If you are low on space and considering buying a washer-dryer to save some space might be a smart step for you. But it is a genuine consideration if this appliance will require a vent. If this is the case, then let’s explore whether a washer-dryer needs a vent.
Does a washer dryer need a vent?
There are many types of washer-dryers on the market, and some of them need a vent. Warm and moist air ventilation keeps the dryer machines and their components free from getting rustic. The electric dryers are very prone to get damaged if there is no ventilation system outside.
All washer-dryers do not need a vent. Among various washer-dryers a few need a vent and others can run perfectly without a vent.
Combined Washer dryer:
A combined washer-dryer basically includes a front-loading washing chamber and a separate dryer chamber in the washing machine. With such appliances, one can use only one machine to wash and dry their clothes.
As a result, the occupying space requirement is cut almost in half. This is very useful for small apartments.
Moreover, they are easy to use and need no manual intervention before drying clothes. This type of appliance normally keeps an option for both wash and dry or only wash. So, you can select them as per your wish.
There are some issues in using a combined washer-dryer. They may require more time than separate ones. The capacity of drying clothes is normally lower than the only dryer machines. Besides, a combined washer-dryer requires a huge amount of water.
They also require additional time to complete the procedure. So, a combined washer dryer minimizes the space requirement and human intervention, besides maximizing the time and water requirement than the separate machines.
Normally, it does not require any vent and uses a condensation-based drying system. Still, there are some combined machines which require a vent.
Stackable washer and dryer:
Stackable washer dryer is basically a set of washing machine and drying machine stacked on top of one another in a single-spot and attached to the standard water and drainage path. They also occupy small space as one is placed on top of another vertically.
So, it can save floor space in the room. As a result, they might be out of reach for shorter individuals.
You can use both at the same time. You can wash some clothes and then dry them while washing some other clothes. So, the time required in washing and drying reduces compared to the combined one.
Besides, stackable washer and dryer machines are considered energy efficient.
They normally have less loading capacities. The stackable washer and dryer require a ventilation system for venting the hot air outside.
Regarding the venting unit, you may need to change the power and gas supply lines to install the stackable washer and dryer according to the design.
Why does a washer-dryer need a vent?
Washer-dryer is a part and parcel appliance for many houses. The amount of work it reduces is absolutely stunning. The dryer allows clothes to be dried immediately so the cloth can sustain for a long time.
Depending on the type of washer-dryer, it will or will not have a vent. Ventilation being an essential part, let’s explore the reasons for a washer dryer need a vent –
Remove moisturizer:
It may be the sole purpose of a dryer but cannot be achieved without a vent. Such a dryer uses hot and warm air to dry the clothes, and as a result, the machine produces a lot of moist and warm air that is needed to be vented outside.
Ventilation of moist air will reduce the moisturizer in the air inside the machine and so the clothes will dry quickly.
Keep the machine free from rusting:
Moist and warm air produced in the dryer can be bad for the dryer as the machine and its components are made of lots of metals and metallic ingredients. Obviously, if they come across moisturizers and air, it will get rustic.
So to prevent such air spoiling the machine and harming its functionality, ventilation is needed for the washer-dryer.
For lint-free wash:
As many clothes are prone to expel lint, a washer-dryer that runs through warm air can free lint from the clothes. So, the dryer has a ventilation system to keep the clothes and especially the machine lint-free.
How is a washer dryer vented? How does it work?
The comparison between a separate washing machine and dryer and washer-dryer is old, and it is evident that if someone has less space available, he should buy a washer-dryer. Apart from needing less space, a washer-dryer will also use less energy to run on.
The mechanics of a washer dryer is simple: it uses hot air to remove moisturizer from the clothes. When warm air is run through wet clothes, it will expel as much moisturizer as possible. But the key feature is that the moist air has to be exerted from the machine to the outside.
It is a mechanism of a vented dryer, where moist air can be a reason to spoil the machine. Such air is not a very good source of air, so you might use a hose to expel them from your house to outside through a window or wall.
The mechanism of a washer dryer is – it uses warm air to remove moisture from wet wash clothes. The extracted moist air is considered bad for the machine. As a result, a ventilation system is required so that moist air can be expelled from the machine to the outside.
Where is the washer dryer vent located?
There are many washer-dryers that come with a vent. So you might get confused, where is the vent of your washer-dryer? The following abstract will be helpful in finding the vent.
Washer dryer combo:
Most of the washer dryer combo do not require any venting system as they use a condensation-based drying system. The hot air just enters the drum and removes some of the moisture from the tumbling garments.
This warm, damp air is dragged into a condensing chamber, where cold water flows in the opposite way to chill the air, and the moisture is released and pushed out with the water.
But there are some machines, where a vent is used. In that case, they are located outside attached to the electricity and gas lines.
Stackable washer and dryer:
In the stackable washer-dryer, a venting system is required. As the drying procedure is conducted through venting the hot air outside, it requires a channel through which it can release the air.
For this very reason, a venting system is installed in the middle of the washer and dryer.
The vent is attached to the electricity and gas lines of the home. But as most of them may not have the supply lines in accordance with the design of machines, you may need to change the outline of supply lines for your particular stackable washer and dryer.
Does a heat pump dryer need a vent?
A heat pump dryer uses the technology where its engineering does the job of drying without producing additional heat or consuming too much energy. The outcome of using such a dryer is reduced electricity consumption and bill.
The machine is sufficient to dry clothes without having additional components for venting.
That means a heat pump dryer does not need a vent. Such a dryer recycles its heat, so it does not have any additional venting technology. As a result, heat pump dryers require less electricity compared to other types of the dryer.
This type of dryer is easy to install as there is no need for ventilation. Instead, the machine will recycle the heat inside a drum, boosting the complete drying process. Since heat pump dryers use less temperature due to low energy consumption, these dryers take longer to dry clothes.
Does an electric dryer need a vent?
As their name suggests, electric dryers primarily run on electricity, and the whole mechanism of this dryer is to utilize different components for drying. The drying process through this type of dryer is through the ventilation of moist air.
As a result, this type of dryer comes with a built-in ventilation system.
Additionally, a vent is a mere important component for an electric dryer as it must have an outlet where it can emit warm and moist air. An electric dryer will not run properly without a vent, as the moist air will dampen the machines and their mechanisms.
Electric dryers use the ventilation to exert air filled with lint; as a result, you must set the ventilation channel outside to save your house from all kinds of problems. The ideal distance is 25 feet from the room so that lint cannot enter your room.
Final thoughts
Washer-dryer is a handy appliance, yet maintenance is crucial for long lasts. Types of dryers may or not need ventilation. But having a vent means the machine is prone to rust with moist air. However, the heat pump dryer instead recycles the air rather than venting to keep a machine running.