Why Not Vent Dryer To Attic

Here are some things to look for and why the roof is not the smart choice when venting your dryer.

Why not vent dryer to attic.

Some homeowners use a much simpler system of venting down into a bucket of water like in the photo at the top of this page. To make the dyer more efficient you can buy an inexpensive heat diverter and install it in the exhaust duct of electric dryers only not gas dryers you ll save about 50 worth of heat per load in the winter. In my humble opinion dryer vent terminals should be accessible from the ground if you already have a home with a dryer that terminates at the roof be sure to have the terminal cleaned on a regular basis and consider having the terminal replaced with a dryerjack terminal. Dryer lint is also highly flammable.

A better roof termination. The problem with attics. Not all dryers will allow for this so be sure to check the owners manual to ensure it can be vented in this manner. The sheet metal duct is cooled by the outside air in the attic.

The attic is usually colder than the rest of the house during the winter and that can create a problem for a dryer vent. A vertical dryer vent is typically a problem because it acts as a moisture condenser. Cindy asks my dryer vents into my attic. Because the dryer vent s air seal to the outdoors cannot be made between the heated space and the unheated space the second floor ceiling natural convection in the ductwork when the dryer is not running may still convey enough water vapor to the attic ductwork to cause condensation.

Unlike the vents shown above left the dryerjack affects airflow by less than 01 water column inches of pressure. You can buy a box called an indoor dryer vent kit at home improvement stores and it manages to control most of the lint but not the water dumped into the air. Dryer vent specialists will tell you that a vertical approach to installing a dryer vent is inefficient and creates a fire risk for a home if it goes unchecked. In these cases it may be necessary to vent your dryer through the attic.

Sometimes such as in town homes or condos it s not possible to vent a dryer through a wall outside. But we don t recommend it for two reasons. How can i vent it outside to make it less of a fire hazard improperly vented dryers and lint buildup cause over 15 000 fires a year. Venting your dryer to the attic is not only a potential fire hazard but can result in moisture problems which causes more problems.

Dryerjacks are the first roof vents designed to meet the more stringent venting requirements of dryer exhaust systems.