# Dryer Vent disk



## shmevinator (Feb 20, 2011)

Could someone be so kind as to tell me what this disk is?

I was doing some preventative vacuuming out of my dryer vent and I accidentally sucked out this disk. For the life of me, I can't figure out how to properly fit it back into the duct. I can lodge it back in, but I really don't want to do that for fear of creating a blockage.

Any help or advice would be appreciated, especially advice on whether I need to bother putting this disk back in. This was in a vertical duct in a condo building.


----------



## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

It is to close the vent to keep outside cold & hot air from coming back in, when the dryer is not running.


----------



## hardwareman (Oct 9, 2010)

yeah you'll want to put that back in, go outside to where the vent terminates. You should be able to pop it back into the vent hood


----------



## shmevinator (Feb 20, 2011)

hardwareman said:


> yeah you'll want to put that back in, go outside to where the vent terminates. You should be able to pop it back into the vent hood


So it's supposed fit in where the vent terminates? Because I found it in the duct right above my dryer and I'm on the 2nd floor of a 4 story building. Maybe it fell down? That would explain why I couldn't figure out where it fit in the duct.


----------



## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

If maintenance can not figure where it came from, just go to Lowe's or Home Depot, or local Ace Hardware, and get one of the inline dampers that you can install in the Laundry room. If anything, something like that should have fallen out a long time ago, since the ears usually break after a year or so, because of not only the weight of the lint, but also because the oil dries out in the Plastic, and it becomes brittle because they are cheap.


----------



## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

As said, that is an in-line vent damper, probably against your current local Code:

*M1502.3 Duct termination.* Exhaust ducts shall terminate on the outside of the building. Exhaust duct terminations shall be in accordance with the dryer manufacturer's installation instructions. If the manufacturer's instructions do not specify a termination location, the exhaust duct shall terminate not less than 3 feet (914 mm) in any direction from openings into buildings. *Exhaust duct terminations shall be equipped with a backdraft damper*. Screens shall not be installed at the duct termination. From; http://publicecodes.citation.com/icod/irc/2009/icod_irc_2009_15_sec002_par002.htm


Not an in-line, only on the termination hood.


*M1502.4.2 Duct installation.* Exhaust ducts shall be supported at 4 foot (1219 mm) intervals and secured in place. The insert end of the duct shall extend into the adjoining duct or fitting in the direction of airflow. Ducts shall not be joined with* screws or similar fasteners that protrude into the inside of the duct*. From; http://publicecodes.citation.com/icod/irc/2009/icod_irc_2009_15_sec002_par005.htm


Bold is mine, you get the idea, nothing inside the smooth duct to catch wet lint..... Call your fire department or Building official to ask.



Gary


----------

