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Gas clothes dryer venting question-UPDATE

EBEBRATT-Ed
EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,453
edited October 2020 in THE MAIN WALL
I am selling some property and the "inspector" says the gas vent from the dryer is too close to the ground..........it is.

I can raise it some but was checking different dryer installation instructions. What I found was they want 12" from grade to the bottom of the dryer vent..........I can't get it that high.

So 1 solution would be to come up through the floor in a corner of the bedroom and then out through the wall. I would then build a chase around it from the floor to the ceiling. That wouldn't be too bad except I will have to cut 6" or so off the Sterling fin tube baseboard.

Can't think of another solution, other than putting the chase outside which would look crappy and be difficult to seal.


Also, my real question I read NFPA #54 and from what I found the dryer vent doesn't require any clearance from wood as far as I can tell..........is this correct

Comments

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,575
    Can you get it out a different wall? You can have a fairly long run off of the dryer's built in fan. It will be worse than the current installation, but that isn't your problem and it might meet whatever criteria they want. It probably should actually be 12" above the snow line. Is there a closet you could get it up in if the foundation is that close to grade all around?
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,453
    No. No closet I can get to. I guess I can come up through the floor I still have some leftover paint to paint the chase with.

    Never thought about clearances from the dryer vent before. It's bugging me. What do you think?
  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 4,776
    Install a T outside and run it up enough to get the 12”. Leave the bottom of the T open. 
    Hvac_artisan
  • heathead
    heathead Member Posts: 234
    This is not going to get you 12 inches but this helps.
    Lambro 289W Dryer Vent Seal
  • Gilmorrie
    Gilmorrie Member Posts: 185
    Tell your real estate agent that you decline to accept. Take it or leave it.
    STEVEusaPA
  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,273
    Hi @EBEBRATT-Ed , Any chance the vent could be fit inside of the wall? I know it's likely a four inch pipe and a three and a half inch space, but sometimes things flex a bit. :p

    Yours, Larry
  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 22,024
    would something like this get the required clearence?
    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
    STEVEusaPAHvac_artisanHenry
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,453
    @hot_rod & @heathead TY that may get me close, have to check it out.

    @Larry Weingarten

    Good Idea but no wall space. The outside wall is 6" or 8" block 1" furring strips and plaster. I actually saw a transition duct on line made for that situation if it was a normal wall
  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,506
    Gilmorrie said:

    Tell your real estate agent that you decline to accept. Take it or leave it.

    What kind of answer is this? Ed is the seller, the buyer gets the inspector.
    steve
  • ratio
    ratio Member Posts: 3,616
    The buyer wants it to get done. You can say no & they can back out or not, up to them. It may be be issue with an FHA loan.
  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,273
    Hmmm, Might be time to go with a heat pump dryer/washer. No vent needed! :p

    Yours, Larry
    Solid_Fuel_Man
  • Hvac_artisan
    Hvac_artisan Member Posts: 21
    If it was a home inspector for a real estate deal those guys are often hacks and in accurate and what they’re saying before you jump through hoops to satisfy the inspection I would recommend declining to make that repair if the customer is considering it necessary as part of your counter offer
  • unclejohn
    unclejohn Member Posts: 1,833
    Dig out from underneath the vent about a foot each side should do. Your welcome.
    JUGHNEmattmia2Solid_Fuel_Man
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,575
    unclejohn said:

    Dig out from underneath the vent about a foot each side should do. Your welcome.

    just get a window well..
  • motoguy128
    motoguy128 Member Posts: 393
    Tell them house is sold “as-is”. Offer them $500 off the selling price and they can fix it themselves. IF they don’t like your solution then you wasted your money and time.

    The solution above looks promising, but looks a little odd.
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,453
    It's in a window well now, that's the problem. I'll figure out something.

    Thanks for the input gives me a few ideas.

    But my other question was what about clearance from the dryer vent to combustable wood.......any issues?
  • heathead
    heathead Member Posts: 234
    Look at a break down of the drawing of the vent number I gave you on a google image search.  Same thing as hot rods pic.  Looks like you could add pipe after the elbow to bring it taller.  I think it about $20.00 on supplyhouse.com.  I haven’t used one so I don’t know if you could add pipe.  Only saw one years ago and said that’s A great way  to get out of a jamb.  It looks like it would seal better also.  Good luck.  
    Henry
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,453
    @heathead
    TY i will look into it.
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,453
    Thanks to @heathead & @hot_rod .

    That Lambro 289W did the trick. I cored a 4" hole in the foundation up as close to the sub floor as possible. That put the bottom of the dryer vent pipe about 3" above grade. I put the vent kit on and I still was a few inches short of the 12" minimum to grade that the dryer mfg's want.

    I found that thin wall PVC pipe 4" sewer pipe (the stuff with the gasketed joints was the same OD as the dryer vent so i was able to raise the vent by adding a 9" piece of pipe and a coupling which I glued on. Lowes has the pipe and couplings so I got the coupling there. Not wanting to by a stick of pipe (I only needed 9") but I scrounged up a scrap piece

    I will post a picture forgot to take one. I showed it to the gas/plumbing inspector who was there to inspect some other work and he thought it was fine
  • heathead
    heathead Member Posts: 234
    Thank for filling us in glad to know it worked. Also glad to know sewer pipe will fit it.