I received the following query regarding whether a vented tumble dryer can be used without a vent hose.
I’m buying my first ever tumble dryer and it is going to go in the double garage where there are no windows. Do I have to get the vent hose going outside or will it be ok? ”
A garage isn’t an ideal place for an appliance. They can be very hot in summer and very cold in winter. Some manufacturers specifically say not to use their dryer in an garage. Apparently if it gets very cold the drive belt can become hardened and kinked, and cause a breakdown. Also, the new heat pump dryers are not well suited to cold environments.
That being said, a tumble dryer will work without a vent hose if it’s free standing. This is evidenced by the fact that many vented dryers didn’t even used to come with a vent hose.
They were commonly an optional extra. However, it is definitely much better to have one properly vented if possible.
The potential problems with not venting a vented dryer in a garage are condensation and black mould when it’s cold weather.
My own dryer is a condenser dryer so it doesn’t need a venting hose but even so, we always open the small window behind it or we get condensation on our fridge and freezer when it’s cold. If our dryer was a vented one and not properly vented this would be much worse.
A vented dryer, venting straight out into a room will obviously pump lots of hot moist air into it as well as fluff, if the room is cold you will get condensation on cold objects and can get mould growing on rubber or other surfaces.
Another issue would be lots of dusty fluff would accumulate over time. As described above, even a condenser dryer can leak some moist warm air into the room but it won’t be as bad as a vented one.
NOTE: If a dryer is pushed underneath a worktop without a vent hose it may not be such a good idea as the hot air is likely to find it hard to escape.
If using without a venting system it would really be necessary for the dryer to be free standing with plenty of airflow around and somewhere for the air to escape like close to a window, vent or door.
Siting a vented dryer in a garage is fairly common. If no window is available to hang a vent pipe out of and it’s not possible to vent through the garage walls it’s best to leave the garage door open when using if security isn’t an issue.
Whether the lack of proper venting will cause any real problems depends on how large the garage is and whether there are many cold surfaces etc.
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.
tom says
We have just returned from a holiday in France and had a great condenser tumble drier at the holiday home. It had a large water collection vessel that needed to be emptied after each cycle. It appeared to not need any venting at all and was highly effective and efficient.
We’re keen to see if we can get one but do not know if they are as a good as it seemed as we have read similar poor reviews on condenser driers.
Does anyone have any recommendations / comments – particualrly as we plan to house the drier in large kitchen.
Washerhelp says
Tom: This advice may be useful Tumble dryer buying advice
I would stick to AEG, John Lewis, Electrolux, Miele or Bosch brands.
Emma Deighan says
Hi i have just bought a 3kg white knight vented dryer. It cam without a hose. So what i have done is put in in my pantry with its back to the window and the window is half open and i have left the door open. My question is will this cause mould or anything as the man who delivered it says it will be fine. Iam scared of it getting mouldy but i have used it already and so far nothing. am i safe to continue using this? I would appreciate it if u got back to me asap.
Thankyou Emma Deighan
Washerhelp says
Emma: If the walls are cold then it may cause condensation. The severity will depend on the temperature outside and it’s likely to be worse in winter.
If you have the window open it could prevent problems but it depends on several factors. If the dryer could be turned to face the window then more of the hot air could find its way outside but if not practical you’ll just need to monitor the situation.
If the walls starts getting wet you know you are likely to have issues.It may be OK, fingers crossed, black mould is likely to start slowly at first so keep an eye out for it.
Washerhelp says
Lots of spares and accessories can be hard to get, especially if the models are a few years old. The best place to buy a venting kit for the WK427 is likely to be the manufacturer themselves although there are venting kits available here – Venting kits
Rachel says
my Miele service engineer has just told me that using a condenser dryer in the garage is not good because they are affected by the cold/damp – is this true? it sounded like an excuse because the heater bank has needed replacing for the 2nd time in 6 months. The machine is 5 years old, has been in the garage for 4 years and has been OK up until now (just as the warranty runs out …).
Washerhelp says
Hello Rachel: Using any white goods appliance in a garage can be problematic, and is less than ideal for sure, but many thousands of people do. I have in my garage 2 upright freezers, one fridge, a washing machine and a condenser tumble dryer all of which appear to work ok.
However, during the recent extremely cold spell the water pipes to the washing machine did burst and the garage flooded. Also on our freezers the fronts often get a large wet patch of condensation as do the sides. I think this occurs when we use the washer and the tumble dryer if we don’t open the garage door to let air circulate.
I find it hard to imagine how being in a garage would cause a tumble dryer’s heater to fail. If it were mine I would want more details on exactly how it has caused the heater to fail rather than just a general, “they don’t like it in the garage” remark.
Here are some of my other articles that are relevant to appliances in garages
Rachel says
Many thanks – the repair was covered by warranty this time but I will certainly challenge further if it fails again. Much appreciate the advice.
Denise says
Looking to purchase a tumble dryer to be used in my garage. I have heard that some do not work in cold conditions. Do you know of any that will work in really cold conditions.
Helena says
The wall behind my washing machine is very wet. I have had all the plumbing replaced and there was not a problem. I have a condensor tumble dryer stacked on top. The wall behind this is dry but could this be causing the problem and if so what can I do about it.