If you're sure that your vent line has no built-up lint or other obstructions for its entire length, then a dryer vent booster fan would almost certainly solve your problem. The booster fans from Fantech are completely automatic. they switch on when air pressure builds up in the vent line from the dryer fan running, and turn off when the air pressure subsides. They have both in-line models and models that would mount on the wall at the end of the vent run. More info available at the linked website below. Here is a link that might be useful: Fantech Dryer Booster Fans

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

If you have a 6" inside-dimension clearance between the exterior wall and your sheetrock, you have more options than most: 1. Use 4" round rigid-steel ducting. 2. Use flat rigid-steel ducting (more difficult to find). 3. Use flat rigid-steel "periscope" ducting. 4. Use a dryer duct exit panel. Whichever you choose, don't bury flexible ducting in the wall--you need to use rigid-steel ducting for in-wall installations. Here's links to all except the flat rigid-steel ducting: Standard 4" round rigid ducting: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Speedi-Products-4-in-x-60-in-Aluminum-Rigid-Pipe-26-Gauge-EX-26AP-460/202907098#.Ubp0aee1FQg "Periscope" ducting: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Whirlpool-29-77-in-In-the-Wall-Dryer-Vent-Periscope-4392892/202647858#.Ubp0F-e1FQg "DryerBox" exit panel: http://www.dryerbox.com/index-confirmed.htm

I asked how it was vented because that can effect drying time plus best way to clean. And if you have a bird guard over the vent outside, it can clog and you can remove it and clean it. Also add one or two old dry towels to your wet load. Helps them to dry faster. A blower( leaf) is the best way to clean out the vent pipe.