A vented tumble dryer will work without a vent hose if it’s freestanding. However, a vented dryer, venting straight out into a room, will obviously pump lots of hot moist air into it. It will also pump out lots of small bits of fluff and lint. If the room is cold, you will get condensation on cold objects, and can get mould growing on rubber or other surfaces.
Using a vent hose on a vented tumble dryer may be inconvenient. Ideally it needs a hole knocking through an outside wall, or the hose at least needs pushing through an open window. This may sometimes be very difficult or even impossible. So, although, it is better to have one properly vented if possible you can use a dryer without one.
If fitted under a kitchen worktop it should be vented
As mentioned above, a tumble dryer running without a vent hose should be okay if the tumble dryer is freestanding. By that, I mean it is stood in a position where plenty of air can circulate all around it, and it is not boxed in. If a tumble dryer is pushed under the kitchen worktop, then it really needs to be vented.
At the very least, a vent hose should run so that the hot air vented from the dryer can exit into the room. You do not want a situation where the tumble dryer cannot suck in fresh air from the room, and cannot vent the hot steamy air into the room.
What about using an internal condenser vent hose kit?
If desperate, you could try one of those condenser vent hose kits which allow the end of the vent hose to go into a plastic container filled with water. However, my mother tried one once and it was useless. I’ve checked out reviews of them online and many people also report they are useless, but some have apparently reported they worked ok.
Summary
Vented tumble dryers ideally need to vent the hot, steamy and fluff-laden air directly outside using a properly installed venting kit. Alternatively, they need to be venting freely into a room. And ideally, which has an open window to help get rid of the hot and steamy air. A third option is to use a venting hose and place it through an open door or window to let the steam vent outside.
If it is not possible, or practical to do any of the above then as long as the dryer is not enclosed, and is, “free standing” then it should work okay just venting into a room.
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Barbara: If it’s a large cupboard and it doesn’t create condensation on the walls or on the meter itself it shouldn’t be an issue. I would try to keep the door open when in use if it is creating condensation.
Hey I just moved into a house that does not have a dryer vent to hook up a dryer vent hose. I will be putting in a hole to hook it up and run it threw the crawl space. Until then is it ok to use my dryer for like 2 weeks til I get it all hooked up?
That’s what the article says amanda :)
Hiya, I have been handed a vent dryer by a friend, I’ve used it in my student house, where a window is available in good reach from the dryer, and everything was fine. I am now taking it home, but the window is beyond the dryer by kitchen counters/sinks etc. If finding a long enough pipe, would it still be okay for the vent pipe to be sitting outside a window? Is it okay to use still as long as the pipe is sitting outside the window? I don’t want it to create any damp/mould etc into my mums place?
I have had a Servis Tumble dryer for some 17 yrs now, have not been using it for the last 15 yrs. I have noticed recently that when I dry my clothes in-doors i.e, using a clothes horse that my clothes smell awful, so I have decided to use my tumble dryer again, the problem is that the hose at the back is damaged in several different places. Where my dryer is now located, in my kitchen, it is too far from my window & door. Have been reading online about which Venting Kit to get but the blogs that refer to using ICE has me stumped,when I was using my dryer before I never used ICE. Can you please explain why ICE is being used, thank you. Also could I use a large towel & wrap it around the hose of the dryer to stop the condensation & dust??,thanks.
Chelsea: As long as the pipe isn’t too long. If you have to make it too long it can become ineffective.
Chrisdina: Never heard of using ice, the pipe shouldn’t be blocked in any way or the hot air can’t escape and the dryer can overheat. If the hose won’t reach I would use it in a well ventilated area. Those devices you can buy to vent into aren’t much cop from what I’ve seen.
I need to buy a tumble dryer as I have not long had a baby and my washing pile is getting rediculous. It will need to go in my utility room but it has no heating there so is really cold during the winter. Venting is a bit of a problem too so do you think a condeser dryer will be ok to use without causing damp or mould?
Claire: Yes a condenser dryer will be much better than a vented dryer although it’s possible some condensation will still occur if the room is cold and has any cold surfaces such as tiles. For more information read this page – What’s the difference between a condenser tumble dryer and a vented tumble dryer?
We are expecting our first baby and the wife would like a tumble dryer. The only place we can have one is in our garden shed and running an outdoor extension lead to power it…not ideal i know but its the only option. Providing the dryer is covered during the winter to help prevent the extreme temps, would there be a problem in putting the venting pipe out of the front door of the shed? We’re in rented property so i dont really want to go drilling holes in the shed just in case.
Thanks very much!
Garden sheds are very poor places for appliances as they get very cold, very hot, plus damp and condensation can cause problems. Even a long extension lead isn’t ideal. Regarding venting during use though there should be no problems hanging the pipe out of the door instead of a window.