Click to Call
401-954-1053
Click to Call
401-954-1053
Dryer Vent Installation in Rhode Island
Having us properly install your dryer vent system will ensure that your dryer operates safely and efficiently. Dryer lint is flammable, and the more that accumulates in the dryer and the duct, the greater the risk. The most obvious deterent to this is to have your dryer vent system properly installed. Building codes are in place for your safety that is why our professional dryer vent installations exceed current building codes.
A dryer vent system is designed to remove heat, moisture and lint from your dryer and if you have a gas dryer it also exhausts carbon monoxide which can be life threatening. Improper venting can cause a dryer fire and could lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Homeowners have been known to replace their dryer because they think it isn't drying properly, when in reality most of the time the dryer vent system is the problem. The cost of repairing or replacing a dryer vent system may be a fraction of the cost of a new dryer. Buying a new dryer will not make the dryer vent system operate more efficiently it will also operate badly if the dryer vent system is malfunctioning or dirty. If you are having problems with your dryer vent system, give us a call, we can help.
Improper Materials Used for Venting
Improper installations on dryer ducts are rampant. The most obvious, and possibly most common defect, is plastic dryer ducts. Plastic is not allowed for dryer ducts because lint can easily accumulate in the duct when it sags and in its corrogated foldings, and besides that, plastic will not contain a fire. Flexible foil ducts are not much better than plastic. Any plastic or aluminum foil dryer ducts should be considered a potential fire hazard, and should be replaced with rigid metal. If flexible material must be used, the code says it should be limited to a maximum of eight feet, and flexible metal should be used in transitions. In thepicture below I've included four types of pipe for you to familiarize yourself with. They are numbered here for easy reference. Two are recommended and two are rejected by state codes.
Dryer duct construction -It is important that dryer ducts vent to the exterior of the home and not into attics or other enclosed areas which can become a breeding gound for molds. The code says they should be made from metal, at least 4" in diameter, and have a smooth interior. The entire duct needs to be supported and secured, and no screws are allowed on the joints because they could accumulate lint. By code flexible materials, such as foil, plastic, and semi-rigid metal are not allowed in order to eliminate potential fire hazards.
Here are some of the stats we observe from the International Residential Code book:
PVC Ducting should nor be used for dryer vent exhaust.
Many contractors unknowingly think one pipe is as good as another and that simply is not the case. PVC pipe does creates its own problems when used as exhaust pipe. Although it is smooth on the inside it is not appropriate for exhausting hot moist air and lint . There is a static charge that is created in platic pipe which causes the lint to cling
together and with add moisture content causes the lint to cling to the walls of PVC pipe which over time, inevitably leads to a blockage in the pvc pipe. It is better to avoid pvc for dryer vent exhaust and use the recommended rigid metal ducting instead.
Backdraft Damper Must be Used.
Wherever the dryer duct vents to the outside it needs to have a backdraft damper. This keeps intruders out when properly maintained. Also there should be no screens included at the end of the dryer exhaust vent. Some people install screens because they are concerned about animals getting into the dryer ductwork. However if the backdraft damper is maintained through regular cleaning, this should not be a problem. When screens are installed, they can easily get clogged with lint. This will obviously reduce your dryer's effectiveness to eliminate the moist hot air and create a blockage which becomes potential fire hazard.
Periodically check the damper at the exterior to make sure it's clean; when lint accumulates at the damper it will eventually cause the damper to stay open. If you're unfortunate enough to have a dryer that exhausts through the roof... you may need a professional to clean that for you because someone needs to get up to the roof line on a regular basis to clean the damper and a professional company has the tools to do so.
Very often a dryer duct may be routed through a wall into a concealed area of the home, such as an attic or crawl space, you should check on it regularly to make sure that everything is functioning properly and is still connected. A disconnected clothes dryer duct will release a considerable amount of lint and moisture in to the home. Therefore you should inspect those areas and also to Inspect behind your dryer to check for build up of lint- it is a common problem for the dryer to become disconnected from the duct because of the force from the dryer exhaust. This can create a pile of flammable lint behind the dryer. As a regular part of dryer maintenance; the dryer duct itself needs to be cleaned .
Another common installation defect is the length of the duct. The inspection code says that dryer ducts should be no longer than 25 feet. It states that for each 90 degree turn, you must subtract 5 feet. Many dryer ducts are configured so that they make a 90 degree turn when the duct comes out of the dryer. From there it may run up to the ground level if in a basement which may be another 8ft then again make another 90 degree turn to face the exit area for the exhaust. If you add the length it will take to reach the outside of the home you can see that it doesn't take long to reach this maximum recommended length. It is important to refer to your dryer installation manual to determine the manufacturers recommendation. The code says the manufacturer has the last say as to how far the dryer length shall be and allows for a longer run if the manufactureer says it can do so.
Dryers are the number 1 source of fire in the home!
In 1999 the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPC) developed a report called the “Report on Electric and Gas Clothes Dryers.” In that report they determined that of the 16,000 fires studied in one year, electric dryers were over 2.5 times more likely to be the cause of the fire than gas dryers.
Most people don't realize that dryer lint is extremely flammable and can lead to a dryer fire that can rapidly spread throughout your home.
Take time for peace of mind and give us a call TODAY!
Take time to give us a call today to ensure your families protection and for your own peace of mind with our affordable, high quality service from The Dryer Vent Guy . Our team of qualified professionals are ready to help you remove a serious threat to your home and happiness!
