building code question (dryer vent)

So, we are renting a townhouse, and I decided that today is a good day to run the brush up the dryer vent to help it stay clean (on of the first things I did upon moving in). Decided to go one step further and run it from inside as well. The dryer is against an inside wall, runs up the wall, through the void between floors, and then through the outer wall. Imagine my surprise when I discover that there is NO tube in the wall. It just runs up between the joists. Decent amount of lint in there, vacuumed it up as best as I could. I am wondering if this meets code, though since the house was built in the 70's, I have no idea what code was back then. I just want to have an efficient dryer (other than my clothes line, which I prefer).

Doubt very much that meets code. Around here you are not even supposed to use the flexible (slinky type) plastic hose. It has to be the aluminumized version or solid pipe.

Uggh, what a recipe for disaster. All of the damp from every load that's dried is being funneled through your wall. The space has got to be full of mold and mildew, and the wall board and timbers could well be decaying. Any moisture that condenses will drip down the walls and pool at the bottom, potentially leaking through to whatever sits below it.

Thankfully what is below it is concrete pad. Or maybe not. Guess it's time to call the building inspector and have a chat. Landlord might love this one.

Somebody needs to open up that wall, clean it up, and run a real vent pipe. Should be the landlords problem to fix, not yours. As Mike Holmes would say "Take it down!!" I would chat with the owner before calling in the inspector.

yeah, that's a recipe for all kinds of nastiness inside that wall.

I sent a message to the property manager. I'll give them a chance to fix, but will happily go to the county if necessary. Heck, I'm thankful that I have a bagless vacuum cleaner, what with the crud I pulled out. Sure there is more though.

Code or not, it's a bad idea. You want a full metal pipe with as few bends as possible.

Ever test to see how incredibly inflammable dryer lint is if you use fabric softener?

Try it out on the lint from your screen and see sometime.

Brett_Murphy wrote: Ever test to see how incredibly inflammable dryer lint is if you use fabric softener?

No fabric softener necessary (though it may help). A sealed tin with some and a swedish firesteel ( http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/tools/754d/ ) is a standard part of my emergency outdoor gear. Most effective tinder I've ever used.

Dryer vent not hooked up = the sky is falling.

Now I know.

In reply to Zomby woof: It's hooked up, and eventually makes it's way outside. Just seems to be slower than other places I've lived. And it IS bad for the structure of the house, as well as the health of those that live in it. I was wondering if there was anything in the building code that would require it to be hooked up properly.

Move in, call zoning to complain about the landlord, wonder why you're lease is not renewed.

Make sure you really want to start off with a hostile relationship.

foxtrapper wrote: Move in, call zoning to complain about the landlord, wonder why you're lease is not renewed. Make sure you really want to start off with a hostile relationship.

I dunno. It's entirely possible the landlord's unaware.

If it were my building, I'd much rather know about it. As long as you weren't a dick about how you told me.

Obviously I've never met the guy, and so have no idea if he'd rather know. But I know I would.

mistanfo wrote: In reply to Zomby woof: I was wondering if there was anything in the building code that would require it to be hooked up properly.

Of course there is.

Obviously the smart thing to do first is notify the landlord. I'm not so sure that calling code enforcement will get you anywhere. But I'm not a landlord.

Woody wrote: Code or not, it's a bad idea. You want a full metal pipe with as few bends as possible.

Very true. My dad is an appliance guy and I worked with him for years. He told everybody with the plastic slinky kind that they not only catch fire, but they plug up with lint faster and the rough vent makes the airflow sucky which stresses the dryer. He had personal experience with them catching fire, too. he said a vent fire from an old montgomery ward dryer reached the ceiling in a few seconds, and the beams caught on fire. Luckily the homeowner was there watching and she knew where to find an extinguisher!

Landlords get a tad upset whenever you call code enforcement first. Folks that call code enforcement often have even more troubles down the road with landloads....as in, "no we didn't get your rent check this month, or the last 3 months, so we are evicting you", kind of trouble.

Ya see the code callers on People's Court nearly every afternoon....they get the judge's attention, but not in a good way.

As a landlord I'd rather know about it. In my duplex I didn't find out that the washer drain pipe was leaking until the decade long renters moved out. They just always wiped up the water and went on their way. Now I'm replacing the entire subfloor and part of the wall where the washer sat.

Yeah, calling code enforcement isn't going to win you any favors.

The plan of calling code enforcement was to determine IF an enforceable code exists. The property manager is willing to work with us, but has flaked more than once in the past. Heck, I do lots of small repairs on the house for nothing more than the costs of parts. We GENERALLY have a good relationship, but the OWNER tends to be reluctant to pay for much. Of course, keeping the house from burning down should be worth something.

Dunno about code, but around here you can't even buy the plastic dryer hose anywhere.

My dad's neighbor in a patio home development had 2 dryers burn up in 3 years plus the clothes never really got dry. After the second dryer puked, he had someone check it out more thoroughly: the dryer vent in the wall, like yours, had no tube going through. What's worse is the 'common wall' it went into was part of my dad's garden wall, therefore no exit vent. Further investigation showed dryer lint IN THE ATTIC. Someone had taken the cheap way out: they left out the fireblocking and let the dryer vent into the attic. Since there was no real easy/inexpensive fix, he tried to go back against the builder, but guess what: the builder had killed off that development company and started a new one. So legally the neighbor was screwed. Obviously that guy had been down that type of road before. Neighbor wound up running a really crappy looking vent down the inside of the garage and he had to open the garage door each time he used the dryer.

Don't call code enforcement. Not only is it a perfect recipe for making enemies with your landlord, they can't do anything. It's not their jurisdiction (unless you have rental maintenance codes).

It's not installed in accordance with the code. Both building moisture and a fire hazard- code says it must vent to the outside.

But the code is for new construction. This is grandfathered in as existing construction. Not code enforcement's job.

BTW- 4" PVC pipe > metal pipe.

But if I were the landlord, I'd like to know (and it would get fixed right away).

Be nice. Call the landlord.

keethrax wrote: I dunno. It's entirely possible the landlord's unaware. If it were my building, I'd much rather know about it. As long as you weren't a dick about how you told me.

Don't disagree. Calling zoning is being that.

Do that to me and I'd bounce you out of the property on whatever basis I could find, just as fast as I could do it.

Curmudgeon wrote: Further investigation showed dryer lint IN THE ATTIC. Someone had taken the cheap way out: they left out the fireblocking and let the dryer vent into the attic.

This is brilliant! Every time the dryer runs, you get more "blown in" insulation in the attic!