Laundry Room Exhaust Fan Code
Granted the dryer has a fan but makeup air is still necessary.
Laundry room exhaust fan code. The international codes i codes are the widely accepted comprehensive set of model codes used in the us and abroad to help ensure the engineering of safe sustainable affordable and resilient structures. Energy recovery ventilator erv these are the most effective way to increase laundry room. Between the fan and the dryer s need for air you will be pulling air in from other areas. All florescent or provide a manual on occupancy sensor all room exhaust fans shall provide a min of 5 air exchanges per hour.
If the laundry room is on an exterior wall with a window or door that air could easily come from the outdoors with all its heat humidity and pollen. Local exhaust fans shall be permitted to serve as part of the whole house ventilation system when provided with the proper controls in accordance with section 403 4 5. Bathroom code does address the issue of moving odor and moisture laden air from the bathroom to the outside. While building codes differ around the country two code compliant vent material options are solid aluminum pipe that is at least 0 4 millimeters thick or.
Exhaust duct terminations shall be in accordance with the dryer manufacturer s installation instructions if the manufacturer s instructions do not specify a termination location the exhaust duct shall terminate not less than 3 feet 914 mm in any direction from openings into buildings. I wonder how this will affect the dryer s ability to exhaust if the doors are closed. And the associated ducts and controls. All municipalities have different requirements but some do not draw a hard line on requiring exhaust fans.
The whole house ventilation system shall consist of one or more supply fans one or more exhaust fans or an erv hrv with integral fans. Laundry room blueprint and wiring design layout. The international code council icc is a non profit organization dedicated to developing model codes and standards used in the design build and compliance process. Surprisingly bathroom fans are not required by some building codes.
A code compliant dryer vent is constructed of a rigid pipe of nonflammable material with a smooth interior finish the smooth interior inhibits lint buildup in grooves and it is not easily crushed or broken.