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  1. #1
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    Default return in condo laundry

    Fairly high-end one bedroom condo has the only hvac return in the laundry room which is connected to the kitchen with a louvered door. The IRC doesn't say you can't have a return in the laundry, but what about the fact that all the air is really coming from the kitchen? Not to mention the laundry smells being distributed throughout. Opinions?
    By the way, nothing fuel-burning in the laundry. It's an electric dryer. It's not vented to the exterior, and won't be, just has one of those useless buckets, so I've already called for a condensing dryer.

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    Last edited by John Arnold; 11-11-2007 at 01:18 PM. Reason: added fuel-burning info
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  2. #2
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    Default Re: return in condo laundry

    Quote Originally Posted by John Arnold View Post
    Fairly high-end one bedroom condo has the only hvac return in the laundry room which is connected to the kitchen with a louvered door. The IRC doesn't say you can't have a return in the laundry, but what about the fact that all the air is really coming from the kitchen? Not to mention the laundry smells being distributed throughout. Opinions?
    By the way, nothing fuel-burning in the laundry. It's an electric dryer. It's not vented to the exterior, and won't be, just has one of those useless buckets, so I've already called for a condensing dryer.
    Well heck, if they are not venting a dryer to the exterior the HVAC return is an added bonus! Not only will it be sucking in hot air it will act like a humidifier. This could be a bonus in the winter time!

    Scott Patterson, ACI
    Spring Hill, TN
    www.traceinspections.com

  3. #3
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    Default Re: return in condo laundry

    Quote Originally Posted by Scott Patterson View Post
    Well heck, if they are not venting a dryer to the exterior the HVAC return is an added bonus! Not only will it be sucking in hot air it will act like a humidifier. This could be a bonus in the winter time!
    Hey, what do you expect for $359K?

    "There is no exception to the rule that every rule has an exception." -James Thurber, writer and cartoonist (1894-1961)
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  4. #4
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    Default Re: return in condo laundry

    Quote Originally Posted by John Arnold View Post
    Hey, what do you expect for $359K?
    Let Me See?

    A HVAC return thats centrally located which serves the conditioned space.

    And a properly vented Dryer. Among other things.

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  5. #5
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    Default Re: return in condo laundry

    Seriously, though, what's the difference between having a return in a laundry room that gets all of its air from the kitchen, through a louvered door, and having a return in the kitchen?

    "There is no exception to the rule that every rule has an exception." -James Thurber, writer and cartoonist (1894-1961)
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  6. #6
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    Default Re: return in condo laundry

    Quote Originally Posted by John Arnold View Post
    Seriously, though, what's the difference between having a return in a laundry room that gets all of its air from the kitchen, through a louvered door, and having a return in the kitchen?
    John A.
    Prohibited sources
    IRC 2003 M1602.2 part 3 A room or space the volume of which is less than 25 percent of the entire volume served by such system.

    4 - A closet,bathroom,toilet room ,kitchen,garage,--------

    If the space is smaller than 25 percent of the entire volume and an equal amount of supply air is not present it is Prohibited.

    If you try to use the permanent opening to archive the 25 percent requirement it can not come from a prohibited source. As that area is already prohibited from a source of return air.

    Last edited by Billy Stephens; 11-11-2007 at 07:42 PM. Reason: omma added
    It Might have Choked Artie But it ain't gone'a choke Stymie! Our Gang " The Pooch " (1932)
    Billy J. Stephens HI Service Memphis TN.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: return in condo laundry

    Here's the dryer. The only HVAC return for the condo is in the ceiling above the dryer. Believe it or not, the seller claims that the city gave them a variance to have the dryers vent like this. The buyer is currently trying to get someone to sign their name to a piece of paper that says as much.
    The variance was for historical reasons, they say, which makes sense because because it is an old building, but my obvious remedy is: put in a condensing dryer for crying out loud!

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    Last edited by John Arnold; 11-14-2007 at 02:16 PM. Reason: added last sentence
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  8. #8
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    Default Re: return in condo laundry

    John,

    Dead brain cells here. What's a condensing dryer?

    Eric Barker, ACI
    Lake Barrington, IL

  9. #9
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    Default Re: return in condo laundry

    Quote Originally Posted by Eric Barker View Post
    Dead brain cells here. What's a condensing dryer?
    It is a "ventless" or "non-ducted" dryer.

    Jerry Peck
    Construction/Litigation/Code Consultant - Retired
    www.AskCodeMan.com

  10. #10
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    Default Re: return in condo laundry

    "There is no exception to the rule that every rule has an exception." -James Thurber, writer and cartoonist (1894-1961)
    www.ArnoldHomeInspections.com

  11. #11
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    Default Re: return in condo laundry

    Boy! I feel a lot better. I thought that I might be asking a dumb question. I've never seen one of these dryers before let alone heard of one. I'm going to assume that these are only electric dryers - not gas.

    Eric Barker, ACI
    Lake Barrington, IL

  12. #12
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    Default Re: return in condo laundry

    I've seen two or three of them. I was just reading about them earlier this year, and they claim that they are more efficient. The big savings comes in if you live in a cold climate. The dryer is not exhausting the air from inside your house to the outside at a rapid rate, causing your heating system to work more than it would. They actually cost more to operate than a normal dryer, but when you factor in the heat loss from a conventional set up, it was a lot closer than you think. And, if you can't vent to the outside, you don't have a lot of choice anyhow. I personally don't see myself replacing mine, since it doesn't actually pull heated air from inside my house, but it's a nice option in some situations.

    Jim Robinson
    New Mexico, USA

  13. #13
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    Default Re: return in condo laundry

    Those are the types of dryers used in RVs.

    While we have never had a washer/dryer in any of our RVs, I've talked to people who have and they said they were not efficient - but that even with a 50 amp RV supply, any other type of dryer would just suck all your available power away (that and the a/c would trip the mains at the campground supply).

    Maybe they are better in full size models for homes? The RV combo washer/dryer units are really compact anyway.

    Jerry Peck
    Construction/Litigation/Code Consultant - Retired
    www.AskCodeMan.com

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