gordonr, If there's nothing else I've learned during the course of my renovations, I've learned that everything ends up being more complicated than you expect. Once you open up the ceiling or the wall, there always seems to be something in the way of what you want to do. A floor joist where the tub drain needed to be, pipes where I wanted recessed lights to go, and now the recessed light over the tub is where it would make sense to run the duct. I can hardly wait to get to the kitchen renovation! I spoke with a rep in Miele's technical service group yesterday. Initially he was telling me he thought what I wanted to do entailed too long a stretch of duct - that it would reduce the performance of the dryer. I told him I expected that it would not be optimal performance, but what I was trying to determine was whether it would reduce it to the extent that a condenser dryer would have the same performance. He didn't seem to understand what I was getting at, so I gave an example: If the vented model has 15% better performance than the condenser model and the venting I'm doing reduces performance by 15%, then the condenser model would be generally equivalent, but if the vented dryer's performance is 50% greater, the same 15% reduction in performance would still mean the vented dryer was a better choice. I asked if he could give me any information about how much better the vented dryer's performance was than the condenser model and how much the venting I was considering would reduce the vented dryer's performance. At that point, he said he wanted to talk with one of the senior technical reps and put me on hold. When he came back, he told me that the dryer was rated for up to 60 feet (which I already knew) and that I should be fine with what I was planning on doing. He also told me that the sr. rep had indicated that having a condenser dryer in a closet could be problematic because it puts off a lot more heat than a vented dryer - you'd need a lot more air circulation into the closet with a condenser dryer. The closet I'll be putting the w/d into is 68" wide by 29" deep, so the extra heat and air circulation need may not have been as much of an issue for me as it might be for others with a more confined space. One learning that I took away from this: if you start to get the sense that the technical or customer service person you're talking to may not be as knowledgeable as you'd like, ask to talk with a senior rep. Like anywhere else, initial phone calls will be answered by more junior staff who will route the more complicated issues to more experienced staff. I've decided to go with a vented dryer, and now just need to decide between the Miele and the Asko. I'll let everyone know which one I end up with. Jan

On your first question dryer side vent. If you don't use the kit will it void your warranty? Also, you would want to make sure it doesn't create a fire hazard if you just use an elbow. On your second question. Is it up to code to run a dryer vent through the wall as described? If you do have a fire, you may run into issues with your homeowners insurance and the local authorities. As far as angles, again you have to go with the specs on the dryer. Too many and it won't work correctly and it becomes a fire hazard because it will become clogged with lint. Plus if you do have issue and it quits the manufacturer may not honor your warranty. On your second issue. You would need to go and actually look at the periscope. You could possibly use tin snips and clip each section down where they go together. You would have to factor in at least an inch overlap within the periscope. And you would want your cuts assembled so that the air passes smoothly over the joint. So basically all joints run in one direction. You don't want them collecting lint. So not much help, just be aware that sometimes saving a few dollars can end up costing much more in the long run. Keep your family safe and look at all potential fire hazards. Dryers are one of the leading causes of house fires.

We have a ventless Blomberg heat pump dryer in a smallish basement bathroom and I haven't noticed any particular heat or humidity issue. The cycle takes longer than a vented dryer, which I don't find to be a big deal. Humidity shouldn't be a problem with a condensing dryer, since the water from the clothes, by definition, condenses and drains into a tank or down the same drain as the washer water (ours does the latter, so no tank to empty). Also, I suspect that heat is less of an issue just because of the way the technology works. As far as I understand, a vented dryer adds heat through a gas or electric heating element; a heat pump dryer, on the other hand, just moves heat from one part of a coil to another, with the hot part heating air in the drum which is then blown over the cold coils to condense out the water. Since heat isn't actually being added, the hot and cold parts of the cycle should largely be a wash (ha, laundry humor). I'm not sure how condensing dryers work if they AREN'T the heat pump variety, so I can't opine on heat from that kind of a dryer.

I would get the extension piece and tape the seams. I just installed a periscope myself. Taped the heck out it; all the factory seams/ end seams & every where the metal was lapped. Hasn't been tested yet. After a couple of months of renovating the laundry room and having just gotten it put back together, the sewer line backed up Friday night (Labor Day weekend!) so we're 'camping' in our own home! Going to the laundromat tomorrow & will tote wet laundry home just so I can test the dryer vent!