This is a very common code violation, as people believe that they are capturing heat and do not realize what a hazardous situation this presents for them and their neighbors.
From what I am learning in the process of getting my home inspector's license, there is an urban legend that venting indoors is okay, but it is most certainly not, and I would not pass any home that does not vent to the outdoors.
Dryer lint is actually highly combustible, and needs to be discarded to the outdoors where it diffuses (to who knows where). Indoors, this will build up. One spark could turn a residence into an inferno. If you have neighbors as here in Somerville, you could burn their house down too in the process.
Dryer air is very moist. Imagine baking wet clothes, and living with that. From what I am told, another reason is to prevent mildew buildup inside.
Finally, the code does not distinguish between a gas dryer and an electric dryer. Gas dryers cannot vent to the indoors, as you could very easily kill yourself with good old carbon monoxide.
Also illegal are the plastic hoses you often see.
The best you could do to recover heat is construct your dryer vent out of rigid metal tubing (it cannot be longer than 25ft) and leave that exposed in the house to transfer heat before it is discharged, but this would likely lead to moisture precipitation inside the pipe.
So sadly, no. Heat loss is a fact of clothers drying life :(
Oh goodness no!
This is a very common code violation, as people believe that they are capturing heat and do not realize what a hazardous situation this presents for them and their neighbors.
From what I am learning in the process of getting my home inspector's license, there is an urban legend that venting indoors is okay, but it is most certainly not, and I would not pass any home that does not vent to the outdoors.
Dryer lint is actually highly combustible, and needs to be discarded to the outdoors where it diffuses (to who knows where). Indoors, this will build up. One spark could turn a residence into an inferno. If you have neighbors as here in Somerville, you could burn their house down too in the process.
Dryer air is very moist. Imagine baking wet clothes, and living with that. From what I am told, another reason is to prevent mildew buildup inside.
Finally, the code does not distinguish between a gas dryer and an electric dryer. Gas dryers cannot vent to the indoors, as you could very easily kill yourself with good old carbon monoxide.
Also illegal are the plastic hoses you often see.
The best you could do to recover heat is construct your dryer vent out of rigid metal tubing (it cannot be longer than 25ft) and leave that exposed in the house to transfer heat before it is discharged, but this would likely lead to moisture precipitation inside the pipe.
So sadly, no. Heat loss is a fact of clothers drying life :(