Ok, I'm looking for ideas here. I know my situation isn't good, but I have to do something.
Current Setup:
Electric Dryer (no gas service w/o major renovation work)
9 foot rise through wall semi rigid AL duct
27 foot run through floor joist space with semi-rigid AL duct
terminates at ground level in a confined space that is inaccessible (under the back deck that is built at ground level)
This is bad all around.
The run is too long (extra resistance)
The entire run is made up of corrugated flex duct (lots of resistance)
Terminates in a confined space at ground level (more resistance)
Termination cannot be inspected.
All duct is concealed except for one interior access point in the utility closet ceiling.
It's currently taking 2-3 cycles of the dryer to dry a normal load of clothes. It takes 3 cycles to dry jeans.
Restrictions on current setup:
The termination location cannot be changed without major work.
Changing the termination location would not decrease the run any with 1 exception
The termination can be changed by running up 9 feet then over 5 feet through the brick wall that is our front porch and terminating right next to our front door.
Lets just say that one isn't going to happen. I'll sell the house and let somebody else deal with the problem before I terminate the dryer vent on the front porch right by the door.
What I want to do:
Replace the entire vent with rigid duct that can be easily cleaned, and extend the duct termination point 8 feet out so that it terminates at the edge of the back deck instead of underneath it.
The problem is that I am NOT going to tear out 27 feet of interior ceiling to replace the duct. I will tear out the wall and a small hole in the laundry room MAX. Everything else will have to be done through the ceiling of the utility room (near the middle of the laundry room and termination point), or through the current exterior termination point. The current flex duct runs through a space between 2 floor joist and boxed in by the basement ceiling and first floor. AKA, a duct can easily slide down the space. The problem is that with rigid metal duct (recommended) you cannot use screws or rivets to fasten the duct, you have to use the aluminum tape. My concern is that taping 5 foot sections of duct together and sliding them along is going to cause a problem at some point. One of the joints is going to let go and it's going to be in a concealed space. That could pose problems worse than what we're currently experiencing.
My thought was PVC or CPVC pipe. It isn't recommended, however, in my area it isn't against the codes for an electric dryer. The main concern with PVC is the static electricity. So would I be able to run PVC pipe and use and internal ground wire? It would make it very easy to slide 1 pipe through the termination point, down the space, and into the laundry room ceiling. Cut the pipe in the utility room and make a joint there connected to a 15' pipe that exits under the deck at another connection to a 8' section that terminates at the edge of the deck. This just seems too easy not to do it. And seeing no better options it is likely what I will go with.
Your job is to convince me that there is a BETTER option. Don't tell me not to do PVC because it's not recommended, because if there is no better option I'm going to do it. I want to know if there are any better options out there.
Do they make rigid dryer vent in 15' or 20' sections? That is the length I need to get the pipe joint to end up in the ceiling of the utility room. Is there any other type of metal pipe that can be used in this case?
Current Setup:
Electric Dryer (no gas service w/o major renovation work)
9 foot rise through wall semi rigid AL duct
27 foot run through floor joist space with semi-rigid AL duct
terminates at ground level in a confined space that is inaccessible (under the back deck that is built at ground level)
This is bad all around.
The run is too long (extra resistance)
The entire run is made up of corrugated flex duct (lots of resistance)
Terminates in a confined space at ground level (more resistance)
Termination cannot be inspected.
All duct is concealed except for one interior access point in the utility closet ceiling.
It's currently taking 2-3 cycles of the dryer to dry a normal load of clothes. It takes 3 cycles to dry jeans.
Restrictions on current setup:
The termination location cannot be changed without major work.
Changing the termination location would not decrease the run any with 1 exception
The termination can be changed by running up 9 feet then over 5 feet through the brick wall that is our front porch and terminating right next to our front door.
Lets just say that one isn't going to happen. I'll sell the house and let somebody else deal with the problem before I terminate the dryer vent on the front porch right by the door.
What I want to do:
Replace the entire vent with rigid duct that can be easily cleaned, and extend the duct termination point 8 feet out so that it terminates at the edge of the back deck instead of underneath it.
The problem is that I am NOT going to tear out 27 feet of interior ceiling to replace the duct. I will tear out the wall and a small hole in the laundry room MAX. Everything else will have to be done through the ceiling of the utility room (near the middle of the laundry room and termination point), or through the current exterior termination point. The current flex duct runs through a space between 2 floor joist and boxed in by the basement ceiling and first floor. AKA, a duct can easily slide down the space. The problem is that with rigid metal duct (recommended) you cannot use screws or rivets to fasten the duct, you have to use the aluminum tape. My concern is that taping 5 foot sections of duct together and sliding them along is going to cause a problem at some point. One of the joints is going to let go and it's going to be in a concealed space. That could pose problems worse than what we're currently experiencing.
My thought was PVC or CPVC pipe. It isn't recommended, however, in my area it isn't against the codes for an electric dryer. The main concern with PVC is the static electricity. So would I be able to run PVC pipe and use and internal ground wire? It would make it very easy to slide 1 pipe through the termination point, down the space, and into the laundry room ceiling. Cut the pipe in the utility room and make a joint there connected to a 15' pipe that exits under the deck at another connection to a 8' section that terminates at the edge of the deck. This just seems too easy not to do it. And seeing no better options it is likely what I will go with.
Your job is to convince me that there is a BETTER option. Don't tell me not to do PVC because it's not recommended, because if there is no better option I'm going to do it. I want to know if there are any better options out there.
Do they make rigid dryer vent in 15' or 20' sections? That is the length I need to get the pipe joint to end up in the ceiling of the utility room. Is there any other type of metal pipe that can be used in this case?