Clothes Dryer in bathroom?

[oalcock]

Hello all,

I have looked at a previous forum post on this site which speaks about it's a No No to put a dryer in a bathroom. I bought one of those mini 3KG dryers today from Tesco so that I could put it in the cupboard in my bathroom where the old water tank used to sit (before I moved to a combi boiler).

In this cupboard is a fused switch with a heavy duty input and feed cable. The cable is currently cut on this and terminated as this used to feed the power for the old emersion heater. On the other side of the cupboard wall is a shower with tiles on the other side. I am planning to fit the outlet pipe for the dryer to a t off on my extractor fan.

Please go easy on me if I sound like I don't know what I am talking about because I don't really, my brother is an electrician who said he will connect up the power but he has never installed a dryer in a bathroom before, and he is mixed minded whether its a good idea or not.

In the cupboard are pipes for the shower, and old teminated pipes which used to feed the water tank.

What are your views people?

 

[captaincaveman1]

I assume your dryer is a white knight dryer you need to ensure the cupboard is ventilated and the socket is at least RCD protected

 

[RF Lighting]

The tumble dryer should be wired to a fused connection unit in the old cylinder cupboard.

The supply must be RCD connected.

Venting into the same duct as the bathroom fan is not a good idea. You should look at getting a seperate duct for the tumble dryer.

Are any of the old cylinder cupboard walls external walls?

 

[oalcock]

None of cupboard walls are external walls, the bathroom is in the loft, I know it sounds strange, but a lot of terraced houses in Lancashire have what is called a Jubilee Bathroom which is the bathroom in the loft space with three steps up to it from the landing. What problems could there be with me sharing the extractor fan ducting? Are there any filters I can use to stop fluff coming down into the extractor?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

If it's a loft space can you vent out through the roof soffit.

 

[bernardgreen]

Use a separate vent to the outside. Condensation will occur in the duct if it is not insulated from cold air in the loft. Even with thick insulation it will occur at the end of the duct where cold air can enter the duct.

Use 4 inch ( 100 mm ) diameter smooth pipe and avoid corrogated flexible ducts as far as possible. Go vertically up and then make the duct slope downwards to the exit vent. If the vertical length is more than a couple of feet then consider a condensation trap at the bottom of the vertical section.

Be aware that there will be condensation dripping from the vent no matter how well the duct is insulated so do not put it over the front door or where the dripping water could become a hazard ( ice in the winter )

 

[ericmark]

I know when my father went from using a cistern to combi boiler they fitted a radiator into the old airing cupboard so it would still dry the cloths put in it. We also have a dryer in the bathroom normally refereed to as a towel rail.
Using an electric equivalent should not be a problem but once you move to a tumble dryer one must consider carefully the fire risk.

Many years ago before my kitchen was extended we fitted a tumble dryer in a cupboard over the stair well which was up a few steps from normal floor level. The pipe went into the loft and the amount of fluff which built up was huge. It had a tendency of falling back down the pipe and blocking it so it was moved into the kitchen extension once built.

Even in the kitchen extension the pipe is no longer straight when the model was changed and fluff does build up and from time to time I go outside and stick me hand up the pipe to clean it. Clearly upstairs this is a problem. There is a fluff catcher but it never gets it all.

Technically because it's in a cupboard with a door you are permitted but it's the fire risk which is more of an issue. My new tumble dryer does have an over temp cut out and there are models designed for over night use and have much smaller heaters so there may be models designed for long pipes and vertical pipes but I would carefully read the instruction first as it was a problem with the one I had.

 

[JohnW2]

...you need to ensure ... the socket is at least RCD protected

What do you mean by "at least RCD protected"?

Kind Regards, John.

 

[RF Lighting]

 

[ricicle]

...you need to ensure ... the socket is at least RCD protected

What do you mean by "at least RCD protected"?

Kind Regards, John.

Perhaps there is some other 'secret' addtional protection that us mere mortals are unaware of

 

[JohnW2]

Perhaps there is some other 'secret' addtional protection that us mere mortals are unaware of

Indeed - that's what I was wondering; I'm always keen to expand my knowledge

To be sort of serious, though, I was obviously beong rather mischevious (still in holiday mode!) - but it does illustrate how important word order can sometimes be in our language!

Kind Regarsd, John.

 

[securespark]

Shouldn't the white goods have the correct IP rating if in a bathroom?

 

[JohnW2]

Shouldn't the white goods have the correct IP rating if in a bathroom?

Anything electrical within an enclosure obviously should have an IP rating appropriate to the environment in which it exists. What would you regard as 'the correct IP rating' for an appliance within a bathroom cupboard?

Kind Regards, John.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The pipe went into the loft and the amount of fluff which built up was huge.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=making+paper+dryer+fluff