Fan for Dryer Vent?

December 2, 2021 2:37 PM

We've been told that our brand new LG dryer won't work in our apartment because it won't work with a vent longer than 20'. The dryer has a sensor that detects inadequate flow, and shuts down. Is there some sort of fan I can put between the vent tube coming out of the dryer and the vent in the wall that will force enough air up the vent, so that the dryer isn't triggered to shut off?

(We are on the third floor of a five floor building, so the vent in the wall goes up about 30' before hitting the roof.)

(How on Earth does LG make a dryer that can't work in a typical apartment?)

posted by musofire to Home & Garden (2 answers total)

Best answer: With the proviso that I have only used them for the purpose of improving exhaust performance on industrial machines, look into "inline booster" fans -- being sure to check also that any fan you select is OK for exhausting flammable particles (lint; you don't want a fan that'll start a vent fire). The fans I'm most familiar with are only intended to handle smoke, but there are others, such as ...

... a randomly-selected dryer booster.
posted by aramaic at 3:28 PM on December 2, 2021 [4 favorites]

The answer to your last question is that it's not really possible for the dryer to tell the difference between a very long vent and a short vent that is almost blocked with lint and therefore a tinderbox. Literally, scouts use lint as tinder.
posted by wnissen at 2:50 PM on December 3, 2021