How many times have you stood by your dryer and felt this cold air near your feet? Just opening up the dryer door immediately wakes you up from the surge of cold air that hits your face? For years I have been looking for some device that would stop the cold infiltration from my dryer vent. Those flimsy plastic shutter vents did absolutely nothing to stop the cold air. Half of the time, the louvers of the vent would get stuck in the open position and more cold air would pour in.
Last year I hit the lottery so to speak. I installed HEARTLAND 21000 Dryer Vent Closure
To be honest, when you open the door to the dryer, the inside is a little cold. However, before I installed the device, it was like opening a refrigerator. My dryer is right against the wall. The vent is on the other side.
How Does it Work?
According to the Creative Energy Technology site,
“On conventional dryer vents, outside air enters your home through the exposed dryer vent, which means higher heating bills in winter and higher cooling bills in summer. You will be amazed at how much cold air coming through your dryer vent adds to your heating bill- and how hot, muggy summer air adds to air conditioning costs.
With the Heartland Natural Energy Saving Dryer Vent Closure System DRY21000™ you will never have to worry about these problems again – nor the problem of insects and small animals getting inside your venting ducts. The Heartland Natural Energy Saving Dryer Vent Closure System DRY21000™ can be painted to match the exterior of your home. It also can be used on most low velocity fans such as a bathroom fan or range hood fan.
- Save Up To 10% on Energy Bills
- Guaranteed to Keep Out Birds, Snakes, Rodents & Bugs
- Requires little air pressure
- Easy to clean
- Sturdy, can be painted
- High Impact Plastic can withstand extremes in temperature
- Installs in minutes.
- Spring Kit comes with easy to install instructions. Convert the Dryer Vent to work for low CFM vents such as Range Hoods, Bathroom”
Installing
Make sure you follow the directions on how to install it and periodically clean out the lint. In addition, I sprayed foam insulation between the rough dryer vent hole and the Heartland Dryer vent to stop the air infiltration.
Word of caution. Don’t do what I did when we installed the vent. Make sure your foam does not block the dryer vent! (See picture on “If I Knew What I Knew Now.”)
Additionally, a reviewer on Energy Federated Incorporated recommended using ABS cement to seal the assembly seams. According to the reviewer, you will need both ABS cleaner and ABS cement to seal the seams.
We installed a bed of caulk around the exterior trims of device.
Does it save you money?
According to this report, a Minneapolis, Minnesota three bedroom house saved $14 a year. However, your comfort level is priceless. To be honest, I can’t really tell if I save any money. I just know I don’t dread the laundry room.
Photo by permission of Creative Energy Technologies Inc
I installed one of these and it has been well worth the effort. Cold air used to blast into our dryer, not any more. Be sure to use some sort of sealant on the mounting flange for an airtight fit.
The Heartland really is a great product. Out vent pipe was so low to the ground, that grass was blowing in when the lawn crew came by. This vent cover is the only one that gets the job done for us.
Tom, I love mine. I wish they had something for stove vents. The cold air is just pouring it.
One of my services I offer is dryer vent cleaning. Is the Heartland easy to disassemble and clean? I’m always looking to recommend great products to my clients. I probably should buy one of these myself too.