Traditional gas dryers used to emit carbon monoxide, which made it mandatory for everyone to install their dryer vents outside. Modern electric dryers don’t emit gases, so most homeowners have stopped setting up their dryer vents outside their homes. They mainly do this due to structural challenges or to make their home look more appealing. Regardless of their reason, running a dryer venting inside can lead to many health and structural problems.
Mold and Moisture
The purpose of a dryer vent is to transfer moisture from clothes outside the vents. When you place it inside your home, vents produce warm and humid air. This humid and warm air is a major cause of mold infestation.
This mold infestation affects the air quality of your home, can trigger allergic reactions, and causes major structural problems. Building materials like drywall, bricks, or wood absorb moisture from the air and start deteriorating. If your vent opens into your attic, the mold infestation will decrease the lifespan of your room. If it’s venting into the crawlspace, your floors will start to deteriorate. Either way, you’re risking the structural integrity of your home by venting your dryer vents inside your home.
Fire Hazards
Fluffy and dry lint inside your dryer vent is highly flammable. Even if your dryer has a lint trap, it isn’t efficient at collecting all the lint. When your dryer vent is placed inside, these lint particles will spread in the venting area. Any electrical spark or faulty wire will ignite the lint and cause a fire.
Although homeowners vent their dryers into water containers to contain lint accumulation, doing this can cause moisture and mold issues.
Poor Air Quality
The air that comes out of your vent is contaminated with dirt and bacteria, which affects the air quality inside your home. These vents increase the amount of lint and dust around the house. Despite being non-toxic, lint can aggravate breathing problems like asthma if inhaled.
Building Codes Require Outdoor Ventilation of Vents
The International Residential Code requires outdoor vents for all exhaust systems. If your building or region follows this code, vending your dryer inside can be illegal. This can lead to penalties or fines, or you’ll need to rebuild the vents outside your home.
All these reasons make it necessary to send the exhaust outside. This not only allows you to avoid all these problems but also offers efficient dryer applications. If you’re facing structural challenges installing an outdoor vent, you can opt for flexible pipes. They are great for small corners and do a good job sending the exhaust outside the home.
At Chimney and Dryer Vent Services LLC, we offer dryer vent cleaning and inspection services. All our professionals are certified and experienced, and make sure your vents are free from flammable lint and other substances. We also provide chimney repair services. Contact us for more details.