I’m finishing up a basement currently which includes a laundry room. Because the room will be a finished space, I am running the dryer vent behind the metal studded sheetrock wall before it makes its penetration through the foundation.
I am using solid 4″ aluminum piping. It is only a 6′ run before the penetration, but it required some slight twists and turns around existing plumbing. I installed a couple of adjustable elbows to make these bends.
Elbows that I purchased at Home depot.
During the installation, one of the elbows split and seperated at one of its several joints. I figured it was a defect, so I tossed it and grabbed another from my local hardware store.
Yesterday, as I was sheetrocking the walls, and fishing the elbow that connects directly at the dryer through the hole I had cut in the drywall, that elbow split as well.
I am not talking about the joint at the connection point between the elbow and the straight run…I am talking about the joints that allow the elbows to spin in order to either increase, or decrease the degree of the turn.
I do not know the manufacturer, nor the country of origin, but am hoping to find out this weekend when I return to HD to lodge a complaint.
I was not in any way being rough with these peices. I have installed countless dryer vents and have never seen anything like this.
My fear is that the general vibration of the dryer would be great enough to split them at some point and wreak havoc within the wall.
DO NOT USE THEM!
One more reason to avoid HD.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Replies
I had an identical experience with HD elbows. JUNK!!!
All 4" els do that if they are swivel..even 6" will unless chimney grade. Use DOWN spout els instead, they are bent solid pipe corrugated, if ya can use the angles of 70 degrees and 45's.
I did the same thing when hoking up a dust collection system in my shop. Oh, Onieda air systems also has decent adjustable els in airtite configs.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"If you want something you've never had, do something you've never done"
I'll look into the Oneida for the future.
The fixed down spout els would not have worked in this situation.
The bends were only slight.
I've never seen them split in the past.
J. D. ReynoldsHome Improvements
Well. Being as we used to miter pipe organ pipes ( yup, a 32' pipe curled like a trombone to no more than 12') and make gentle bends in downspouts, I'd actually cut ridgid pipe and include and angle in the ends that meet..crimp one smaller and rivet the joint then tape it..but thats me.
YMMV.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"If you want something you've never had, do something you've never done"
Why just HD.
You said that you got one from HD and it split.
Then you replaced it with one from the hardware store and it split also.
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
I said the run required several ells.
The second to split was one of the originals from HD,not the one from my hardware store.
Odd thing was, the HD ells seemed a heavier gauge than those from my hardware store. But I really twisted and tested the replacements and could not get them to seperate.
J. D. ReynoldsHome Improvements
I like to use the aluminum foil tape ( NOT duct tape) to seal the joints in work like that. I even seal the joints in the elbow, just to make sure it stays sealed, and stays together.
Funny, I smooshed the separated ells back together and aluminum taped them together. Pure junk, the ells, aluminum tape is the bomb.
You have a brand name on the tape?
Like to try it.
I don't know what the brand name is. It's in the same aisle in HD as all the ductwork and fittings.
Just look for adhesive-backed aluminum tape.
AT Lowes it is with the so called duct tape. But sometime I have seen stuff like this in 2 places, often with different brands.It uses a completey different type of adhesive and it has a release linner.It has a UL listing marked on it. IIRC it is UL-1861..
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
I forgot to mention the release liner.
I'm surprised more guys don't use the stuff. I guess it's a matter of not being aware of it.
You have a brand name on the tape?Like to try it.
It's Nashua. Got it at Home Depot, but available other places. Good stuff.
This is a great method. I also put the tape on the entire seam in the duct. I don't want anything to come apart.
Yep. Half of 'em fall apart, and the other half is so tight that they aren't adjustable. Sheesh!
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
had the same experience. managed to re-assemble it then I foil taped all the joints in the position I wanted."it aint the work I mind,
It's the feeling of falling further behind."Bozini Latinihttp://www.ingrainedwoodworking.com
What guage metal? Were they aluminum ones or 30 guage? If so, they're like leaded crystal no matter where you buy them.
I also use the aluminum tape and generously cover all joints and seams. This stuff is tenacious, I've seen my work from 3-4 years ago and the tape is still holding strong.
I keep several types of these dryer boxes on hand (and the long 45' elbows), makes for a clean, professional install.
http://www.dryerbox.com/welcome_dryerbox.htm
-Norm
I must be the only one who swivels them at the store. That way, if it fails, I don't buy it. I knew I needed 90º bends, so I just cranked them, put 'em in the cart and grabbed almost as many straight sections as I needed. Bag of straps, pack of screws and aluminum tape and I was on my way.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
I must be the only one who swivels them at the store.
Nope. I do the same. In the past it has always been to make sure they move freely and that I won't have to fight with them (and potentially damage them) during installation.
But I have NEVER had one fail during installation unless I was putting to much stress on it.
J. D. ReynoldsHome Improvements
I think this fits under the broad category of how much control we actually have over Chinese products. Usually, they are excellent; however, there is not nearly as much control as there is in the U.S. .
I no longer knowingly eat food products that come from parts of the world that do not meet U.S. standards in a positively controlled way. For example, I do not trust catfish from Chinese fish farms. Although I enjoyed the fish in the past, I do not have a sense of confidence that they do not pump them up with antibiotics. Also, who knows what they are feeding these fish that will eat anything? The thought is scary. Right now, I pay at least twice as much for fish from New Zealand that is ocean-caught. I can't prove that it is, but I trust them.
Ironically, the elbows you mention may not even be from China. In the last month, I have installed several HD 4" elbows and have found them to be sound. Was your elbow the result of a bad lot, a bad source, or a bad day?
i had the same experience with an HD elbow this summer.