Is Venting Through A Chimney Okay? (Code Examined)

I understand that installing ducting can be inconvenient, messy, overwhelming, together with power even appear unnecessary. Why tin can’t you lot purpose what’second already in that location? I am no stranger to attempting to ameliorate efficiency while decreasing the run it takes.

However, a dryer vent is non the home to do it. There are specific rules to follow when it comes to venting dryers, particularly gas dryers. Since these are in that location to keep you as well as your habitation safe, it is all worth the try too mess.

It is against IRC regulations to vent a gas dryer through a chimney. Not alone is it illegal, just it prevents proper exhausting past impacting airflow, in addition to it’second dangerous. Lint, wet, too gas byproducts are harmful to wellness together with domicile. Lint is likewise highly flammable.

Venting Through a Chimney is Prohibited

The International Residential Code (IRC) provides clear regulations for dryer exhaust ducts together with how to vent them. Not solely that, just it explicitly prohibits the connection of a dryer exhaust duct to a chimney:

“Clothes dryer exhaust ducts shall not be connected to a vent connector, vent, or chimney.”

Section G2439.iii (614.iv)

As y'all tin can imagine, forgoing the ducts altogether together with simply using the chimney is likewise not going to live permitted based on this regulation.

Additionally, Section G2439.ane (614.1) states that the dryer must live completely independent of other systems. To connect the dryer to the chimney way it is sharing an exhaust organization with whatever appliances or installations that the chimney serves.

The IRC, Section G2439.seven.ane (614.nine.i), says that a gas dryer exhaust duct must have a polish surface and live made from metal. A chimney can be made of metallic, as well as this pipe for your furnace power accept a polish interior, merely what almost if you lot take a brick fireplace chimney?

There is as well a department (G2439.7.ii (614.9.two)) on how to connect the ducting sections for a dryer exhaust. One tin can infer from this description that connecting it into a chimney or simply directing it upwards through a chimney is non up to code standards.

It is e'er important to greenback that at that place can live local adjustments to the code regulations, which means that state building codes vary. However, it is unlikely that there will be any states that volition allow a setup that vents a dryer like this.

Why Gas Dryers Cannot Be Vented Through Chimneys

It’second Against the Code (Illegal)

The International Code Council (ICC) created the building codes every bit a comprehensive guide as well as model code for the safest installations and practices for homes. The people behind these codes come up from international councils as well as committees of professionals that complied their knowledge too expertise.

What makes these suggested regulations laws is their adoption past a country’s governing bodies. Adjustments are made to increase the local applicability of these codes, in addition to currently, Wisconsin is the exclusively state that has not accepted the codes.

Since the legal bodies inwards the other United States territories accept standardized the ICC building codes, they are law. It is according to these codes that home inspectors comport their examinations, in addition to municipalities event permits in addition to approvals.

Non-compliance alongside codes, including those regarding your dryer exhaust duct, can consequence inwards fines too demands that yous take your constructions too installations upward to code (which will toll you lot, peculiarly if you lot have a fourth dimension limit).

Another consideration is that, since using a chimney constitutes an illegal installation, yous tin can have problems amongst insurance.

Venting a dryer through a chimney is a fire take chances. This can void whatever insurance claims if a burn occurs as well as tin can even bear on other claims for impairment when the inspection reveals the organisation.

Compromised Airflow Efficiency

Dryers are designed to operate amongst a specific sized ducting alongside a balanced air pressure level system for the exhaust arrangement to accomplish optimal airflow that volition transport hot together with humid air, gas byproducts, together with lint out of your abode.

A too-narrow opening, besides-long ducting run, in addition to a textured surface (as amongst bricks) increase static force per unit area (resistance), which slows the airflow.

This increases the depositing of lint together with condensation as air remains in the channel for also long together with cools. Textured surfaces besides supply more than places for lint to get together.

Another matter to view is that your dryer is non meant to connect to a chimney. You are going to have to Frankenstein the connections. Compromised or excessive connections can as well interfere with the pressure level organization together with create more than areas for lint to gather too velocity to live lost.

Lint Can Gather inward the Chimney

Fine, short, soft fibers are lifted from wearable during washing as well as drying. However, these fibers, which compose lint (including another fluff together with substances on your wearing apparel), are mainly lifted every bit the dress dry.

As hot air evaporates wet from the clothes, it too picks upward too blows lint out of the drum, where it passes through a lint filter. This removes the bulk, merely roughly yet gets past it.

These fibers tin can make upward inward an exhaust vent (or chimney); the previous department shows that well-nigh improper exhaust systems increment lint gathering.

Lint acts every bit kindling when it combines with oestrus. Since it’sec already a burn run a risk, adding it to a chimney (attached to a fireplace, furnace, or heater) means taking unnecessary safety risks.

Not alone tin this lint live blown downwards into your habitation together with around a fire, but it tin as well live blown through your family one time alight.

Thus, it is incredibly dangerous to have lint gathering inward inappropriate places, like a chimney, too that is why terminals too clearances for the dryer vent are heavily regulated.

Dryer Exhaust Can Enter Other Appliances

If your furnace or whatsoever other gas appliance is attached to the chimney, y'all want to continue humid or lint-ladened air away from the appliance. This air will interfere with the furnace’sec operation, and clog the filters, which tin upshot in overheating as well as breaking downward.

Lint about the oestrus of a fuel-burning appliance is too a shortcut to starting domicile fires, which is unsafe.

If y'all connect a dryer where it isn’t supposed to become, you run the take chances of creating a backdraft for the fuel-burning appliance. This pushes the exhaust products like carbon monoxide into the household.

Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas that tin can bear upon your wellness, and so it should be removed from the furnace to the outdoors where it isn’t harmful. Even carbon dioxide (the principal gas byproduct of a properly performance gas appliance) is not the skilful for you lot inwards big amounts.

If your chimney is brick, you lot are subjecting yourself to extra maintenance every bit the moisture from the dryer will cause damage in addition to increment blockages.

Moisture, Lint, & Harmful Gases Can Enter the Home

Dryer vents are supposed to can outdoors for a argue. This is to assist go along you rubber together with to preclude harm to your abode.

I take mentioned that lint can move into your home through a chimney, which is highly flammable too can be inhaled. Especially if you lot see that the dryer duct is probable to be besides short to accomplish the superlative of the chimney.

This way that, without the exhaust organisation’s power, the dryer exhaust will stay inwards the chimney, where it can crusade problems.

You besides take chances backdrafting through the chimney, directing unwanted byproducts into your living infinite.

Gas dryers besides exhaust their own gas byproducts through this vent, which won’t live disposed of correctly and tin likewise go into your home. Symptoms like headaches, nausea, dizziness, in addition to confusion are associated amongst carbon monoxide.

Moisture is undesirable in your home. You make non necessitate the damage to construction, paint, in addition to furniture that this moisture together with condensation tin can effort. You are likewise increasing the take a chance of mold as well as mildew problems, which tin can be challenging to clear upward.

Thus, all the outcomes of venting your dryer through a chimney volition outcome in damage to your abode as well as negative impacts on your health (specially your respiratory organization). Therefore, it is not worth skipping a code-compliant ducting arrangement.

Sources

https://www.cdc.gov/co/faqs.htm

https://www.finehomebuilding.com/forum/ok-to-vent-a-dryer-through-a-chimney