Can PVC pipe be used for a dryer vent? If so then does it have to be sched 40? Will the heat be a problem?
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NO
1 aint safe
2. since U in OR. it aint green either,
you shud just put a tin box and furnace filter on the dryer outlet, that way U save heating in the winter and humidify your dry inside air also.
During the summer when the humidity could be harmful, hang the cloths outside on your solar dryer.
I've thought about doing it that way, but have hesitated for fear of a possible high chlorine content in the dryer exhaust that could cause corrosion in the heat exchanger of the gas stove and water heater.
The tin stuff is cheaper and easier to work with anyway. (No glue, elbows swivel in any direction, etc...) Just remember to use the foil tape, not "duct" tape.
Aluminum or galvanized vent
>>...PVC pipe be used for a dryer vent?<< NO.
In my area we can use either galvanized or aluminum piping and elbows.
I prefer the aluminum due to possible corrosion in the future. Don't mix and match materials - Al pipe use Al elbows, etc.
We are not permitted to use any screws in the installation as they produce a snagging point inside of the pipe to begin building lint. I tape all joints and seams with the aluminum HVAC tape and use flexible strapping to support horizonal runs.
Chances are the local big box will only have 2' sections of pipe, HVAC supply house will carry sections up to 8' long - the fewer joints the better.
Joint orientation makes a difference in long haul performance / clogging. Think about the air flow as you install the pipe run. Think like lint looking for a place to sit.......
Jim
There's a vanishingly small amount in water supplies, and I doubt that there's any to speak of in dryer sheets. Laundry detergent (which likewise wouldn't contain any) should have washed down the drain, as well as any bleach used in the wash. (Do people actually use chlorine bleach for laundry anymore??)
Lots of things you haven't thought of that are much bigger hazards.
Dan
Our 20 y.o. Weil McClain boiler cautions installing it in a laundry area, for the reason of cleaning agents and I guess-off gassing.
Corrosion being the culprit as explained in the install directions. Sort of a chinese drywall syndrome.
That would be due to the bottle of chlorine bleach. That's there whether or not you exhaust the dryer.
I'm not following the logic of this thread. We use chlorine bleach all the time (for white stuff). Is this known to cause problems with dryers? We haven't had any problems yet.
Well, the whole chlorine thing has been blown out of proportion. There's nothing particularly corrosive about the air in a laundry area. What is corrosive is washing machine leaks, spills of detergent, and, of course, the generally higher humidity if the place is poorly ventilated (which is often the case in older homes with basement laundries).
More an issue of maintenance and housekeeping than anything inherent.