the outside. If you have ever wondered why you sometimes smell laundry detergent when you are out on the street or walking your dog through the neighborhood it is because you are smelling the wet air coming from a dryer vent.
The tube that goes from your dryer to the outside can be flexible, semi-rigid or fully rigid depending on where your laundry room is located and where it vents to the outside. The shape and type of the vent will also determine how much, and how quickly, lint and hair get trapped in that dryer vent.
Types of dryer vent material
It is not safe to use plastic duct material with a clothes dryer as it is not code approved and may void any warranties. It is unsafe, unreliable, and ineffective.
If you have plastic or mylar ducting as part of your dryer vent ductwork, call Action Air Ducts right away for an estimate on replacing them with proper metal ducting.
Electric vs. Gas Clothes Dryers
Energy Star, a government-sponsored program that promotes energy efficiency in appliances, states that your clothes dryer consumes more power than just about any other appliance in your home.
When researching dryers, you may be wondering what the differences are between electric and gas models. The biggest difference between electric and gas dryers is their energy source. Electric dryers run on electricity from your home’s power outlet, while gas dryers need a natural gas line in order to function properly.
Gas-based dryers generally use less energy than their electric counterparts due to the fact that they use natural gas instead of electricity to heat up the tumbler drum inside the device. Of course, with the cost of natural gas rising, both gas-based and electric based dryer costs have become more comparable. If you would like to know more about estimating your own energy use, visit this guide from the Department of Energy: https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/estimating-appliance-and-home-electronic-energy-use
When it comes to venting setup, one thing is for sure – both types of dryers require some degree of ventilation for optimal performance and safety purposes. Regardless of whether you own a gas or an electric model however, it’s important that you keep up with regular maintenance for both your machine’s lint filter and any connected ductwork – this will ensure safe operation along with maximizing drying time for every drying cycle!
So whether you have a gas or electric dryer, call Action Air Duct so your dryer will continue to work efficiently.
