Introduction: Easy Savings - Run Your Dryer on Free Energy

Modify your electric dryer to use free hot air and save energy.

Dryers only have one hose fitting. - To blow hot air out.
But this Instructable shows how to create a dryer hood with a fitting for a hot air intake hose.

Once the hood is attached, you connect the dryer to your hot air source with a dryer hose, and use free energy - hot air- to dry your clothes.

On hot summerdays , I use it to take hot attic air right into the dryer in my cool basement.
On warm days I use the air dry or the low temperature "Permanent-Press" setting.
In winter I use my dryer normally.

You can use your attic, a warm room, a solar heater, or you can use outdoor air as a source of warm or hot air. (The source of warm or hot air should be drafty, or open to a source of replacement air, like the outdoors.)

This Instructable helps you avoid consuming your indoor air, it makes your dryer more efficient, it saves energy on drying, and It can save on air conditioning cost too.

This Instructable is intended for electric dryers only, and is NOT recommended for gas models.
Modifying a gas model would present special challenges and hazards, which I have not addressed.

Material : Use a 4 foot roll of Aluminized Bubblepack plastic (Astro-foil) or similar material, a scissors, duct tape, plus scrap metal or cardboard and a dryer vent hose. Thats all thats needed. A screwdriver is optional.

Step 1: Unplug and Inspect

Unplug your drier , remove the exhaust vent hose, and inspect your Electric drier.
Look for the slotted vents in the back.

Step 2: Remove the Back Cover - Optional

Step 2: * Optional *
Loosen or remove the back of the dryer to inspect your dryer.
I studied it for a while so I felt comfortable making this modest modification.
I confirmed that the one main source of air was through the slotted vents.

Replace the back panel loosely. Tighten it later.

I suppose this modification could work on a gas model, but I'd worry about a mistake that would interfere with the proper combustion and exhaust. I'd worry about a potential fire hazard too.

I was careful with my electric dryer and happy not to mess with a gas model.

The photo shows the air intake on the bottom right, and the exhaust on the left.

Step 3: Sizing & Shaping the Hood

Begin planning and sizing the shape of the hood. Cut a large piece of material. Trim and shape it as the project processes.
I used aluminized bubble pack from a hardware store.

The photo shows the first rough cut.

Step 4: Begin Taping the Material to the Dryer

Start applying the material to the dryer to surround but not cover the intake air vent slots.
Start to trim the material and tape the edges to the dryer.

Step 5: More Duct Tape !

Apply the material to the back of the dryer up to the vent slots. 'Do not cover the vents!'
Tape both the inside and outside edges to the dryer.

Continue to Shape and trim the Material to fit around the shape of the air intake vents.

Step 6: Create a New Vent Hole

Use cardboard or other stiff material to form a vent hole. Make it big enough to accommodate your duct hose. Fix it to the top of the dryer.

I used a 6 inch diameter scrap sheet metal vent duct, and tucked its thin edge between the dryer and the back panel, and tightened the screws on it.

I was lucky to have a machine made part. If you do not have one, carefully construct one of the right size and shape.

Step 7: Slit the Hood Up the Middle

Create a slit up the middle of the hood, to create an overlap. This tapers the shape of the hood from large at the top to smaller at the bottom.

Use scrap cardboard to create a rigid form to help the bottom of the hood keep its shape. I used a piece of 1/2 inch thick rigid foam insulation instead of card board.

Tape the rigid form to the hood and dryer.

Step 8: Finish Shaping and Taping the Hood

Tape the inside and outside of each edge and seam, and where the hood joins the dryer..

Continue trimming and taping the hood to the Dryer.

When Possible, fold the edges of the hood between the back panel and the dryer, and screw the back panel in place tightly. You may need to reach inside the hood to reach the screws in order to tighten them. I was Glad to have a 6" vent hole to reach into the hood, and the sheer size of the hood made it easier to work in.
And I made it plenty big enough for air to flow in easily.

Finish by wrapping the material around the duct hole.
I made several "Daisy Petal" cuts to help wrap the material around the vent hole.

Make sure the vent hose fits snugly inside the duct hole.
Finish for looks and functionality.

If you are going to use tape on visible parts of the dryer you might want to pick up some White Duct Tape for a nicer look.

I spent time being neat and careful, and I think it paid off.

Step 9: Test It Out

Re-attach the original exhaust hose.

Plug in the dryer and turn it on to test the air flow to make sure its working properly.
Making sure the hood allowed air to easily enter the dryer was a major concern I had.

I used an incense stick to create a visible stream of smoke.
This is looking good.

Step 10: Almost Done - Hook It Up

Run one end of the hose to your attic or other source of hot air.

I strung it up in our drafty attic, near the peak of the roof, where it gets very hot on summer days.
Its not dusty up there so I did not install a filter at the end of the hose.

Insert the other end into the dryer hood.

Put the dryer back in place.

Step 11: Results and Performance

On a hot day I can dry my clothes on the "Air" dry setting. This means the dryer is not consuming electricity to make heat.

On warm days I use the high heat cotton setting or the lower heat permanent press setting. Either way, I know my dryer is getting a boost, because its heating up warm air, not cool air, and its not taking nice cool indoor air and blowing it to the outside.

In winter, I flip a lever on the exhaust valve ( top of the last picture) and it blows the nice warm moist exhaust air inside where it should be.
Remember this is an electric dryer, not a gas model, so I do NOTconcern myself with combustion products, ( CO and CO2)

In winterI also disconnect the new intake duct hose.- No need to use cold attic air!

This project might work with sturdy corregated paper-cardboard, foamboard, or corregated plastic board, instead of aluminized bubblepack plastic.
If you only need a vent hose it might cost only $10. to complete the project

I needed 2 lengths of 6 inch diameter hose, to fit the sheet metal vent I already had, and to reach the attic. A 4 inch diameter hose might have been too narrow considering the long run to my attic. I went with the bigger hose.

I also opted to avoid visibly taping the dryer. This gave it a neat clean look.
I went "High end" and used about $30 worth of materials.

Of course I'm not counting the duct tape. Everyone already has duct tape, right?