Ran it for a year and looked inside. There was hardly any lint. With the removable cover you could take it apart (although it would be a pain) or you can stick a vacuum cleaner throught the inlet and outlet pipe.
You’re full of shit. Using your fantastic “math”, where did you come up with $1 per quarter? I like how you state this as if it’s a preconceived fact. Using the fan is a neagative? You sir are a moron…a moron who thinks he knows something, but does not. I don’t know that the design is efficient, but YOU DO THE MATH…what is a typical dryers kWhr usage for 50 min.? What does that equate to per month? Can’t say, too many variables. STFU!
You may want to look at a simpler solution. Whenver I was looking at putting a dryer into a house that didn’t have a vent I came across a contraption that used a bubbler, sort of like an ancient oil bath carb. The dryer vent went to the water and when it came out the vent picked up the water, sort of like an oilbath or a bubbler on a whiskey still. It wasn’t a very huge device, all you had to do is keep an eye on the water level and dump it out periodically.
I see a net loss of cost to heat. the materials are more than you will save in heating which is $1 a quarter. and using the fan well now its negative, excellent job. I bet you get more heat from the exposed pipe in that room than from the holy barrel. poor design, poor math. If you like this contraption you are also mathematically challenged. What a monumental waste of time.
Check out the Clothes Dryer Heat Exchanger Temperatures 1 and 2 and Clothes Dryer Heat Exchanger Conclusion videos for the operation of the heat exchanger.
Ah that was going well! Shame video did not include the operation of the dryer and results. Well done though, this is the kind of thing everyone should be aware of! Thanks, Ad
This is a Fantastic project, Although make sure you consider the Maximum length of the 4″ vent pipe.
As an Appliance tech for over 20 yrs, I use a rule of thumb that no length of dryer venting should be longer then 50 ft, so as to NOT place a load strain on the Dryers Blower/Motor, which in turn, lessons the amount of air flow across the heating elements.
But, I am referring to Air resistance fT, not Linear ft.
Each Elbow is to be considered the same as a 10 ft length of straight pipe.
A few thoughts
(1) Warm hot air will rust any untreated metal it comes in contact with. Sand & Paint the drum insides with rustoleum
(2) Each 90 degree turn in the vent pipe increases back pressure & the odds of burning out the element. Check the manual concerning pipe diameter and length of run for dryer venting
(3) Smaller heat exchange pipes coiling inside the drum would be more effective. Copper as it won’t rust
(4) Skip the fan. Heat rises naturally and the output at the top will be hotter
September 3rd, 2010 at 2:51 am
Ran it for a year and looked inside. There was hardly any lint. With the removable cover you could take it apart (although it would be a pain) or you can stick a vacuum cleaner throught the inlet and outlet pipe.
September 3rd, 2010 at 2:52 am
How about the lent getting traped inside? I don’t care how much you clean the screen, you are going to get lent in the pipe.
September 3rd, 2010 at 3:46 am
You’re full of shit. Using your fantastic “math”, where did you come up with $1 per quarter? I like how you state this as if it’s a preconceived fact. Using the fan is a neagative? You sir are a moron…a moron who thinks he knows something, but does not. I don’t know that the design is efficient, but YOU DO THE MATH…what is a typical dryers kWhr usage for 50 min.? What does that equate to per month? Can’t say, too many variables. STFU!
September 3rd, 2010 at 4:36 am
You may want to look at a simpler solution. Whenver I was looking at putting a dryer into a house that didn’t have a vent I came across a contraption that used a bubbler, sort of like an ancient oil bath carb. The dryer vent went to the water and when it came out the vent picked up the water, sort of like an oilbath or a bubbler on a whiskey still. It wasn’t a very huge device, all you had to do is keep an eye on the water level and dump it out periodically.
September 3rd, 2010 at 5:11 am
Thanks for the info. I may be over the maximum length if I count the elbows. I may need to do some replumbing.
September 3rd, 2010 at 6:10 am
I see a net loss of cost to heat. the materials are more than you will save in heating which is $1 a quarter. and using the fan well now its negative, excellent job. I bet you get more heat from the exposed pipe in that room than from the holy barrel. poor design, poor math. If you like this contraption you are also mathematically challenged. What a monumental waste of time.
September 3rd, 2010 at 7:06 am
Check out the Clothes Dryer Heat Exchanger Temperatures 1 and 2 and Clothes Dryer Heat Exchanger Conclusion videos for the operation of the heat exchanger.
September 3rd, 2010 at 8:04 am
Ah that was going well! Shame video did not include the operation of the dryer and results. Well done though, this is the kind of thing everyone should be aware of! Thanks, Ad
September 3rd, 2010 at 8:30 am
This is a Fantastic project, Although make sure you consider the Maximum length of the 4″ vent pipe.
As an Appliance tech for over 20 yrs, I use a rule of thumb that no length of dryer venting should be longer then 50 ft, so as to NOT place a load strain on the Dryers Blower/Motor, which in turn, lessons the amount of air flow across the heating elements.
But, I am referring to Air resistance fT, not Linear ft.
Each Elbow is to be considered the same as a 10 ft length of straight pipe.
September 3rd, 2010 at 9:26 am
A few thoughts
(1) Warm hot air will rust any untreated metal it comes in contact with. Sand & Paint the drum insides with rustoleum
(2) Each 90 degree turn in the vent pipe increases back pressure & the odds of burning out the element. Check the manual concerning pipe diameter and length of run for dryer venting
(3) Smaller heat exchange pipes coiling inside the drum would be more effective. Copper as it won’t rust
(4) Skip the fan. Heat rises naturally and the output at the top will be hotter
September 3rd, 2010 at 10:11 am
excellent thought, hope that it works out for you!