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Tried sealing a dryer vent joint with foil tape last week and it blew apart in 2 days
So I was out on a call in Mesa fixing a dryer that kept shutting off, and the vent run was a mess. The old foil tape at the joint near the wall was peeling, so I figured I would just rewrap it with the good foil tape I keep on the truck, the stuff I have trusted for years. Two days later the customer calls me back saying the dryer is running hot again and there is lint all over the floor behind it. I go back and the tape is split right down the seam, because the joint sits close to the wall and every time the dryer gets pushed back the tape gets flexed. What I learned is tape alone on a joint that moves is just asking for a callback, and I should have used a proper clamp or a short screw band instead of trying to save 5 minutes. I ended up pulling the dryer out, redoing the connection with a metal clamp, and running a quick airflow check before I left. Curious what you all do on tight bends where you cannot get a clamp on, because I would rather not eat another trip on a job like this.
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kelly25818d ago
The tape got flexed and split right down the seam, been there and felt like a total rookie when it happened. Honestly the only way I get a clamp on a tight bend is to pull the whole dryer out and slide a short screw band on from the front before I push it back. If the wall is right up against the joint, I trim the pipe back a touch so it sits out enough to get a driver on it. It costs extra minutes but at least I don't have to go back and hear about lint on the floor. Tbh I have also used a metal elbow with a built in lip so the band has something to grab.
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