64
votes
Do Americans in dense city centers vent their dryers directly outdoors?
You're missing the big picture here
While your concern about lint causing pollution is at least reasonably admirable, the reason European dryers have all that filtering instead of a vent isn't for the ...
- 86k
57
votes
Accepted
How do I fix this 30 ft (9 m) dryer vent abomination?
Move It!
As already noted by some others, moving the dryer to the wall where the vent ends is a great idea. The location for a gas dryer needs three things:
Vent - Absolutely perfect. While you're at ...
42
votes
Accidentally drilled holes through dryer duct
You can leave it - if you want to turn a small, easily fixed problem NOW into a big, messy, rotten, moldy mess LATER, after the duct has pumped lots of warm moist air and lint into the wall for weeks, ...
- 226k
35
votes
Accepted
Bathroom exhaust fan without duct
Is this a big problem? I assume the fan has been like this for 15+ > years. If it is, I will look into getting a duct there, which is complicated by the inaccessible attic space.
Moisture in the ...
- 5,739
23
votes
Do Americans in dense city centers vent their dryers directly outdoors?
TLDR: Often not, due to costs or incentives.
Lint is not a significant pollutant.
The major reasons are:
The high construction cost of building a dryer vent in every apartment.
The enormous energy ...
23
votes
Accepted
What do to with this vent?
Look up.
At various points in time it has been considered acceptable in various places to use a stud bay as a duct, without bothering to line it in metal, etc. So you may find a register above this ...
- 226k
23
votes
Accidentally drilled holes through dryer duct
Go buy an oscillating tool with a general purpose blade. If you're doing DIY projects you're going to need it. Buy a corded one unless you own a ton of cordless tools and have a ton of batteries. ...
- 26.3k
22
votes
How can I transition a square duct to round of the same outer size?
They do exist. Best bet is probably to contact a local sheet metal shop, if they don't have one they can build one. Expect this to cost in the tens of dollars range.
You could potentially cap the end,...
- 29.2k
21
votes
How do I fix this 30 ft (9 m) dryer vent abomination?
Electric. Heat pump based. Condensing. Dryer.
Duct disposed off, vent sealed for good.
Depending on where you are, it may be way cheaper (heat pumps are quite efficient) in terms of gas/electricity ...
- 3,474
20
votes
Accepted
How can I offset 6" ducting by just a few inches?
30 inches of height? 3 inches of offset? You need to learn how to use multi-section rigid duct elbows, which can be rotated to be considerably less than the 90 degrees you buy them at. You have plenty ...
- 226k
17
votes
Accepted
How can I plug screw holes in an insulated supply duct?
Poke the tip of a tube of silicone caulk in there and dab the hole, then patch the insulation with foil tape as you had done.
Really, those holes are inconsequential. There are probably a hundred such ...
- 149k
16
votes
My new AC is under performing and guzzling too much juice, can anyone help?
I absolutely applaud your exploration of new HVAC tech.
Right now, the industry (Carrier, Lennox etc.) are very much like the auto industry in 1980. They're still shoveling the same old products even ...
15
votes
How do I fix this 30 ft (9 m) dryer vent abomination?
Replace the unit
I would replace the unit to a condenser type dryer. They produce water instead and require no vent. Some units put the water directly to the drain or you can use a tray you have to ...
15
votes
Accepted
Can the exhaust duct of an ERV vent *into* the garage?
I am sure it would be against code.
If it isn't always running and your ERV doesn't have a damper on the exhaust then you've introduced a nice path for CO to enter from your garage into your house. I'...
- 14.4k
14
votes
Accepted
How to make attic easier to traverse?
I live in Florida too so I know exactly what you mean about hot attics. I had the same problem except for the pvc water pipes. I put up a number of 2 by 8 feet of 3/4 inch plywood on the rafters. ...
- 86.3k
13
votes
Accepted
What is this device I found in my HVAC duct?
It’s some form of the DSC surface siren. It may have a built in siren driver or it may be “speaker only”. They are typically used with home alarm systems.
These have been private labeled over time ...
- 4,230
12
votes
How can I plug screw holes in an insulated supply duct?
I think you have already done enough with the Aluminum tape. That should keep the air from leaking out and that's what such tape is designed for.
If the duct is covered with insulation, then you ...
- 23.5k
9
votes
Accepted
Venting Range Hood into Attic Space, Temporarily
The biggest issue you have venting into the attic is warm, moist air being blown into a somewhat closed area (aside from the grease and particles you have a filter for). If the attic space you vent ...
- 28.3k
9
votes
Can the exhaust duct of an ERV vent *into* the garage?
Unless your ERV also exchanges humidity, you are putting relatively humid air into the cool space of the garage. Even in my dry climate (Alberta, 16" of precip/year) the aphorism "rust ...
- 3,612
8
votes
Ventilating a cat box through the dryer exhaust duct
Sharing ducts in that way usually isn't allowed by code for health, comfort, energy efficiency, and fire reasons, among others. It's not a good idea, as you won't balance venting force without a ...
- 149k
8
votes
How can I reattach an HVAC duct that came loose below the floor?
The tiny screws have obviously failed so you'll need to re-fasten the flange to the subfloor.
It looks like a 6 inch duct so if you can reach the duct with your hand then do this:
Permanent fix
Bring ...
- 16.9k
8
votes
Accepted
How to fit portable air conditioner hoses through a too small wall vent
You could investigate the rectangular panel that holds the two holes in the wall. Perhaps it can be removed, then you can replace it with a new panel with a suitable hole cut out.
You could search ...
- 45.5k
8
votes
How should I repair a hole cut into a heating duct?
The best is to cut a piece of metal larger than the hole and attach with sheet metal screws. You can cover this with duct tape but if the metal fits properly this should not be necessary. If you do ...
- 7,114
8
votes
What sort of contractor retrofits kitchen exhaust ducts in the US?
I am surprised HVAC contractors won't do it.
Generally you want an HVAC person who can ensure you don't backdraft your CO devices. In your case you aren't changing the output so you don't have to ...
- 14.4k
8
votes
Accidentally drilled holes through dryer duct
A couple of holes probably wouldn't create large-scale issues, but if left alone, there is a potential for undesirable side effects to occur, especially over the long term.
Dryer exhaust is filled ...
- 183
7
votes
Accepted
Will relocating my Central AC intake improve performance?
Most forced-air HVAC systems in Residential are both heating and cooling.
What might be efficient in the summer will not be efficient in the winter.
So, where do you live and which do you use more?
...
- 20.6k
7
votes
Accepted
How can I reduce noise from tenants coming through my heating duct?
If you only have access to the inside of the duct, and then only as far as you can reach, you won't be able to make a huge difference, but you might be able to reduce it a little.
The sound is ...
- 6,198
7
votes
Bathroom exhaust fan without duct
Venting into an attic is terrible in North American climate zones (6,7,8 in linked map below); less so in arid southern zones (1,2). This will give you a sense of how bad this might be. Beyond that, ...
- 23.4k
7
votes
Bathroom exhaust fan without duct
Ack's answer is very good, so I won't repeat what they wrote.
I will add that molds can definitely create a significant health hazard.
I would get the attic inspected for the presence of hazardous ...
- 2,384
7
votes
Accepted
Is there a reason to replace 50 year old metal ducting in the crawlspace with modern insulated flexible ducting?
I see no reasons for replacing the existing ductwork with flexible insulated ducting unless the existing ducting has rusted out.
I would just re-insulate with 3” fiberglass wrap if the existing metal ...
- 2,782
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible