# can i heat my garage with my dryer vent? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 17, 2008, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-my-garage-with-my-dryer-vent/473202 "2008-11-17T23:28:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![timbicile59](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@timbicile59](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/timbicile59)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-my-garage-with-my-dryer-vent/473202/1 "2008-11-17T23:28:33Z")
We just moved and my wife won’t let me smoke indoors. So when I go out i’ve noticed the dryer blowin’ warm moist air so i stand by it. Lately the thought has crossed my mind to run a hose out and try to keep my garage warm. Will I suffocate myself? Why yes it is a gas dryer. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-my-garage-with-my-dryer-vent/473202/2 "2008-11-17T23:50:10Z")
hmm. Probably not the best idea. But, if you’re only going out there long enough for a cig, and the volume of the garage is sufficient to dilute the CO, you might be okay. Get a detector. How far is it from the dryer to the garage? It might not be so warm by the time it gets there. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-my-garage-with-my-dryer-vent/473202/3 "2008-11-17T23:50:14Z")
Warm isn’t a problem - moist might be. All that water extracted from your wet laundry will end up as condensation in your garage. Mould and decay will ensue. If you could arrange to duct the dryer exhaust through a heat exchanger, that might be worthwhile. ---
**Author:** ![YamatoTwinkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/cc9497/32.png) [@YamatoTwinkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YamatoTwinkie)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-my-garage-with-my-dryer-vent/473202/4 "2008-11-17T23:57:49Z")
From [HGTV](http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/bp_mechanical/article/0,,hpro_20151_5406614,00.html): > [@](#): > > Here are a few guidelines for ensuring that a dryer vent is installed to code requirements. > > … > > The duct exhaust must not mix with or pass through other systems, such as the return-air plenum, because heat, moisture, and combustion gases could mix with the conditioned air in the home. > > The dryer exhaust duct should vent to the outside, and the vent should be at least 3 feet from any other opening. The vent should also have a termination cap and damper to keep vermin out of the home. There shouldn’t be a screen over the opening, since it would trap lint and possibly cause a fire. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-my-garage-with-my-dryer-vent/473202/5 "2008-11-18T02:51:10Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Mould and decay will ensue. This is why it is a bad idea. That and having to time your smoke breaks with the laundry. A small electric space heater in the garage is probably the best bet. Are we talking five minute cigarettes or 60 minute cigars? ---
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-my-garage-with-my-dryer-vent/473202/6 "2008-11-18T02:58:27Z")
My parents live in an absolutely ancient (and very poorly built) farmhouse. The washer and dryer are both in the kitchen and the wall behind them is the stairwell into the basement. The dryer, as originally installed, did not vent outside of the house (as common sense dictates it should). Instead, it vented, unfiltered (except for by the trap), through that wall and into the (largely unused) basement. The result? Well, the basement is already so wet and moldy that you didn’t notice except for the large amounts of lint that accumulated everywhere, particularly in cobwebs. I don’t know if newer driers spew this much lint out, but I can’t imagine that even the best lint traps stop all of it. So, best case? Mo(u)ld and decay. Worst case? Mo(u)ld, decay, and lint all over. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-my-garage-with-my-dryer-vent/473202/7 "2008-11-18T15:02:30Z")
When I was a kid, my super thrifty dad installed some kind of fitting on the dryer vent duct which allowed you to switch it to vent right back into the house, instead of outside. The fitting was basically a box with couplings for the duct on the top and bottom, a screened opening on one side, and a plate which you could switch from horizontal to vertical - directing air from the dryer either to the rest of the duct, or directly out the screened opening into the basement. He bought it at a hardware store, so it was definitely something being sold & used in the 70’s. It was horrible though. The idea was you were supposed to let the air vent outside for the first half of the dry cycle, when it’s at it dampest, then switch it over for the second half. No one ever remembered to do so, so the basement felt like a sauna. And even if you put a piece of panty hose over the screened opening, you still got a ton of lint & dust in the house. ---
**Author:** ![FarmerChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@FarmerChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FarmerChick)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-my-garage-with-my-dryer-vent/473202/8 "2008-11-18T15:09:09Z")
You also need to think about whether or not you really want to create on opening from your garage into your house. Most building codes state that the garage must be sealed to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. I was a property manager for many many years, the dangerous/stupid shit people did to houses is truly mind boggling. As stated above, get a space heater, safer, smarter and way cheaper in the long run! ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-my-garage-with-my-dryer-vent/473202/9 "2008-11-18T15:25:39Z")
You can’t heat the garage with a dryer vent. There is not enough heat to make any difference in the garage temperature. Dad used to heat his garage with a wood stove when he had to work in there. It still didn’t warm it up comfortable, but made it bearable. You’d need to insulate the place really good and install a large heat source. Those dryer vent kits to switch the exhaust inside are still around, but the moisture added to the house is bad, unless you have a house that is too dry. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-my-garage-with-my-dryer-vent/473202/10 "2008-11-18T15:47:33Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > Those dryer vent kits to switch the exhaust inside are still around, but the moisture added to the house is bad, unless you have a house that is too dry. Hmm.. You’d think that would be a plus in a lot of homes during the winter where people purposely run humidifiers during those cold/dry months. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-my-garage-with-my-dryer-vent/473202/11 "2008-11-18T15:55:34Z")
In Denver (very dry in the winter in spite of the snow) we vented the dryer into the house. Gets the humidity up and doesn’t waste the heat. Yeah, the laundry room gets a bit linty but it’s no big deal. No slimy walls or mold because the laundry moisture is readily dispersed throughout the house. heh…moist Electric dryer though. If your gas dryer exhausts the CO with the lint and moist air I would recommend sending it all outside. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-my-garage-with-my-dryer-vent/473202/12 "2008-11-18T15:58:02Z")
In my old house, until the kitchen was remodeled and a proper vent installed, we ran our electric dryer vented into the kitchen with a commercially made lint trap gadget. It didn’t do too good of a job trapping the lint, but it was great in the winter for humidifying the house. Overall, the $7k I spent on the remodel that put that dryer vent through the roof to the outside was worth every penny, however. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-my-garage-with-my-dryer-vent/473202/13 "2008-11-18T16:24:59Z")
My dryer’s in the garage with no convenient way to vent it to the outside. It’s gas, and the placement is constrained by where the gas pipe is. I don’t notice it causing any problems, but I don’t notice it warming up the garage much either. I’m also doing what I’m not supposed to, and have a panty hose duct taped to the vent to catch lint in the legs. I don’t think it really obstructs the vent that much. I have this thing about not running appliances like dishwashers, dryers and washing machines unless I’m at home to keep an eye on them anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-my-garage-with-my-dryer-vent/473202/14 "2008-11-18T18:17:17Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Hmm.. You’d think that would be a plus in a lot of homes during the winter where people purposely run humidifiers during those cold/dry months. The statement I made was clear on that point. Well sealed and insulated homes don’t often need extra moisture. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-my-garage-with-my-dryer-vent/473202/15 "2008-11-18T18:57:57Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > The statement I made was clear on that point. Well sealed and insulated homes don’t often need extra moisture. Interesting. Doesn’t sound right to me though. Why do people buy humidifiers then? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-my-garage-with-my-dryer-vent/473202/16 "2008-11-18T19:09:20Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Interesting. Doesn’t sound right to me though. Why do people buy humidifiers then? Do you need that answered? I’ll assume not. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-my-garage-with-my-dryer-vent/473202/17 "2008-11-18T19:13:51Z")
GAAAAAAAHHHHH! Why? Are there that many improperly built homes? ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-my-garage-with-my-dryer-vent/473202/18 "2008-11-18T19:29:15Z")
My parents sometimes vent their dryer to the garage to provide some heat. However, they generally vent it directly into the house with a fan to disperse the heat and moisture in the winter. (It’s vented outside during the summer.) It’s an electric dryer. Dad’s an EE who develops laundry machines for a living, so I’ll assume he knows what he’s doing. Personally, I’ve never lived in a house or apartment that wasn’t too dry in the winter. My current house is certainly not well insulated, though. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-my-garage-with-my-dryer-vent/473202/19 "2008-11-18T19:37:00Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > Well sealed and insulated homes don’t often need extra moisture. I don’t think this is necessarily true. Even brand new well sealed and insulated homes come with optional self controlling centralized humidifiers attached directly to the furnace.