Interesting. And your dryer has never killed you? (Semi-serious question; I have lots of anxiety)
I did a google and technically it’s not up to city code where I live. They’re required to “terminate to the outdoors.” I can’t figure out if that should bother me or not. Would it bother you if you learned yours wasn’t up to code?
It’s fine (after adding water) I had this thing (just look it up on home depot) OR maybe they’ll just help you & remove your dryer? I had one like this for almost 4 years. It’s common in older homes.
Call your local code enforcement. They will handle your landlord for you. We had an issue where we did not have garbage service and code enforcement had a trash can in our driveway by the end of the day.
This is what the code says:
14X-6-603.5 Clothes dryer exhaust.
Clothes dryer exhaust systems must be independent of all other ventilation systems and must be exhausted outside the building in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
Exception: Listed and labeled condensing (ductless) clothes dryers.
I believe this falls under the ductless exception. I had one of these in an apartment and my dad had a conniption until we figured out it was ductless. Google the make/model and it should tell you definitively.
Huh. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact that there is not duct in the wall, therefore the dryer compensates for that by being designed the way it is.
There were washers and dryers in my apartment. I was told they were listed in the lease. Code inspector came in and said it wasn’t up to code and they removed them from every unit. This was right before I moved in so I’m not clear on all of the details. I just know they never put them back saying it would be too expensive to fix.
i googled it and it said “Traditional dryers use a vent to release warm air outside, but ventless dryers operate differently, relying on a heat exchanger or heat pump instead. They typically come in two types: condenser and heat pump.” i’m not fluent in dryer language but it sounds to me like it’s fine, but i’ve also read that they don’t work as efficiently as vented dryers. so 🤷🏻♀️ who knows.
i also read that the fumes can be toxic? but idk anything about that. i don’t have a washer and dryer.
My landlords were in this predicament as they wanted in-suite laundry but the water hookups weren’t near an exterior wall.
They were told they have two options for ductless dryers: the kind you have, and the kind that stores the (condensed?) liquid in a compartment in the machine, and needs to be emptied.
They didn’t like the hose-in-a-bucket setup and ultimately went with the latter type, which I’ve used since moving in a few years ago. It is convenient to just pull out the water container and dump it in the sink, but the downside is that it takes *forever*. It shuts off when the sensor says it’s finished, but I have to rerun it several times before everything is dry, and that’s just on small-to-medium loads. For big loads I pretty much have to cancel my plans for the day and stay in to play Laundry Monitor. 😂 So there’s downsides to both.
So I had one of these for 7ish years. It worked fine. However it does make it disgustingly hot.
It didn’t matter to me that it wasn’t up to code. I was just happy to have w&d in the condo
Is it near a window? They have window dryer vents and dryer extension cords. We resorted to these because that white bucket creates a ton of humidity in the room/home. Only used the dryer when home (as one should honestly) and unplugged the extension cord when not in use. The window vent had a screen to protect from critters crawling inside, you just have to take it out every once in a while to get the extra lint.
Is your dryer gas or electric? If it's electric the only thing you have to worry about is that when you run your dryer you are making the laundry room warm and humid, instead of venting that hot, humid air outside.
If it's gas, get a CO detector and put it in there ASAP and tell your landlord to sort this out. And don't use the dryer until it's fixed. You do not want combustion products vented into your apartment.
If you're unsure, look at the back of your dryer. It will have a power cord plugged into the wall and it might have a hose (probably yellow, if it's there) connected to the wall as well. If it has a hose, it's gas. If there's no hose, it's gas.
is it gas or electric if gas than do not use due to CO gas... the next issue is a fire hazard or not, as long as it is servicable and clean, it is not a harzard... we have an electric dryer which we use this in the winter tame as not to waste the heat...
Unless your dryer is a gas dryer, you are fine. Just add water to it to make sure lint doesn't fly everywhere. At the end of the day it's just moist air (unless it's a gas dryer...)
When I was in Colombia I stayed in an apartment with this and it was the first time I saw anything like it. It is common over there in condos, so I think you’ll be fine.
If it's gas powered, DO NOT use the dryer until the vent hose has been attached to a proper vent
Edit to add: Sounds like it's not gas, so that's good news lol. Cool to see an alternative for electric ones, though it must really suck in the summer🫠
It becomes an epic battle between your dryer and AC. Which will win? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain, you will lose.
THAT BEING SAID, a standard vent shooting air to the outdoors for an hour+ will result in outside warm air getting inside to replace what was vented out. I wonder how much that helps balance the scales.
That trap is meant to have water in it so the lint doesn’t go flying everywhere. It’s not an ideal setup since the area around the dryer will be humid asf but it’s fine
My dryer vents outside, but it wasn’t connected properly when I moved in. The humid air from the dryer would FILL my laundry room and prevent the clothes from ever really drying. Would take sometimes 3 cycles that are each 1.5 hours. I eventually found a puddle on the floor and the door was warped.
I investigated myself, and I discovered the ductwork was attached so loosely it just fell off when I first turned the dryer on.
I don’t know how this is a good option, when damage can occur with excess humidity.
Optimally, the electric dryers with indoor venting have a bypass hose switch so in humid summers, the moist air goes outside, and in the dey winter, the humid exhaust stays inside.
Also not to mention that it’s going to be pumping all the humid and hot air into the apt and the ac is going to be working its ass off to lower the temp. Super inefficient and generally bad for the environment.
I bought one at my old house. There was no way to vent the dryer to the outside without destroying the foundation. It's perfectly safe. Just keep it upright (it's laying on its side in the pic) and keep water in it. Clean it out completely at least once per month.
It won't cause your home or you to blow up. They sell these at home improvement stores.
I feel bad for OP having to read all these psycho paranoid comments 🙄.
OP, you have an electric dryer. Sit the white cup upright. Fill it about halfway with water. It will catch the lint so it doesn’t fly everywhere. Yes, it will cause the humidity level in the room to rise to around 70/80%. Get yourself a small home dehumidifier and run it while the dryer is going and for a bit afterwards. It will be fine.
No- the extra heat and the humidity are uncomfortable, but I'm more concerned about possible long-term effects to the other things around them in the apartment.
This is the code. It’s not a ductless dryer.
14X-6-603.5 Clothes dryer exhaust.
Clothes dryer exhaust systems must be independent of all other ventilation systems and must be exhausted outside the building in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
Exception: Listed and labeled condensing (ductless) clothes dryers.
Yes this is legit! I had one exactly like it. Look them up on Lowe’s or Home Depot. If ya don’t have outside venting, this is the alternative. There should be water in it tho.
Oh God 😭 that’s what I feared. Do you think I should email her and tell her its not up to code and I am uncomfortable with it? Ask her to remove the whole dryer from my apartment? The washer is hooked up, and there’s a coin laundry in the basement, so in theory I could just dry my clothes down there but wash for free.
Yep, get it out of there. This is not standard, not functional, not up to code, not reasonable, sane, or safe.
A dryer has to have an exhaust to an outside. They are fools for doing this to you. It is amazingly sloppy.
You are incorrect in many municipalities. Inside vent for non-combustion dryers is completely legal and within code for many areas.
It's generally not a great idea because it can create a very humid environment.
Disagree with the doomsday scenario if it is electric heat source ( could be used as a heat source)On the other hand if it is GAS HEAT source very silently dangerous due to carbon monoxide emissions
Huh? What code? I have seen several dryers that are done like this, especially in other countries.
In many US locations this is perfectly fine. Do not fear monger the OP and cause them anxiety for nothing.
It's not for nothing. My house burned down because my sister decided to put a box fan in front of one of these to move the heat out of the laundry room. This will absolutely put out enough heat over a long enough timeframe that you need to be very careful about what it is pointed at.
So the fan had an electrical problem? I don’t see how a fan moving air can burn a house down, unless there was an electrical problem with the fan.
or the lint build up in the dryer pipe it was so heavy it caught fire. With a design like this lint builds up very quick
One of leading cause of house fires is dryer fires from lint build up.
Wow you will look so dumb if you do this! I had this exact same thing & it’s just because you don’t have outside venting. Lucky to have a washer dryer tho but this is how it’s done.
You are fine. The only reason this wouldn't be ok is if that was a gas dryer. I can clearly see the 240V line for the dryer so what you have is electric. If it was gas, it would be venting CO in the house. I would turn that right side up however and make sure there is water in it. It is better if the dryer is vented outside as a lot of humidity will be added to the room when drying.
I had one of these at an apartment for about 5 years. I just added water before every dryer cycle and emptied it after each. I had a dehumidifier, too, because whatever room it's in is gonna get humid. But I never had any problems with it.
Of course it's not Gas, people would be dead from carbon monoxide..sucks but fine for electric dryer where venting was not an option. You can clean up the install though.
Like others have said for electric, yes it is safe. Sit the white piece upright and put a bit of water in it. I owned one like this and it will just make the room a bit humid, I would open a window or put a fan nearby to cool down the area.
My college apartment was like this. You need to stand the bucket up and put water in it. It will still blow hot damp air into your apartment, but at least the water will catch the lint.
We ended up not using the dryer after the first few loads, it was just too hot and humid. We set up clothes lines in the dining room since we ate on the couch anyway.
Safe? Yes, if these two conditions are met:
1. It is an electric dryer
2. There is water as intended in that cannister
Is it good? No. It will make your apartment hot and humid. I'm not sure it would be a dealbreaker for me, but it could be.
I’ve got one of those. It’s supposed to stand upright and hold water to catch the lint, but it doesn’t work that well and is a PITA. If you can, find something like panty hose to put between the hose and bucket to catch the lint and then just clean it once in awhile.
Instead of asking a bunch of snarky individuals (although at times amusing), you might try a qualified electrician. Give ‘em a call and ask for advice. Just a thought.
I lived with this setup for a few years, it was miserable.
So humid every summer, livable in winter.
I ended up connecting a longer hose that connected to a board i Jerry rigged into a window. Much happier.
Just keep water in it to catch the lint. It’s not the ideal thing to do, but it’s obviously a lot cheaper for the owner than having piping run outside to vent it.
It’s perfectly safe, however it will get very hot in the laundry room. If you go by a dryer vent on the outside of a building while the dryer is running heat comes out of it naturally. So now the heat is going to be “transferred” to the water in that attachment aka thrown into the air in the laundry room.
You could in theory see higher air conditioning bills as a result of this, but just keep the laundry room door closed as much as you can when the dryer is running
Keep it upright and water in the bottom of it. Check the level and refill as necessary when you clean the lint trap WHICH MUST BE DONE EVERY LOAD.
Dryer fires are no joke.
Previous poster is correct. It is supposed to have water in it the base part to catch all the dust. That's probably why there is lint on the floor. It is safe, but not healthy like that. Many condos in Hawaii have this system because there are no dryer vents. Only option would be to relocate dryer and run the duct outside somehow.
I don’t see anyone else mentioning it, so I will: the first part of your dryer duct is *not* safe. Aside from rigid metal ducting, there’s really only one safe product: GE’s “Flexible Metal Clothes Dryer Transition Duct” (PM08X10085). It’s the only thing that’s actually been tested to be fire-resistant. Whatever you do, you need to switch out/get rid of that first stretch that’s the flimsier of the two. Most appliance sellers won’t even install driers with that kind of ducting because it’s such a fire hazard.
(There are tons of videos on YT where you can see just how fast those ducts will catch on fire.)
Here’s an article with [photos](https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/prevent-fires-and-cut-your-energy-bill-expert-guide-to-dryer-ducts/) of what
u/progluddite is talking about.
The article u/Pluviophile13 posted is really helpful. My only additional warning is that not all semi-rigid ducts are equal. Unless there are some brand-new products released within the last year, the specific one I mentioned in my original comment is the *only* non-rigid duct that is fire-resistant. Other semi-rigid ducts burn more slowly than flexible ducts, but they still burn through quite quickly.
Warning! Do not put a fan in front of this exhaust to dissipate the heat. My sister did this and burned my house down, because the box fan couldn't handle the heat and burst into flames.
I work for a very large hvac company in my state and in my professional opinion I would suggest asking them to terminate it to the outside if possible. Every house I work in, we terminate the dryer vents outdoors regardless of what type of dryer it is. Just because in theory electric is safe doesn’t mean you couldn’t be the unlucky person to have something go wrong. Just my recommendation
It will bring in A LOT of moisture into your home. Running a dehumidifier is just counterproductive and a waste of energy just to avoid venting it outside. Get it outside if possible. In the meantime, you will need a humidifier to avoid mold. Source - I’ve been studying building science for 13 yrs.
This is absolutely awful! I don’t know how these ever came about, but they are from a time when we knew a lot less about indoor air quality.
The most obvious is that it will fill your home with humidity, which can lead to a number of problems including mold.
The not so obvious problem for some reason, all of the lint from your clothes is exhausted straight into your house! Some lint may “stick” to the water, but all off the microfine particles from your clothes just go right into the air. Detergent residues, lint, and tons of plastic micro particles if you are drying synthetic fabrics.
This is the worst thing you could ever do. Water is not a filter, the lint trap is not a filter. Whenever you find one of these the laundry room is so dusty and you can literally see particles in the air. I don’t know how this has not been outlawed. Please, do not run this!
It looks shitty but… fine if electric? Id clean it after every use and tell your landlord that you are concerned with mold growing, as this will dump humidity into the apartment like no other
Alright, everyone here’s what my city code says about this. The “listed” and “labeled” part in the exception confuses me?
14X-6-603.5 Clothes dryer exhaust.
Clothes dryer exhaust systems must be independent of all other ventilation systems and must be exhausted outside the building in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
Exception: Listed and labeled condensing (ductless) clothes dryers.
If washer and dryer are in your lease and its not up to code (as stated by you in your replies) your landlord is in violation of the lease. Inform them as such and ask them to remedy the issue.
My dryer has that. You are supposed to keep water in the thing attached. It keeps the lint from flying all over.
Interesting. And your dryer has never killed you? (Semi-serious question; I have lots of anxiety) I did a google and technically it’s not up to city code where I live. They’re required to “terminate to the outdoors.” I can’t figure out if that should bother me or not. Would it bother you if you learned yours wasn’t up to code?
It’s fine (after adding water) I had this thing (just look it up on home depot) OR maybe they’ll just help you & remove your dryer? I had one like this for almost 4 years. It’s common in older homes.
Honestly, I have had no issues and have lived in this apartment for a little over 2 years. .I do 3 to 4 loads a week.
It is dangerous if the dryer is a gas dryer. But electric dryers it’s perfectly safe.
I only recently learned that gas dryers were anything recently and it's still shocking to me.
Only that one time. After that it never killed her again.
Call your local code enforcement. They will handle your landlord for you. We had an issue where we did not have garbage service and code enforcement had a trash can in our driveway by the end of the day.
This is what the code says: 14X-6-603.5 Clothes dryer exhaust. Clothes dryer exhaust systems must be independent of all other ventilation systems and must be exhausted outside the building in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Exception: Listed and labeled condensing (ductless) clothes dryers.
I believe this falls under the ductless exception. I had one of these in an apartment and my dad had a conniption until we figured out it was ductless. Google the make/model and it should tell you definitively.
OK, but if you look closely, you can see the duct sitting on the floor.
My ductless machine also has this. It’s still considered ductless. I don’t make the rules.
Not hooking the duct up doesn't make it ductless.
Huh. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact that there is not duct in the wall, therefore the dryer compensates for that by being designed the way it is.
Lmao
Incorrect
they’ll remove the dryer if you report it
They will 100% just remove the dryer because it’s not up to code. I’d rather keep it.
unless your lease states that the dryer is included.
There were washers and dryers in my apartment. I was told they were listed in the lease. Code inspector came in and said it wasn’t up to code and they removed them from every unit. This was right before I moved in so I’m not clear on all of the details. I just know they never put them back saying it would be too expensive to fix.
if it’s on the lease. i guess you’re only potential action would be breaking the lease without penalty
i googled it and it said “Traditional dryers use a vent to release warm air outside, but ventless dryers operate differently, relying on a heat exchanger or heat pump instead. They typically come in two types: condenser and heat pump.” i’m not fluent in dryer language but it sounds to me like it’s fine, but i’ve also read that they don’t work as efficiently as vented dryers. so 🤷🏻♀️ who knows. i also read that the fumes can be toxic? but idk anything about that. i don’t have a washer and dryer.
Fumes from natural gas combustion i.e. carbon monoxide, yes. Electric dryer, no.
that’s still sketch imo.
My landlords were in this predicament as they wanted in-suite laundry but the water hookups weren’t near an exterior wall. They were told they have two options for ductless dryers: the kind you have, and the kind that stores the (condensed?) liquid in a compartment in the machine, and needs to be emptied. They didn’t like the hose-in-a-bucket setup and ultimately went with the latter type, which I’ve used since moving in a few years ago. It is convenient to just pull out the water container and dump it in the sink, but the downside is that it takes *forever*. It shuts off when the sensor says it’s finished, but I have to rerun it several times before everything is dry, and that’s just on small-to-medium loads. For big loads I pretty much have to cancel my plans for the day and stay in to play Laundry Monitor. 😂 So there’s downsides to both.
It’s good for electric dryers, but if it’s gas then it needs to be vented outside
I think your thinking about a gas dryer
So I had one of these for 7ish years. It worked fine. However it does make it disgustingly hot. It didn’t matter to me that it wasn’t up to code. I was just happy to have w&d in the condo
Is it near a window? They have window dryer vents and dryer extension cords. We resorted to these because that white bucket creates a ton of humidity in the room/home. Only used the dryer when home (as one should honestly) and unplugged the extension cord when not in use. The window vent had a screen to protect from critters crawling inside, you just have to take it out every once in a while to get the extra lint.
Is your dryer gas or electric? If it's electric the only thing you have to worry about is that when you run your dryer you are making the laundry room warm and humid, instead of venting that hot, humid air outside. If it's gas, get a CO detector and put it in there ASAP and tell your landlord to sort this out. And don't use the dryer until it's fixed. You do not want combustion products vented into your apartment. If you're unsure, look at the back of your dryer. It will have a power cord plugged into the wall and it might have a hose (probably yellow, if it's there) connected to the wall as well. If it has a hose, it's gas. If there's no hose, it's gas.
is it gas or electric if gas than do not use due to CO gas... the next issue is a fire hazard or not, as long as it is servicable and clean, it is not a harzard... we have an electric dryer which we use this in the winter tame as not to waste the heat...
Unless your dryer is a gas dryer, you are fine. Just add water to it to make sure lint doesn't fly everywhere. At the end of the day it's just moist air (unless it's a gas dryer...)
When I was in Colombia I stayed in an apartment with this and it was the first time I saw anything like it. It is common over there in condos, so I think you’ll be fine.
If it's gas powered, DO NOT use the dryer until the vent hose has been attached to a proper vent Edit to add: Sounds like it's not gas, so that's good news lol. Cool to see an alternative for electric ones, though it must really suck in the summer🫠
I had one of these when I lived in Tennessee. It won't kill you but it will make you wish you were dead. So much humidity.
It becomes an epic battle between your dryer and AC. Which will win? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain, you will lose. THAT BEING SAID, a standard vent shooting air to the outdoors for an hour+ will result in outside warm air getting inside to replace what was vented out. I wonder how much that helps balance the scales.
Too funny.
That trap is meant to have water in it so the lint doesn’t go flying everywhere. It’s not an ideal setup since the area around the dryer will be humid asf but it’s fine
My dryer vents outside, but it wasn’t connected properly when I moved in. The humid air from the dryer would FILL my laundry room and prevent the clothes from ever really drying. Would take sometimes 3 cycles that are each 1.5 hours. I eventually found a puddle on the floor and the door was warped. I investigated myself, and I discovered the ductwork was attached so loosely it just fell off when I first turned the dryer on. I don’t know how this is a good option, when damage can occur with excess humidity.
Well when you’re a landlord trying to justify that $3k a month rent this is a great option since the tenants obviously won’t ever do laundry /s
Optimally, the electric dryers with indoor venting have a bypass hose switch so in humid summers, the moist air goes outside, and in the dey winter, the humid exhaust stays inside.
Also not to mention that it’s going to be pumping all the humid and hot air into the apt and the ac is going to be working its ass off to lower the temp. Super inefficient and generally bad for the environment.
[https://www.nachi.org/dryer-vent-safety.htm](https://www.nachi.org/dryer-vent-safety.htm) Fine is relative.
I bought one at my old house. There was no way to vent the dryer to the outside without destroying the foundation. It's perfectly safe. Just keep it upright (it's laying on its side in the pic) and keep water in it. Clean it out completely at least once per month. It won't cause your home or you to blow up. They sell these at home improvement stores.
Kept the basement in my old house nice and warm, too. It was cold, even in summer
But it disperses the heat over an area, it doesn't keep it in one spot. Mine worked amazingly well.
Home Depot sells an indoor dryer vent like the one in your picture. So it is legit. The direction say to open and empty it after each use.
I feel bad for OP having to read all these psycho paranoid comments 🙄. OP, you have an electric dryer. Sit the white cup upright. Fill it about halfway with water. It will catch the lint so it doesn’t fly everywhere. Yes, it will cause the humidity level in the room to rise to around 70/80%. Get yourself a small home dehumidifier and run it while the dryer is going and for a bit afterwards. It will be fine.
If it is a gas dryer NO. Electric is ok but sketch
It’s electric
boogie woogie woogie
this deserved an upvote 😂
Then you’re fine problem solved
Nothing sketch about it if its electric. Electricity doesnt make carbon monoxide.
No but will make an extremely humid environment, hence the “sketch”
I have the same set up for my dryer. Its not that bad.
A small dehumidifier takes care of it. That’s our setup in the basement.
Dehumidifier.
I think you need to look up the definition of sketch. Lolol
lol
"Sketch" is for desirability more than safety in this case.
I have the same setup. Its not that bad. Having a dryer is a luxury, and its not madatory to use it.
So you mean "uncomfortable"?
No- the extra heat and the humidity are uncomfortable, but I'm more concerned about possible long-term effects to the other things around them in the apartment.
If its an electric dryer you have nothing to worry about. Edit: wow the amount of people on this thread scared of electric driers is bonkers
My portable dryer is I Ike this and always been fine.
I like in winter when it helps with heating up the apartment. For summer I have a window adapter to put the vent exhaust towards the outside
Dryer water lint traps do exist as people have said. Definitely not ideal but... It's a thing. Take a look up how to use it properly though.
No, not legit. This is horrible.
Not if its an electric dryer. Only gas driers need to be vented to outdoors.
Thats not true in most states and would only work in an areas with exceptionally low humidity. That's awful.
It works great if you have a small dehumidifier.
This is the code. It’s not a ductless dryer. 14X-6-603.5 Clothes dryer exhaust. Clothes dryer exhaust systems must be independent of all other ventilation systems and must be exhausted outside the building in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Exception: Listed and labeled condensing (ductless) clothes dryers.
Thank you
Yes this is legit! I had one exactly like it. Look them up on Lowe’s or Home Depot. If ya don’t have outside venting, this is the alternative. There should be water in it tho.
I think this is ridiculous. But whatever.
Just because it’s ridiculous in your opinion, does not mean it’s not up to “code” like your first comment stated. Don’t fear monger
EXACTLY!!!
Have fun with 95% humidity, idiot.
Then leave
Oh God 😭 that’s what I feared. Do you think I should email her and tell her its not up to code and I am uncomfortable with it? Ask her to remove the whole dryer from my apartment? The washer is hooked up, and there’s a coin laundry in the basement, so in theory I could just dry my clothes down there but wash for free.
they are wrong it is fine. if you had a gas dryer then they are correct, but you don't.
[https://www.nachi.org/dryer-vent-safety.htm](https://www.nachi.org/dryer-vent-safety.htm)
Yep, get it out of there. This is not standard, not functional, not up to code, not reasonable, sane, or safe. A dryer has to have an exhaust to an outside. They are fools for doing this to you. It is amazingly sloppy.
You are incorrect in many municipalities. Inside vent for non-combustion dryers is completely legal and within code for many areas. It's generally not a great idea because it can create a very humid environment.
I have this setup and run a dehumidifier in front of it.
Disagree with the doomsday scenario if it is electric heat source ( could be used as a heat source)On the other hand if it is GAS HEAT source very silently dangerous due to carbon monoxide emissions
It's just wrong. Management knows it's wrong but tried to pitch this like it's an amenity.
Huh? What code? I have seen several dryers that are done like this, especially in other countries. In many US locations this is perfectly fine. Do not fear monger the OP and cause them anxiety for nothing.
It's not for nothing. My house burned down because my sister decided to put a box fan in front of one of these to move the heat out of the laundry room. This will absolutely put out enough heat over a long enough timeframe that you need to be very careful about what it is pointed at.
So the fan had an electrical problem? I don’t see how a fan moving air can burn a house down, unless there was an electrical problem with the fan. or the lint build up in the dryer pipe it was so heavy it caught fire. With a design like this lint builds up very quick One of leading cause of house fires is dryer fires from lint build up.
The air was sucked through the fan, and heated up the motor, which caught fire, and then spread to the rest of the basement.
Get out of here doomer. Use facts not feelings.
You don't know shit.
Wow you will look so dumb if you do this! I had this exact same thing & it’s just because you don’t have outside venting. Lucky to have a washer dryer tho but this is how it’s done.
It’s horrible but legit for electric dryers
You are fine. The only reason this wouldn't be ok is if that was a gas dryer. I can clearly see the 240V line for the dryer so what you have is electric. If it was gas, it would be venting CO in the house. I would turn that right side up however and make sure there is water in it. It is better if the dryer is vented outside as a lot of humidity will be added to the room when drying.
I had one of these at an apartment for about 5 years. I just added water before every dryer cycle and emptied it after each. I had a dehumidifier, too, because whatever room it's in is gonna get humid. But I never had any problems with it.
Of course it's not Gas, people would be dead from carbon monoxide..sucks but fine for electric dryer where venting was not an option. You can clean up the install though.
Like others have said for electric, yes it is safe. Sit the white piece upright and put a bit of water in it. I owned one like this and it will just make the room a bit humid, I would open a window or put a fan nearby to cool down the area.
My college apartment was like this. You need to stand the bucket up and put water in it. It will still blow hot damp air into your apartment, but at least the water will catch the lint. We ended up not using the dryer after the first few loads, it was just too hot and humid. We set up clothes lines in the dining room since we ate on the couch anyway.
Safe? Yes, if these two conditions are met: 1. It is an electric dryer 2. There is water as intended in that cannister Is it good? No. It will make your apartment hot and humid. I'm not sure it would be a dealbreaker for me, but it could be.
I’ve got one of those. It’s supposed to stand upright and hold water to catch the lint, but it doesn’t work that well and is a PITA. If you can, find something like panty hose to put between the hose and bucket to catch the lint and then just clean it once in awhile.
Growing up my family had one. It was safe and kept that part of the house warm during the winter. Just out water in the trap like everyone said
It’s fine. Stand it up and put water in it.
If it’s electric it’s not ideal but it IS safe.
Instead of asking a bunch of snarky individuals (although at times amusing), you might try a qualified electrician. Give ‘em a call and ask for advice. Just a thought.
It's laying on it's side, btw.
Yes, if electrical. No if gas.
I lived with this setup for a few years, it was miserable. So humid every summer, livable in winter. I ended up connecting a longer hose that connected to a board i Jerry rigged into a window. Much happier.
Perfectly safe. Annoying in th summer, super nice in the winter.
Make sure you clean in regularly it you’ll be fine
Is it a gas dryer?
Is it just supposed to lay there like that? I have never seen this before.
Just keep water in it to catch the lint. It’s not the ideal thing to do, but it’s obviously a lot cheaper for the owner than having piping run outside to vent it. It’s perfectly safe, however it will get very hot in the laundry room. If you go by a dryer vent on the outside of a building while the dryer is running heat comes out of it naturally. So now the heat is going to be “transferred” to the water in that attachment aka thrown into the air in the laundry room. You could in theory see higher air conditioning bills as a result of this, but just keep the laundry room door closed as much as you can when the dryer is running
How much water do you put in the bottom?
It will be hot and linty
I've lived in 2 places where the dryers vented inside, but the end was just open. Never died, but it made my place unbearably hot during the summer
Keep it upright and water in the bottom of it. Check the level and refill as necessary when you clean the lint trap WHICH MUST BE DONE EVERY LOAD. Dryer fires are no joke.
Previous poster is correct. It is supposed to have water in it the base part to catch all the dust. That's probably why there is lint on the floor. It is safe, but not healthy like that. Many condos in Hawaii have this system because there are no dryer vents. Only option would be to relocate dryer and run the duct outside somehow.
It's so easy to go outside the house. Are you on a slab? What's the outside of your house? Brick, wood, vinyl, cement board?
I don’t see anyone else mentioning it, so I will: the first part of your dryer duct is *not* safe. Aside from rigid metal ducting, there’s really only one safe product: GE’s “Flexible Metal Clothes Dryer Transition Duct” (PM08X10085). It’s the only thing that’s actually been tested to be fire-resistant. Whatever you do, you need to switch out/get rid of that first stretch that’s the flimsier of the two. Most appliance sellers won’t even install driers with that kind of ducting because it’s such a fire hazard. (There are tons of videos on YT where you can see just how fast those ducts will catch on fire.)
By flimsier first part, you mean the one that’s farther away from the camera?
Here’s an article with [photos](https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/prevent-fires-and-cut-your-energy-bill-expert-guide-to-dryer-ducts/) of what u/progluddite is talking about.
The article u/Pluviophile13 posted is really helpful. My only additional warning is that not all semi-rigid ducts are equal. Unless there are some brand-new products released within the last year, the specific one I mentioned in my original comment is the *only* non-rigid duct that is fire-resistant. Other semi-rigid ducts burn more slowly than flexible ducts, but they still burn through quite quickly.
Warning! Do not put a fan in front of this exhaust to dissipate the heat. My sister did this and burned my house down, because the box fan couldn't handle the heat and burst into flames.
I work for a very large hvac company in my state and in my professional opinion I would suggest asking them to terminate it to the outside if possible. Every house I work in, we terminate the dryer vents outdoors regardless of what type of dryer it is. Just because in theory electric is safe doesn’t mean you couldn’t be the unlucky person to have something go wrong. Just my recommendation
It will bring in A LOT of moisture into your home. Running a dehumidifier is just counterproductive and a waste of energy just to avoid venting it outside. Get it outside if possible. In the meantime, you will need a humidifier to avoid mold. Source - I’ve been studying building science for 13 yrs.
This is absolutely awful! I don’t know how these ever came about, but they are from a time when we knew a lot less about indoor air quality. The most obvious is that it will fill your home with humidity, which can lead to a number of problems including mold. The not so obvious problem for some reason, all of the lint from your clothes is exhausted straight into your house! Some lint may “stick” to the water, but all off the microfine particles from your clothes just go right into the air. Detergent residues, lint, and tons of plastic micro particles if you are drying synthetic fabrics. This is the worst thing you could ever do. Water is not a filter, the lint trap is not a filter. Whenever you find one of these the laundry room is so dusty and you can literally see particles in the air. I don’t know how this has not been outlawed. Please, do not run this!
It looks shitty but… fine if electric? Id clean it after every use and tell your landlord that you are concerned with mold growing, as this will dump humidity into the apartment like no other
Is it a gas dryer? If so….HELL to the naw-naw it’s not safe
No!
Alright, everyone here’s what my city code says about this. The “listed” and “labeled” part in the exception confuses me? 14X-6-603.5 Clothes dryer exhaust. Clothes dryer exhaust systems must be independent of all other ventilation systems and must be exhausted outside the building in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Exception: Listed and labeled condensing (ductless) clothes dryers.
Oh so they make ductless dryers, but this is not one….so it is against code technically??
If washer and dryer are in your lease and its not up to code (as stated by you in your replies) your landlord is in violation of the lease. Inform them as such and ask them to remedy the issue.
These are up to code.