Investor · Denver, CO · Member since 2014 · 128 posts · 23 votes
I have two rental units in which the electric dryer does not vent to the exterior. I provide lint traps for tenants use. I know this is not ideal, but have decided for now, I am OK with the solution.
One unit is complaining about the smell of exhaust. If it were gas power, I would be more concerned about proper venting/carbon monoxide etc. In this case, Im really not sure what the tenant is smelling.
Investor · Juneau, AK · Member since 2015 · 980 posts · 741 votes
10y
Mitch, you want the dryer to vent the warm, damp air outside for all sorts of reasons (these can include mold, moisture, rot, even health and more).
It should be fairly simple for a contractor to put in a to code vent if you are not handy.
Really think about this getting this vented out properly asap to help tenant satisfaction (and health) and protect your building and prevent mold or moisture build up in your units.
Clarks Summit, PA · Member since 2013 · 66 posts · 30 votes
10y
@Mitch H. When was the last time they/you cleaned the lint traps and pipe? It wouldn't be the first time a lint trap caused a fire and that exhaust smell might be the start of that.
I'm not a HVAC expert, this is just an idea for a possible issue.
Investor · Denver, CO · Member since 2014 · 128 posts · 23 votes
10y
The dryer was bought used from a reputable dealer less than a month ago, and the small amount of venting to the lint trap was new at that time as well.
Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
10y
can you smell it too? If it is like a rubber smell I have had belts in dryers even when vented make this smell. I think they said it was due to the belt that turns the drum slipping??
Inevitably we had to replace the belt but I am not sure all dryers even work that way.
Investor · Juneau, AK · Member since 2015 · 980 posts · 741 votes
10y
Mitch, you want the dryer to vent the warm, damp air outside for all sorts of reasons (these can include mold, moisture, rot, even health and more).
It should be fairly simple for a contractor to put in a to code vent if you are not handy.
Really think about this getting this vented out properly asap to help tenant satisfaction (and health) and protect your building and prevent mold or moisture build up in your units.
Investor · Newburgh, IN · Member since 2014 · 63 posts · 47 votes
10y
Venting a dryer inside can cause a lot of humidity and can lead to mold. Quickly.
Not to mention other damage to paint and laminate surfaces..
If you try to vent it into a crawlspace, the mold will happen even faster.
I'd do what it takes to get it vented outside. It's against building code to vent one like that where I live. Going through a wall or through a crawl space isn't usually a huge deal.
As far as what your tenant is smelling, that's a mystery. I've never heard of an electric dryer emitting fumes other than dirt burning off of the elements..which is usually short lived.
Investor · Denver, CO · Member since 2014 · 128 posts · 23 votes
10y
Thanks for the advice on proper venting. I'm aware its not a long term solution to provide the vent boxes. However, I live in a desert with very low humidity. Therefore, in the short term, I am not concerned about the little bit of extra humidity.
Just trying to get to the source of this phantom "smell".
What exactly is the odor... rubber burning (e.g., the aforementioned drum belt), an electrical odor (e.g., motor failing) or that classic, dryer exhaust smell of hot, humid air and heated cotton and synthetics?
If it turns out to be the latter of those, then the issue may simply be that it's not properly vented and should be.
What exactly is the odor... rubber burning (e.g., the aforementioned drum belt), an electrical odor (e.g., motor failing) or that classic, dryer exhaust smell of hot, humid air and heated cotton and synthetics?
If it turns out to be the latter of those, then the issue may simply be that it's not properly vented and should be.
Good tips. I'm going to try and get some more info on the smell itself.
Blue Springs, MO · Member since 2015 · 481 posts · 313 votes
10y
Depending on the dryer design, something like an errant dryer sheet or sock or scrap of fabric may have escaped the drum and fallen into the air piping in the dryer. In theory, the lint filter should have caught this, but in practice, it happens. You may need to unplug and take apart the dryer (or have somebody do that) to find it.
One good diagnostic is to run the dryer on "fluff/air" - no heat - to see if you still get the smell.
Y'know that lint and fluff which ends up in the dryer vent? If you vent indoors, where does it go? It floats around in the ambient air, doesn't it?
Where does the dryer get the air to draw over the heaters and then over the clothes? From the ambient space, no?
What happens when that lint hits the heaters? It burns, doesn't it? That's a big reason why I wouldn't recommend indoor venting, especially in the desert where heat is not needed that much. Colder climes, maybe. Desert? No.
Might that be the scent to which the tenant is objecting?
Some people have very sensitive noses. My Mom was one. Certain common odors were very irritating to her. Another potential element in the scenario.