When I sort-of revealed our basement laundry nook, I promised that I would share how we vent the dryer. Well…I’m back…and so is this space….
Quite a few people have emailed me and asked me specifically how we created a vent for the dryer when we had no route to make the vent go outside. Traditionally, most dryer vents run to an exterior wall and then push all the hot air out. Have you ever stood below a dryer vent outside when it was running and had that smell of fresh linen waft over you? HEAVEN. Seriously. It’s up there with baking spray. Have you ever smelled THAT!? It’s marvelous. Every time I make banana bread, I am tempted to spritz my whole body with PAM. I wish I were kidding.
Anyhoo….this laundry nook is a true interior room…there are concrete walls on three sides (the foundation to our yard) and a large kitchen and living space on the other side. It would be really hard to route out a vent! So we decided to opt for the next best thing….an indoor lint trap filter.
Look at that little LJ with his sweet four teeth! This was taken back in February shortly after finding out I was pregnant!
Okay. So these only work on electric dryers…not gas…and they are really easy to install. You just mount the trap on the wall and use the c-clamps to attach the dryer hose to the back of the dryer and the top of the trap. Then you fill the little drawer on the bottom with water.
We opted to put the trap on the side and block it from view. We couldn’t move the washer & dryer over any more because a capped gas line is between the washer & dryer so it’s sort of the perfect solution.
When the dryer is on, the heat and lint goes out of the hose and into the box. That hot air gets pushed through the filter and the lint gets trapped in the filter. You have to crank that handle to release the lint from the filter and it drops down into the water below.
After each cycle, you just discard the lint and water and refill.
Isn’t that a great solution!? I told Jeremy that if we ran a water line and had another one of these bad boys, that would mean I could have a stacking washer and dryer in my closet 🙂 That sounds heavenly right?! Not needing to lug dirty clothes up and down stairs?! Then I would just need a very small fairy to live in there and do all my laundry for me. I would pay her with lost things. Fairies love lost things. #iwatchtoomanykidmovies
p.s. here is the link to the exact link trap we got….Indoor Lint Trap Filter
See, this is why I literally love you…I never knew this even existed! I learn SO many things from this blog of yours…please don’t ever leave, k? 🙂
You must have been inspired to post this today. We just closed on our house yesterday and one of the most annoying fixes we’ll have to make is the laundry area. The former owner hated having a dryer in the house so she moved it to the garage and left the washing machine hookups inside. We were wondering how we were going to get everything vented but this is the perfect solution! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!
I know that I just commented but I showed my husband this and he bought one (through your Amazon affiliate link 🙂 immediately! Thanks again for sharing!
We have one of those but I find that it makes the laundry room very humid and thus leaves the possibility of mold. It also fogs up the windows in the rooms next to the laundry room from the moist heat. Do you find that here?
But…what about the moisture? Doesn’t this mean that the humidity laden air is being pumped right back into the house? I would be concerned about the issues that can creep in with too much moisture…mold, mildew, etc
Wow, what a great solution. I didn’t know you could do that! And look at tiny little LJ!
oh my gosh LJ is so adorable. I can’t even focus on the vent talk. #hegivesmebabyfever
As an alternate possibility for your upstairs…. Our last home had a ventless all-in-1 washer dryer. I loved it!
We haven’t had that problem at all. But then again…this area has the furnace in it and has lots of ventilation so maybe that helps with moisture.
xo – kb
Yes…I think that it is definitely recommended for homes that have dry air…not ones that don’t have proper ventilation.
xo – kb
I feel like I must have missed a post (or more) but did you guys put laundry in your basement for the friends that were moving in? Did they move in? Whatever happened to that storyline??!!
I need one of those laundry fairies, too! It’s just me so I only have two or three loads a week but dang I hate laundry. lol
We have this nifty ventless dryer that puts all of the water into a container that you just empty after each load. No moisture problems at all!
http://www.lg.com/us/dryers/lg-DLEC855W-electric-dryer
Yes, they did move in…their house is currently being fully renovated and it’s super exciting! Yes we did post about that laundry area. Here is the final reveal.
xo – kb
COOL!
xo – kb
I spy Melaleuca PreSpot. Do you use Melaleuca products or do your basement people?
Our friends do!
xo – kb
This couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. We are building a house, and I’m trying (hoping) to put the washer/dryer in an upstairs gable room BUT the gable is on the front of the house and I obviously don’t want a dryer vent sticking off the front of my house. It couldn’t really go out the roof because I don’t want it to be seen there either! Sounds like an awesome solution, thanks bunches!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Whirlpool also makes a ventless dryer that you doesn’t have a tank requiring and empty after each load! A more expensive solution, but something to keep in mind if you are in the market for a new dryer.
What’s the purpose of the lint falling into a tray of water? I don’t understand why it would need to have that water tray as there would be plenty of humidity already.
You need the water tray to trap the lint because otherwise, you would be pushing hot air over a combustible item 🙂
xo – kb
For future reference, if buying a new dryer you can also look at CONDENSING or CONDENSER dryers that require NO venting.