I have noticed that my dryer vent has balls of lint that are blown out. Also, during the hot summer days, some moisture condenses in the seams of the vent and drops of water fall to the basement floor. My builder has installed the venting from the laundry room (located in the front of the home) to the side of the home. This venting system is more than the recommended 16 feet or less in the dryer's manufacturers booklet. I am not sure if the builder should have known about this but could these little nuisances be part of the answer as specified in the manufacturer's booklet? Would you also recommend that I close this venting and re-route the dryer venting to the front? This of course would mean patching up the old hole going to the outside and opening up a new hole in the front of the home.
Answer:
They certainly can cause a lot of things you do not want. The flexible plastic hose for one thing, causes turbulence within itself when air is pressed through it. That means you are taking more than 30 minutes to dry a load of no matter what you have in there. The rule is no more than two elbows, all rigid ducts and all seams and joints taped so you get full efficiency from the machine itself.
