Would this be stupid?

[ACobra289]

Morning.

I recently had a new heat pump installed. The vent for my clothes dryer is fairly close to the heat pump. I have been told that having this vent near the heat pump is not good so I want to move the vent further away. The problem is, my home is brick and besides not having the tools to punch through the brick, I’m not sure I like the thought of putting in a permanent hole. (The old vent is through a plexiglass window.)

There is a rear entry door away from the heat pump that has 6 divided light panels. I was thinking about running hard pipe on the inside of the basement and then changing to flex pipe a couple of feet from the door and putting the vent in one of the top panels in place of the glass. I’m not real concerned about looks as this is on the rear of the house. Can anyone suggest why this might not work? Is this a code violation of some sort?

Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions.
Bill M.

Here is a pic of the old vent.

 

[Mike Davis]

Why not run flex pipe from the plex window where it is now 4 -6 feet further down the wall?

Oh and as a side thought that window looks like a big security issue.

 

[ACobra289]

Why not run flex pipe from the plex window where it is now 4 -6 feet further down the wall?

Oh and as a side thought that window looks like a big security issue.

Do you mean run the flex on the outside of the wall?

Any particular reason for the security issue with that window? There is another window and the door I mentioned on the back side of the house. I would imagine they are all somewhat of a security issue.

Thanks.

 

[gazzer]

I think the main issue is that you don't want the heat pump's cooling fins to get clogged with the dryer lint. You could probably baffle the vent to redirect the air away from the heat pump. Filtration would be a hassle because it would get clogged quickly. I've seen indoor vents that capture lint into a water trap - may work but would probably look ugly outside.

You may just want to monitor it for a while to see if you have a problem before doing anything drastic.

-G

 

[Mike Davis]

Yes run the vent flex pipe down the wall a few feet away from the heat pump.


Yeah all the windows on the back are at risk, but I didn't know there were more. It is partly hidden by the heat pump and low to the ground. It looks very easy to kick in and slip down into the house. Since it is a single pane it would be hard to tell from a distance if it went missing.

I would put some bars across it.

 

[Bigdog72]

Not to be a wise guy but what tools do you need to punch a hole in a brick wall? Honestly, a hammer will do the job. A skil saw with a masonry blade takes care of cutting bricks or you can use a masonry chisel. Then all you need is a trowel and some cement. You can probably find a handyman or mason to do the job for $50-75.

Keep in mind the length of run for the dryer vent and relocate it. It looks like an afterthought where it is now.

 

[FredP]

how wide is the plexiglass window? can you take it out and turn it around? that would move the vent a couple of feet. should be sufficiant distance from the heat pump. also the vent cover can be angled slightly away blowing the lint away from the HP.:icon_thum

 

[ACobra289]

Not to be a wise guy but what tools do you need to punch a hole in a brick wall? Honestly, a hammer will do the job. A skil saw with a masonry blade takes care of cutting bricks or you can use a masonry chisel. Then all you need is a trowel and some cement. You can probably find a handyman or mason to do the job for $50-75.

Keep in mind the length of run for the dryer vent and relocate it. It looks like an afterthought where it is now.

Well, I probably could get through the cinder block/brick using my angle grinder and a hammer, but I would like for it to look 1/2 way decent. The best way would be a 4" masonry hole saw.

Not sure what you mean by an afterthought. When we bought the house there was no dryer vent. The window that was there had some crack glass so I just replaced it with plexi, cutting in the vent for the dryer.

 

[Mike Davis]

Exactly what he meant by afterthought. The architect/builder should have planned for a dryer and put in a vent away from the heat pump.

Not in anyway a diss on you, the homeowner always has to invent/redesign/rebuild and fix the errors of the architect/builder.

What you did was a simple, easy answer to an immediate need. And there's probably no need for a great rush to change it. But at some point you will want a better, more permanent, better looking solution.

Might want to check on renting a 4 inch masonry hole saw. We rented a 6 inch here at work and it was high, but got the job done quickly and made great looking results. Of course with a big enough flange and some mortar just about anything would work. You could even drill several small holes in a circle and punch out the center if the hole saw was too much.

You might even think about covering the intake of the heat pump with a screen and leaving the vent where it is. As long as you can find time to check the heat pump regularly and clean it when needed.

 

[ACobra289]

Thanks Mike, that's a good idea on renting the hole saw. I don't know why I didn't think of that. I'll check with Home Depot to see if they have one.

 

[ACobra289]

Also doing the circle of drilled holes is a good idea. I might give that a try to save the money instead of renting the hole saw.

Thanks to everyone who responded.

 

[Steve W]

Bill, it just doesn't look like an issue to me. It appears to be about 3 feet away from the HVAC unit. Leave things be for a while and see if the prevailing breezes cause lint to get into the fins. If it's not too bad, a little compressed air once in a while should take care of things.
I have a dryer vent next to my gas pack and I had no evidence of lint in the old unit nor in the current one.
I just don't think it looks close enough to get worried about.

HTH,

:kermit: Steve

 

[Bigdog72]

Well, I probably could get through the cinder block/brick using my angle grinder and a hammer, but I would like for it to look 1/2 way decent. The best way would be a 4" masonry hole saw.

Not sure what you mean by an afterthought. When we bought the house there was no dryer vent. The window that was there had some crack glass so I just replaced it with plexi, cutting in the vent for the dryer.

Certainly didn't mean to imply that you made a mistake. Sorry if you took it that way.

 

[Gotcha6]

Things to look out for here:
1. Be sure & locate the existing studs, wiring , & piping before drilling.
2. Minimize the length of the dryer piping. Additional length puts a strain on the dryer blower & will cause a premature burnout of the unit.
3. Caulk around the dryer vent pipe where it exits the brick.
4. Use a dryer vent kit that has a flap to avoid drafts back into the house.
5. Avoid the PVC piping & use galvanized duct & elbows (not the flex stuff unless necessary - it creates too much back pressure).
6. Seal all the joints onthe pipe to avoid condensation leakage.

 

[Bas]

Things to look out for here:
1. Be sure & locate the existing studs, wiring , & piping before drilling.
2. Minimize the length of the dryer piping. Additional length puts a strain on the dryer blower & will cause a premature burnout of the unit.
3. Caulk around the dryer vent pipe where it exits the brick.
4. Use a dryer vent kit that has a flap to avoid drafts back into the house.
5. Avoid the PVC piping & use galvanized duct & elbows (not the flex stuff unless necessary - it creates too much back pressure).
6. Seal all the joints onthe pipe to avoid condensation leakage.

Sooner or later, every thread on NCWW turns into a Dust Collection thread :rolf:

 

[McRabbet]

Yea, Bas -- don't you think he needs to add a baffled 'Big Lint' collector, too? :rotflm:

In all honesty, the best idea is to reverse the window pane to provide a little more separation from the HP Coil and I'm sure you'll be fine.

Added Note: I would not add flex outside as hot & humid dryer air will condense in it and if it sags, you will get blockage. Here's how I know. When I bought a new home in Durham back in 1985, the idiots had put the dryer vent discharge into the crawl space -- when I did the walk thru before signing to buy the home, I discovered it and they agreed to vent it outdoors -- then they ran plastic flex across the depth of the house to a vent on the back which I rejected and had them put in galvanized pipe pitched at 1/4" per foot to force any condensate to drain. Later I discivered they had used flex from the ceiling exhaust fans in our upstairs bathrooms and they ran them through the uninsulated attic space -- I drained a gallon of water from one before it burst!

 

[scsmith42]

It seems to me, that a dryer is a relatively permanent type of appliance in the home, so why not do a nice, professional job of running the vent?

Ditto Dennis's (Gotcha6) comments.

A hammer drill with a carbide masonary bit will easily go through the brick and cinder block. I think that I'd drill a series of 1/4" - 5/16" holes and then knock out the center.

Lots of cordless drill have hammer drill functions, but something like a Hilti or Bosch with SDS type bits (long shank) would be better.

Rather than a home depot, you might need to call a regular rental yard, such as Sunbelt, etc to rent a hole saw.

 

[ACobra289]

Certainly didn't mean to imply that you made a mistake. Sorry if you took it that way.

No offense taken. I just wasn't sure what you meant. Hope my reply didn't come across that way.

Thanks again to all who responded with the great suggestions and things to look out for. :icon_thum

 

[froglips]

WIthout knowing anything, could you relocate the dryer to an easier place to vent?

As I recall there was an episode of Ask This Old House where Tom Silva did masonry work for pretty much this issue. If I recall correctly, one option was to remove enough full bricks, then split some in half and reinsert them, as it was easier and faster than drilling a hole.

Found this info:
You're allowed 25' of developed run of 4" vent. 90* elbows count as 5', 45* elbows count as 2-1/2'. Add up the footage of pipe and then add your elbows up. The reason for this code is that some dryers are not capable of "pushing" much farther, which can lead to fires if lint builds up. Gas dryers are venting combustion gases as well.

Others suggest you can vent upwards and there is something called a "dryer vent booster fan".

On the negative, most of my searches stated the dryer vent should be as far away from the HVAC as possible.

Good luck!
Jim

p.s. Or buy a closeline and let the sun do all the work

 

[ACobra289]

WIthout knowing anything, could you relocate the dryer to an easier place to vent?

Found this info:
You're allowed 25' of developed run of 4" vent. 90* elbows count as 5', 45* elbows count as 2-1/2'. Add up the footage of pipe and then add your elbows up. The reason for this code is that some dryers are not capable of "pushing" much farther, which can lead to fires if lint builds up. Gas dryers are venting combustion gases as well.

The washer and dryer are pretty much the only place they can go. That's where the water hookups, drain and 220 plug are.

Thanks for the good info on lengths of run allowed. I am going to measure the run I am planning. I think it's going to be pretty close to the max. :eusa_doh:

One reason I wanted to go thru the door for the time being is, eventually I hope to have a smaller propane tank put beside the house to replace the 500 I am currently using. And I need to see where they can place it before I come out of the wall with the dryer vent.