My husband installed ours this morning, and I am already impressed. When our house was built the dryer was vented up a tube in the wall and out a vent on the roof. My husband didn't like cleaning out the tube, so he vented the dryer out into the garage - but lint seemed to be getting everywhere with the lint catcher he was using. This looks like it will solve the problem, and the installation was really easy.
UPDATE
We have been using this for a couple weeks now and are very happy with it. The only thing we thing the manufacturer should change is the changeable filter. We experimented with various filters and determined the following after installing the vent and weighting the change your filter door as per the instructions:
(1) The changeable filters that comes with the vent are too lightweight and almost impossible to clean. The change your filter door popped up after only 3 loads - with little lint on the filter.
(2) I then tried just the metal filter - which never popped up the change your filterdoor - but blew small particles of lint into the garage and all over the car. I had to use a Swiffer duster to clean up the mess.
(2) I next tried a 3/4 inch thick washable filter cut from a a/c filter (about the same thickness as the filters that came with the vent) - and while it was easier to clean, the change your filter door popped up after 6 loads - with a moderate amount of lint in the filter.
(3) I next tried a 1/4 inch thick washable a/c filter - which was the easiest to clean, and the change your filter door didn't pop up until 10 loads - or a week of laundry. I will be purchasing the 1/4 inch a/c filter and cutting multiple filters for the vent at quite a bit if savings over the filters that can be purchased from the manufacturer. They also work much better than the ones provided by the manufacturer.
The pictures below are of the installation in the garage with the change your filter door popped up, and the metal filter and 1/4 inch a/c filter after 10 loads (1 week) of laundry. This appears to be the right combination for maximum efficiency and longest filter use between changes.
Update 2 - 10/20/16
I have added a picture of the filters I experimented with. The green and black ones on the top work best. The blue one (I tried 1/2 in. & 1/4 in. were as bad as the filter provided by the manufacturer. The denser the filter the less loads. The two less dense/light weight filters did as good as of a job at blocking the lint as the denser filters.
Filters in picture:
1) The green filter is from the cheapest whole house a/c filter my husband could find. It's about 1/8 inch thick. My husband had to remove it from the cardboard frame it came in. This worked as well as the black filter - about 10 loads. These are not washable at all - must be tosed after using.
2) The black filter is a foam window unit a/c filter, about 1/8 inch thick - it was the cheapest and worked as well as the green filter - about 10 loads. This was the most washable - but since they are cheap - I have been throwing them away after one use.
3) The blue filter is made out of dense fiberglass or natural hog hair (not sure which) - I tried 1/2 inch thick and 1/4 inch. The 1/2 inch thick one worked as poorly as the one provided by the manufacturer of the dryer vent. The 1/4 one worked slightly better. These are supposed to be washable - maybe with a power washer?
4) The white/blue filter is the one provided by the manufacturer - I got the least amount of loads with it (it and the 1/2 inch blue filter) - and it really isn't very washable.
Update 3 03/26/2017 - Magnet Weights
I have found that over time the glue on the magnet weights degrades and the magnets fall down into the vent. I would recommend putting the magnets on the top of the pop-up flap and not the underside. It's still a very good solution to my dryer venting needs - perhaps just needs a few design changes.
Update 4 07/22/2017
I've added more pictures of my filter solution. The cheap ($2.94 packet of 4 20x25x1 fiberglass air filters) Flanders Easy Flow green filters from Walmart are the best. (I couldn't find them on Amazon). Just pull off the cardboard and you can cut out 6 filters from one big filter. Use care as fiberglass can poke you - using gloves while doing the cutting can eliminate that problem.
As I said in another update - double up the filters in the unit. I replace the one closest to the air flow once every week to week and a half. The other about once a month. In the pictures I've added you can see how well this traps the lint - keeping it from escaping into my garage.
I still highly endorse the vent - just not their filters and magnet weights - but by trail and error found good solutions.
| Manufacturer | ADR-Products |
|---|---|
| Part Number | ADR1BVC |
| Item Weight | 2 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 10 x 5 x 12 inches |
| Item model number | ADR1BVC |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | 1 Count (Pack of 1) |
| Color | Cloud grey |
| Style | Vent |
| Finish | Plastic |
| Material | Plastic |
| Shape | Rectangle with radius top and bottom |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Number Of Pieces | 2 |
| Air Flow Capacity | 100 Cubic Feet Per Minute |
| Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values (MERV) | 5.00 |
| Included Components | Operating and installation manual, installation hardware, 2 polyester filters, calibration hardware |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Warranty Description | 30 day warranty against manufacturer defects |
