We’ve been in our condo about 16 months. The dryer vents for the building are in various shared, “stacks,” that go through the five stories of the building. There are only 18 units in our building.
Unbeknownst to us, when our unit was completely remodeled in 2011 or so, the owners rerouted the dryer a different way. The remodel was not done by our sellers but by owners prior to them. It’s a long story that we have had to work hard to gather intel on. My best guess is that the current venting is not up to code - it’s crazy long with several 90 degree turns.
I don’t want to put the venting back to the original, shared stacking, because I don’t think it works very well either. I think that is why they tried an alternative. The people who live both above and below us have given up replaced their regular dryers with ventless ones.
It’s clear we are getting some lint build up. I spoke to a dryer vent guy about trying to have ours cleaned out, but after talking to him, it seems to me that a ventless dryer is the way we really need to go given the circuitous and likely non-code venting system we have. We had NO idea our unit was the only one in the building that was different than the others. There were apparently issues with what they did at the time with the POA, etc. It’s all rather frustrating.
Please don’t suggest alternative venting possibilities. I’m pretty convinced that we need to go ventless, so please advise me on brands, how the work, and the good, bad and the ugly if you can! Oh. And we have to be stacked in a closet.
If I needed one, I would start with European makes (Bosch, Electrolux, Miele) - most of the dryers sold in Europe are ventless models. However, those will likely be 24 inch models. Some folks say that condensing dryers work better than heat pumps.
Interesting you mention this. Our daughter just moved into a new (I think apartment older building that has been remodeled). It is her first ventless dryer, and none of us had heard of them. Maybe it just is a better solution than sharing vents. So far she seems not crazy about it, though not sure yet why.
I only recently had my dryer vented. But I’ve never had a fancy dryer. The hose just attached to a little semi-covered bucket that you had to keep somewhat filled with water and clean it out from time to time (like 2-3x month) like the dryer vent.
We have the Bosch 500 Series Condensing dryer pictured here:
First ventless dryer purchased and we have had it for about 1 1/2 years. Other then cleaning the lint trap each load, you need to clean the Heat exchanger unit monthly for lint build up. So far no issues and very happy with the unit.
Wait - so are you saying you can just buy a kit and make a vented dryer into a ventless one?? Is that what that does?
EDIT: Okay, I watched the video with your link. Do you think there going to be a potential issue with mildew because my washer and dryer are stacked a closet? I already keep the door open when I run the dryer. But, we do live in humid Florida already.
That I’m not sure about. In my old house, Mine was in a basement. Birds liked to nest in the vent so the previous owners stopped using it and we never did. In my current house, it’s in a closet, but there’s a window and being over 100 years old, it’s not well sealed. Eventually we made a hole to vent outside. But if mildew isn’t a problem, it’s super easy. The water evaporates and emptying it isn’t much different than the dryer vent. You could ask someone locally at Lowe’s or Home Depot maybe about the mildew issue
We had an LG all in one ventless in one of our condos. It worked fairly well. My only complaint is that clothes seemed more wrinkled than a conventional separate washer/dryer. We had no issue with the ventless part. Also in a closet.
Not a converter kit. There was a hole in the dryer vent hose allowing the moist, hot air to escape. Mold happened. The owners did not know and did not see anything… then their child developed some strange allergies. Lots of trips to the specialists. Could not figure out what was going on until somehow they found the broken hose. Replaced it, got mold treatment, and the mystery illness went away.
My point is: if the converter still allows some moist air to escape, which I think it will, mold can happen.
I had an apartment with a non-vented dryer that essentially evaporated. It took forever so was expensive, and the clothes felt different to me.
It was front loading and the previous tenant had closed the door. It was actually visibly moldy. The landlord replaced the machine and I made sure to keep the door open. Even though it was in a closet, the closet had slats/vents.
Apartment complexes are not known for installing higher end appliances. Usually, rental places come with contractor grade appliances. Plus, I guess not all renters would take care of the appliances as required which could lead to mold issues. If 95% of Europe has lived with ventless dryers for so long and is not covered in mold, certainly there are models that work very well. There is really no need to bake clothes like we do in the US - heat damages fabrics.
Had never heard of ventless dryers and we live in a very humid place that has tons of mold and mildew. I guess we will stick with our old vented machine for foreseeable future. It vents directly outside into the bushes at the back of the house. Good to know ventless dryers work if they are properly done and have no leaks in hoses.
There is really no need to bake clothes like we do in the US - heat damages fabrics.