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Dryer vent cleanout idea

Jay_H
Jay_H Member Posts: 7
in Plumbing
Existing 4" ventpipe from a dryer with a downfacing vent. vent goes through the floor (unfinished basement) into a 90deg elbow and then straight out through the exterior wall. Maybe this is a plumbing thing but I was thinking of installing a TEE instead of the 90deg elbow to assist in cleaning out the ventpipe (not frequently) but wondering if this is worth it or totally not recommended. I am concerned with lint collecting at the T as opposed to doing the 90deg turn and eventually clogging up, defeating the entire purpose of having a T there, in other words...

Is the T a bad idea? Any first hand experience out there?

Jay

Comments

  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,518
    Some of the big box stores sell dryer vent kits that have a Tee in them with some kind of filter. They are not for clean-out but to recover the exhaust heat and vent it into an interior space. I don't know how well they work but they seem to sell well.
  • JakeCK
    JakeCK Member Posts: 375
    > @Fred said:
    > Some of the big box stores sell dryer vent kits that have a Tee in them with some kind of filter. They are not for clean-out but to recover the exhaust heat and vent it into an interior space. I don't know how well they work but they seem to sell well.

    I've seen those, and they seem like a good way to get mold in your house. A lot of moist hot air getting dumped right into the house. And if its a gas dryer it's exhaust too.
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 11,966
    JakeCK said:

    > @Fred said:

    > Some of the big box stores sell dryer vent kits that have a Tee in them with some kind of filter. They are not for clean-out but to recover the exhaust heat and vent it into an interior space. I don't know how well they work but they seem to sell well.



    I've seen those, and they seem like a good way to get mold in your house. A lot of moist hot air getting dumped right into the house. And if its a gas dryer it's exhaust too.

    They're only intended for electric driers and I'd expect it to only be used in the winter.

    I wouldn't want the extra lint my self.
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,518
    JakeCK said:

    > @Fred said:

    > Some of the big box stores sell dryer vent kits that have a Tee in them with some kind of filter. They are not for clean-out but to recover the exhaust heat and vent it into an interior space. I don't know how well they work but they seem to sell well.



    I've seen those, and they seem like a good way to get mold in your house. A lot of moist hot air getting dumped right into the house. And if its a gas dryer it's exhaust too.

    Probably not nearly as mold prone as a forced air furnace with a humidifier.

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