Our dryer is in the basement, and the vent goes up through the basement roof and out the backyard.

Last night the wife was doing laundry when water started dripping through the basement ceiling. Sure enough, it's the dryer vent. Water is condensing inside and leaking out through the joints. Not a lot, but a drip every few second -- enough to build up.

This is the second time this has happened, this time in a different spot. The first time was a reasonably easy fix (some compound around the threads). Tried that again last night and it was still leaky, although we didn't give the compound much time to dry. I'll give it another shot tonight.

Anyways, here are my questions:

1.) How much condensation should there be in the vent? It's cold where we live so some may be inevitable, but not to the extent that it's leaking out. Any tips on how to reduce condensation in the vent?

2.) When I was checking out the leak, I put my hand above the vent pipe and noticed that there seemed to be a lot of air coming out of the joint at the top when the dryer is running. You could actually hear it. Is that normal, and if not is something to worry about?

 

You dont say if this is a gas or electric dryer????????

Is there a flipper outside on the vent ????

About how long and how many L's in the pipe. metal or what??

ED

 

Electric dryer. Not sure about the outside vent, thought it was just a plastic grate but I could be wrong.

The piping is metal, and fairly wide (at least four inches). It feeds straight up about eight feet, an elbow, then maybe 20-30 feet across the ceiling, elbow, and the a few feet to the outside. So two L's between the machine and the outside wall.

 

20 ft + 2 L =5ft = 30 ft of pipe. I think by the book thats to long.
If its the 30ft = 40 ft of pipe thats to long for a dryer pipe. look at the book for the dryer. 4" is right .

Check the out side vent there. It has to have a flipper in it that works. Check it out or get a new one for it, make sure that it opens and close for you.

Out of the box here ....Is the home new or not to old? good insulation, windows, doors? Do you have any vent fans in the home bath and kitchen that you use? Do you have a fireplace in the home? gas or oil furnace.

Think ---- all of the above we have found at one time or the other.To get their air from the dryer vent.

Had one that the water pipes froze on an inside wall in the home . A fireplace got its air from the dryer vent.


And just think you only have water drips

ED

 

Now you're making me nervous...

The home is ten years old. We've been in it since the summer. Insulation is good. There are vent fans in each bathroom, although they aren't used much. Gas furnace. There's a wood fireplace, but we haven't used it since moving in.

 

Not knowing where you are at. Lately we've been having sub zero temp in some areas here. If your flapper outside isn't closed, the cold air is going to go into the dryer pipe. The pipe is cold and will frost around it inside the home. So when you turn on the dryer, the frost is warming up and melting.. That's where you getting your dripping from.


So, go out and check your flappers are closing, pipe not filled with lint.. Wouldn't hurt to wrap some insulation around the pipe the first 4' from the outside wall.

 

Unfortunately the vent pipe extends across the ceiling (which is all panel, so I have access), but then goes up the wall to outside. I have no access to it right at the wall to insulate it.

I'll defintely check the flap outside though.

Any thought on all the air that's coming out of vent at the leaky joint? That's a little odd, isn't it?

 

Can you see if any holes in the pipe If so you could try and tape them up with aluminum tape not duct tape. Also it goes back to the filpper does it open all the way when the dryer is on and let the air out. Do you have a lint build up in the pipe. Fireplace dont use, but is damper closed and is it tight that it dont pull on the home for air. Does it take a longtime to dry things. Could be the run is to long for the fan . When it runs does lots of hot air come out at the outside flipper????????????????? ED

 

The flapper is something I'll check tonight when I get hom. (Remind me to thank you when I'm standing in three feet of the snow at 10:00).

There's not so much a hole in the vent pipe as there is a gab. I can't see it because it's at the top but when I feel around there does seems to be a gap between threads that's letting the air out.

Linkt buildup is a possibility. The dryer has been performing fine, though. No issues with damp clothes.