Can I Vent Into The Clothes Dryer Exhaust?

[nu-bube]

Hi All,

I'm setting up in my garage with a 6" carbon filter to a 6" fan going to a 6" air cooled hood, (400 watt H.P.S.) And exhausting to ???

The exhaust from the hood will be less than three feet from a wall that has a washer/dryer on the other side, (laundrey room.)

My question: Can I run my exhaust through the wall, and "T" or "Y" into the 4" dryer duct line? ( would it help if I run my exhaust fan 24/7 ? )

Do you think the clothes in the dryer will wind up smelling of weed?

I hope this wasn't too dumb a question.

Thank you Everyone.

Bube

[Agovita]

That should work fine... Just keep in mind that your exhaust vent will stink like herb.

[nu-bube]

Thank You Agovita for your input.

Actually, I'm hoping,(maybe praying?), that I bought a good enough carbon filter, (Phresh filter 6'x24",) and fan, (Sunleaves 6" Wind Tunnel,) that smell won't be a big problem.

I'm also thinking about doing the O.N.A Bucket thing just to be sure.

Thank you everyone.

[Don Piano]

you can do this, just put a antibackflow damper on the dryer side of the t and on the grow side of the t and you will be fine. $4 from homedepot for each, made by deflecto or you can step up to metal ones from CAN for around 20 each, or you can step up to electronic dampers with rubber seals (work real well) for around 60 each, but you have to set them up to run on 24v and you will need either relays or a temp controller for the grow and a relay for your dryer.

Best bet, use a combo. The electronic one on the grow side, and the metal CAN spring loaded deal on the dryer side.

[jollyrancher1]

If you want to check stink, burn incense and see if you can smell it.

Good way to test a system as the real deal won't stink much more.

[nu-bube]

Great ideas guys. Thank You!

[PhillyBlunts]

Dude.

Danger Will Robinson!

Dryer vent fires are really damned dangerous.

You cannot have ANYTHING sticking into the vent. A screw sticking in collects lint. You also don't want elbows and bends and such, lint will collect here as well. It's dangerous.

I bet that you attempting to modify this dryer vent will result in some lint build up points. Seriously man, you don't want to burn your house down.

[Don Piano]

That is a great point, but i believe with regular cleaning it should be fine, like in between grow cycles. Use no screws, tape only.

[leao]

Just wanted to chip in that I picked up one of the Phresh carbon filters for my second grow and it worked beautifully with no smell at all. I think with the fan/filter combo you picked up you should have no problems with the smell.

[nevesone7]

Originally Posted by PhillyBlunts

Dude.

Danger Will Robinson!

Dryer vent fires are really damned dangerous.

You cannot have ANYTHING sticking into the vent. A screw sticking in collects lint. You also don't want elbows and bends and such, lint will collect here as well. It's dangerous.

I bet that you attempting to modify this dryer vent will result in some lint build up points. Seriously man, you don't want to burn your house down.

I clean dryer vents all the time, as long as you give them a cleaning now and then this concern is nothing to worry about. Almost EVERY vent (mine runs up the wall into the attic and out a vent in the roof) has some elbow's and bends. The air traveling from the dryer is not that hot, otherwise your cloths would surely burn man..

[HydroFarmer]

Dryer vents are usually 4" and you won't find a 6" to 4" reducer at home depot. A reducer or T will really slow down the air flow across your hood and thur the filter. I like to have the light hoods on an open loop to the attic and then use the filter purely as a scrubber with a can fan sitting right on top of the filter. This way you know when the smell is a problem. Ona would hurt either but doesn't last very long. Febreeze true air units work great for small gardens. Febreeze® True Air Odor Eliminator (04530) - Air Purifiers - Ace Hardware Need one for every 5'x5' area.

[Don Piano]

Originally Posted by HydroFarmer

Dryer vents are usually 4" and you won't find a 6" to 4" reducer at home depot. A reducer or T will really slow down the air flow across your hood and thur the filter. I like to have the light hoods on an open loop to the attic and then use the filter purely as a scrubber with a can fan sitting right on top of the filter. This way you know when the smell is a problem. Ona would hurt either but doesn't last very long. Febreeze true air units work great for small gardens. Febreeze® True Air Odor Eliminator (04530) - Air Purifiers - Ace Hardware Need one for every 5'x5' area.

funny, every 6-4 reducer (it is actually an increaser, reducing a 6 to 4 would be impractical for ductings original design of ducting hot air, but anyway) I have bought from the HD. I have like 6 of them lying around with no use. Febreeze...Hopefully it is not scented) Have you ever had weed that tastes like dryer sheets? if you did, you'd never use anything "scented" (other than food service grade stuff like ona and ozium) in your grow ever.

[nu-bube]

Thank you everyone for your wonderful thoughts!

Nevesone7 ( or anyone else,) can you please tell me how you go about cleaning dryer vents?

At my house the laundry room is on the ground floor, and the dryer vent hookup is about 4 feet from the side of the house, (and maybe three feet above the floor.)

Now here's the part that weirds me out, the vent exhaust on the outside of the house is about TEN feet above the laundry floor level. I can't understand why, but it doesn't really matter, thats how it is.

Anyway, once again if you guys can give me an idea on how to clean this thing I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks again everyone,

Bube

[HydroFarmer]

don, if you have a 6" carbon filter to a 6" fan going to a 6" air cooled hood going to a 4" dryer vent then the designed increaser become a what?. Follow the direction of the air, bigger to smaller = reducer. Which is why that was a bad idea the static pressure would be so high that very little air would go though the filter to cool the bulb. As for the febreeze it is unscented just activated carbon and a fan. Right now, HDepot has a display in every store by the air filters.

Reread your post from the 6th "you can do this" was not helpful. What's your next super totally awesome idea "shove a leaf blower in the dryer vent".

So haha, even funnier like I said "you won't find a 6" to 4" reducer at home depot".

NuB, if there is an attic above the garage then go get a 2' 6" metal duct. Trace the duct on the ceiling, cut the hole tight, work the duct thru, connect the duct, and vent away. The dryer option is a bust.

[nevesone7]

Originally Posted by nu-bube

Thank you everyone for your wonderful thoughts!

Nevesone7 ( or anyone else,) can you please tell me how you go about cleaning dryer vents?

At my house the laundry room is on the ground floor, and the dryer vent hookup is about 4 feet from the side of the house, (and maybe three feet above the floor.)

Now here's the part that weirds me out, the vent exhaust on the outside of the house is about TEN feet above the laundry floor level. I can't understand why, but it doesn't really matter, thats how it is.

Anyway, once again if you guys can give me an idea on how to clean this thing I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks again everyone,

Bube

They make vent cleaning kits:
Dryer Vent Cleaning - How To Clean Your Dryer Vent - Dryer Duct Lint Removal

I also have used brushes attached to drain snakes ( or anything that is flexible with a brush big enough to clean whatever size your vent pipe is..it's pretty much the same process as a chimney cleaning, except there is really no need for a narly wire brush..the lint/dust brushes right out!
I brush in conjunction with my shop vac. to catch all the lint/dust that comes out as your cleaning.

It really depends on how long the vent pipe is, mine goes up the wall and into the attic, so I disconnected the elbow in the attic and brushed everything down, while the shop vac hose was in the vent at the dryer sucking all the lint and dust as I brushed it from above.

Do a search on google for Dryer Vent Cleaning. There is brushes and kits available...

Goodluck and happy growing man!