Cleaning & Organizing Laundry Laundry Appliances

A Complete Guide to Ventless Dryers

Here's how they work and if one is right for you.

Laundry room with focus on energy efficient washer and dryer.

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If you have limited laundry space or you live where you can't put a hole in the wall to vent a standard dryer, consider a ventless dryer. A ventless dryer efficiently dries clothes using methods to recirculate and get rid of heated, moist air. A standard vented dryer differs in that it consistently draws in and dispels hot, humid air outdoors through a vent. Read on to learn more about ventless dryers and if one makes sense for you.

Warning

A standard dryer is required to vent air outdoors. If it is not allowed to vent or is improperly vented, it is unsafe and will dispel moist, lint-filled air into your home, which can aggravate respiratory conditions, cause fires, and trigger the development of mold.

How Does a Ventless Dryer Work?

All ventless dryers are powered by electricity. Ventless dryers pull in ambient air that continuously loops through mechanisms designed to heat and cool the air while extracting moisture from clothing without needing a vent to dispel the moist, hot air. Some models of ventless dryers require a drain to eliminate the moisture while others have a water collection tank.

Types of Ventless Dryers

You'll find two types of ventless clothes dryers—condensation and heat pump dryers.

Condensation Dryers

Like a traditional vented dryer, the condensation ventless dryer pulls in cool, dry air from the room. The air is heated and passes through the clothes to dry them. Instead of being vented outside, the air travels through a cooling device or heat exchanger. The heat exchanger cools the heated air and causes the moisture in the air to condense and flow into the dryer's containment chamber. As the air is dried, it is reheated and passed through the clothes again. The process is repeated until the clothes are dry.

Some models allow the water to be directed and discharged through a clothes washer's drainpipe. This is convenient if you can locate the dryer directly next to the washer or stack the two units. A condenser unit with a discharge unit needs the same attention as one with a containment chamber except for the need to empty the chamber.

Heat Pump Dryers

A heat pump dryer pulls air from the room and recycles the hot air until the clothes are dry. The air is passed through a heat pump where the cold side condenses the water vapor into either a drain pipe or a collection tank and the hot side reheats the air to use again.

Pros and Cons of Ventless Dryers

Ventless dryers can have many benefits, such as:

  • They can be placed anywhere in the home near an outlet (depending on whether you need a drain).
  • They do not require vent pipes, making them perfect for renters and limited spaces.
  • These dryers don't get as hot as vented dryers so they won't overdry your garments.
  • Ventless dryers use less than half the energy required by traditional dryers.
  • Ventless dryers are as safe as vented dryers and are more popular, especially in Europe and most notably in Switzerland where vented dryers are no longer allowed to operate.

There are a couple of cons, such as ventless dryers typically have smaller capacities than standard vented dryers and take longer to dry a load. In addition, prices for ventless dryers tend to be slightly more expensive than standard vented dryers.

How to Use and Maintain a Ventless Dryer

Ventless dryers will also need maintenance. If a ventless dryer isn't maintained, it will begin to work harder to dry clothes and the appliance will not last as long as it should. Here's what to expect if you buy a ventless dryer.

Empty the Containment Chamber

After every load, it's required to empty the containment chamber and clean the dryer lint trap to make certain that no debris or lint is clogging the pipes. Collected water can be recycled to water houseplants or gardens.

Empty and Clean the Lint Trap

The lint in a ventless dryer goes into a lint trap, just like in a vented dryer. Most lint traps are located just inside the dryer door. After every load, remove the trap and scrape away the lint. Once every two weeks, wash the lint trap with dishwashing soap, and clean it with a soft brush to remove the build-up from dryer sheets, fabric softener, or detergent.

Check and Clean the Condenser Unit

No matter how careful you are about emptying and cleaning the lint trap, eventually, lint will accumulate on the dyer's condenser unit. Check and clean the unit at least four times per year. If the condenser is covered with lint, the machine will not run efficiently and it will reduce the dryer's lifespan. Take these quick, easy steps to clean the condenser unit:

  1. Remove the condenser unit from the dryer and take it outside or to a large utility sink.
  2. Use a hose or strong stream of water to rinse each side of the unit to remove any lint build-up that may be inside.
  3. Allow the unit to air dry until there is no visible water and there is no water caught in the unit.
  4. Return the condenser unit to the dryer.

Tip

It's important to keep the underside of your dryer dry of condensation, especially around the condenser coils.

Provide Airflow

While a ventless dryer does not need an outside vent, it does require adequate airflow to operate properly or the humidity level can rise in your home. If the dryer is housed in a closet, keep the door open while it runs. It is also important to vacuum regularly behind and around the unit to keep excessive dust from causing problems.

FAQ
  • How is the lint trapped in a ventless dryer?

    There is a lint trap to trap lint in a ventless dryer. It needs to be cleaned after every use.

  • Does a ventless dryer need a drain?

    Some types of ventless dryers may need a drain for the moisture it dispels during a drying cycle.

  • Is it difficult to install a ventless dryer?

    It's easy to install a ventless dryer. You need the correct type of outlet (usually a three-pronged outlet) and adequate space around the appliance for air circulation.

  • Does a ventless dryer require more maintenance than a vented dryer?

    A ventless dryer requires maintenance specific to the appliance, which may differ from a vented dryer. You will remove the lint from the trap, empty the containment chamber, and diligently check the condenser unit for issues.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Dryer Venting. U.S. Department of Energy.

  2. Heat Pump Dryer. Energy Star.