Dryer woes: booster fan or new dryer?
newenglandsara2
12 years ago
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knot2fast
12 years agoRelated Discussions
Inline Dryer Booster Fan. Anyone have one of these?
Comments (15)Dryer booster fans are usually illegal and prohibited from installation under nearly all Residential Building (mechanical) Codes. The 2006 version of the IRC does not approve of their installation under any circumstance. Likewise you will be hard pressed to find a single dryer manufacturer that permits the installation of dryer boosters on any of their products. Likewise, you will find few, if any 'dryer boosters' that have been 3rd party tested, listed and labeled for use. Not even the Fantech dryer boosters listed in the previous post are allowed for use in residential applications in the US. They are not tested nor listed by an approved US testing agency. They are only approved for use in Canada under CSA testing rules not recognized in America. Likewise even Fantech states: "Fan impeller may accumlate lint. Periodic inspection, based upon dryer usage, should be performed to ensure fan impeller is not obstructed or coated with lint." Some dryer booster fan motors bear a UL listing, but that should not be misunderstood that these devices have been approved for use by UL as 'dryer boosters'. UL does not test these devices for their duct performance. The fact that these devices require routine inspection and are located in in areas not easily accessible nor routinely frequented make them extreme fire hazards under all circumstances. Check with your local code office and the dryer manufacturer's installation instructions before allowing your builder and his plumber to install this device. The correct approach is to relocate the laundry area to provide easier direct access for the dryer vent or to run the dryer vent through the roof to stay within the Code or dryer manufacturer's approved run lengths for your make and model dryer. Whenever possible, these devices need to be avoided. They are dangerous since they are normally not approved by anyone to be there....See MoreNew Bosch 500 dryer is turning into a nightmare. NE1 else?
Comments (28)OK, I think it's safe to say that the Bosch dryers are a wee bit overly sensitive to air flow. This is clearly estlablished. Here's a few tip's for EO1 sufferer's. I think the use of flex duct is out of the question to use with these dryers. The straight runs of the flex hose will collect as much lint as a 90 deg. bend smooth sided rigid duct, especially if the flex duct is not fully stretched out. Any flex duct that is not stretched out fully will trap lint like crazy. If you have excess duct, do not leave it bunched up. Stretch it out fully and cut off the excess if you must use it. Smooth sided rigid ducting will reduce lint build up but annual cleaning of any duct on a well used dryer is essential to proper dryer operation and maximum efficiency. Another option that will help people with EO1 syndrome (if feasable), is the use of oversized ducting. You can get adaptors that will allow the use of 5 or even 6 inch ducting that will help increase air flow in long runs of ducting. I don't know if the sensor is operated on temperature or air flow, but it appears that these dryers do not tolerate any air flow obstruction. Another thing to be looked at is proper installation of the duct work. Heat naturally rises and any duct work that flows downward will cause back pressure, just as if it were partially clogged. Any down flowing sections should be removed and rerouted to at least be level, but ultimately flowing upward. Any bends in the duct should be kept to a minimum. If you can get away with a 45 rather than a 90 deg. bend, do it. If possible, make the duct work flow upward all the way to the house vent and keep bends to a minimum. Make sure your outside vent has something on it to prevent critters from entering the duct work, especially if it's near ground level. Don't use a screen on the outside vent unless it has at least 3/4 inch square sized holes and clean it often too. Use foil tape to seal seams and it's a good idea to leave a seam untaped every 6 or 8 feet so that you can easily take the ducts apart for cleaning every year. Anyone who has had to remove that foil tape on a joint will know why I say to leave it off. It's not easy to remove! I found a vent duct brush with a 6 foot wire handle for $6 at a hardware store. A must have to clean the ducts. My wife has one of those ball shaped cob web broom things on an extendable handle. They work great for cleaning ducts too. If you're not into taking the ducts apart,you can buy these plastic things that are advertised as "heating vents" that go in line with your duct work so that you can open the vent and use the heat from your dryer to heat your basement or wherever. They fit in line with the duct work and they have a little lever on them to open and close the vent. If you don't mind 100% humidity in your basement they're fine, but they also allow you access to the vent for cleaning which is what I use them for . They're cheap and are easy to install. The only problem is that you can only clean in one direction when it's open so you'll have to put one every 8 or 10 feet if you have a long run. Just something to consider if you don't want to take the ducts apart for cleaning every year. Hope this helps. Happy duct cleaning!!...See Moremoving - Help with purchasing a New washer/Dryer Please
Comments (35)Miranda33: That's what I've heard regards to Samsung, people saying that their servicer can't get parts. The machine of question belonged to friends of my sister. They were quoted $800-ish to repair so decided to dump their set. I have some experience repairing appliances so my sister took the machines (nothing wrong with the dryer). I thought "Hmm, this is going to be fun trying to find parts." Imagine my surprise when I easily found seven online sources. Compared for best price and the parts came in at $259, including shipping. Tell your sister to find her machine's model number and search it online. Some of the sources I use include SearsPartsDirect.com, PartsDr.com, AppliancePartsPros.com, RepairClinic.com, and ApplianceZone.com. MidwestApplianceParts.com came up during the Samsung search (by part number), and also SamsungParts.com. There are a couple others I use for a specific brand. Some sources I've used in the past are gone, and new sources have come up. Search the model number at one of the sources (I go to Sears first, they usually carry the most brands) to get the needed part numbers, then shop the other sources by part number for best price (don't forget to compare shipping). Google the part numbers to find more sources. Chickemama: I don't know. Perhaps repair services are tied to specific parts sources by contract or company policy (if it's a regional or national chain service), such that they can't seek other sources such as online vendors....See MoreDryer vent question
Comments (6)Once you get it cleaned out put a secondary dryer lint trap right next to the dryer. This allows you to trap and remove lint before it gets into the long tube to the ceiling. https://amazon.com/Dundas-Jafine-PCLT4WZW-Dryer-1-Pack/dp/B01LVYZEQZ/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2YYCD6OA088YF&dchild=1&keywords=dryer+vent+secondary&qid=1600305883&sprefix=dryer+vent+second%2Caps%2C336&sr=8-2 or https://www.amazon.com/Fantech-DBLT-4W-Lint-trap/dp/B00CM2LH7O/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=dryer+duct+lint+trap&qid=1600306012&sr=8-4 Read the reviews and decide which type (or find a better one) you want to deal with. But something like this will save you alot of trouble with the duct through the ceiling getting clogged up and becoming a fire hazard....See Moreasolo
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