hauntednursery
92326
1320
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I was up all night reading warranties, manuals, & fiddling with settings on a brand-new dryer trying to figure out why it wasn’t warming up at all only to find out that it’s because Mr. contractor didn’t install any venting. Now I’ll either have to chase this jerk down to finish the job or pay someone else to complete it (&hope they actually show up).
I really, really hate not being able to trust people to do the right thing when I ask for help with something I can’t do myself. This sucks.
ETA: Thank you to everyone who left comments with advice! I talked to Mr. Contractor, he actually did install a vent where I couldn't see it without moving the dryer out of the room. I got a neighbor to help me move it & saw that the hose thingy was disconnected, so I screwed it back on myself. There's still no heat, which means it's the stupid brand-new dryer that's the problem. I'm going to redirect my rage at Lowe's since I bought this thing a month ago.
Feel free to yell at me for being loud & wrong.
keys79
Chase him down. That’s should be standard with the job. Also why it’s good to pull permits, because that wouldn’t have passed inspection.
VinnyTB
Never trust, always document. Put everything in writing, take pics/video at every step. If it's not documented it didn't happen.
crapybarra
Just punch a fucking hole in the wall. Vent for dryer ✔️ Karate for the day ✔️
Kazooski
Appliance tech here, make sure the outlet has proper voltage for your drier. The sensor or fuse could of popped also.
Kazooski
I've had brand new laundry rooms have bad wiring, lose outlet, when running the voltage from outlet drops and other crap too. Call support
gotohe11carolina
You will spend more time and money trying to get the old guy to finish than you will getting a new person. If it is about the principle…
gotohe11carolina
Small claims court is the place to take this. No lawyers, just a judge/magistrate who makes a decision.
PirateRubberDuck
You need to ask them to fix it first. Only after they have failed to resolve the issue should you take it further.
djangojazz
What kind of two bit contractor doesn't do the most obvious thing first?
scribetree
Murphy’s Law says the one you hire.
Cats2cats
Did you specify a vent in the build? Is there a window?
hauntednursery
I did, & there is a window & two exterior walls. Now that I’ve calmed down I’m thinking it was just a mistake that can be easily fixed.
Cats2cats
Read your contract. In the meantime you can vent via the window.
mcstreetz
I mean did you try giving them a call? Maybe it's just a detail that was overlooked.
PirateRubberDuck
Follow up the call with an email confirming what was said. It just makes life easier.
Trackon
Miele makes a dryer that doesn't need a vent!
Zorrodidnothingwrong
Everybody does in Europe. I have a Hotpoint/Ariston that works perfectly.
Hammerwell
As do BSH, AEG and all the usual suspects. Even Whirlpool.
SkepticalToast
Heat pump or Condenser drier doesn't need vent
SpacecouchCowboy
Lucky for you, installing a dryer vent is one of the easier things you can do @op. Depending on how cooperative the contractor is, it >
SpacecouchCowboy
might be easiest to just cut the hole yourself. DM me if you have questions.
paulio101
Just have a handyman cut a hole in the wall for a vent. Or up thru attic out to an external wall. Not hard.
SatoriEnligtenmentNow
Just make sure to get to the outside.
Zetor
You came here to vent?
idontknowyoufromadam
mungtongue
defgremlin
hauntednursery
Y'all are ANNOYING!! XD
PineappleLoopsBrOether
Technically you’re the shenanigator… The instigator of the shenanigans.
hauntednursery
But my shenanigans are fun & cheeky!
PineappleLoopsBrOether
YouCanShoveYourMagicBeansUpYourAss
Dipsomaniac
Here's your upvote.
knudude
SuckAFuck
Took me just a fucking second. Take your up vote and go
butthurtnevergetsbetter
This is why I have learned to do many things. A lot of service providers are awful, and there's no good way to know before hiring one.
Hammerwell
Mithi
Yeah, good luck using that on a USA-wood-gypsum-and-paper wall. I'd guess the exit "wound" will bi gigantic.
Hammerwell
There are other heads for that.
IHaveGreatKittenRecipes
Holedozer. I love boring bits!
Catsbycat
Wow that's cool that there's tools for that. Perfection too.
Hammerwell
They can be rented in the DIY stores here.
SatoriEnligtenmentNow
I came.
gablestout
I saw.
SatoriEnligtenmentNow
I came harder.
JohnnyOToGooooo
I’m sorry. But I do miss old know your meme formats. Thank you.
tosostrasni
Buy went-less dryer.
Mithi
Went less? But were did it go?
slightskew
Call your bank. Have them rescind the final payment. He'll have to deal with you.
SatoriEnligtenmentNow
This.
FeloniousMonk13
If it's on an outside wall it's just a matter of cutting a 4" hole. If it's interior well... fuck.
bladderinfection
Hole in the floor and running the duct underneath the house could possibly be the best way.
TetraNordeh
You can also put dryer vents on the roof. Better than having the duct tear and full your crawlspace with water and lint.
SatoriEnligtenmentNow
Big red flags here. Moisture may corrupt your crawlspace. @AlphaStructural right?
bladderinfection
I lived in two houses with this setup. Very common design around here.
NuclearMonk
OP's crawlspace probably isn't as innocent as you think it is.
DownSouthHipppie
You wouldn’t vent it in to the crawl, just run the duct through the crawl
SatoriEnligtenmentNow
Yes. Make sure that’s how t goes.
Zadpole
This was my thoughts as well. Going up to the roof can bring new problems.
SatoriEnligtenmentNow
As with the crawlspace.
gablestout
From the attic crawlspace, just run 4" to a gable and place the vent there. More likely than not, though, the room is on an exterior wall
Zadpole
If you have a gable! Not everyone is rich enough to just have spare gables gable’n around. Gable.
FeloniousMonk13
I call mine Clark
gablestout
I have extras. I'll give you a good price
raftus
Possible to route up (attic) or down (crawlspace). But its also possible that neither of those options work.
tinyfootprints
1/ I needed to install a light switch in a door frame. I figured a pro could do a neater job than me. The guy I hired ended up simply >
tinyfootprints
2/ bashing/ripping a hole in the frame with the claw side of a hammer until it was big enough for the light switch.
SatoriEnligtenmentNow
That’ll be $10,000 please…
Lamech777
@OP I am currently $17k in the hole for a kitchen remodel that a contractor ghosted us on after ruining the current cabinets. Have not had a
Lamech777
kitchen since late February, having to wash dishes at work.
hauntednursery
Jesus, I'm really sorry. My kitchen needs full remodeling too but I think I'm just gonna do it myself.
Lamech777
We got unlucky but truth is most contractors seem to just want to do the bare minimum for the money. Having to do some things myself now
Jessebob42
A condescending clothes drier doesn’t need an outside vent. They’re popular over here in UK/EU. Toasty warm on cold days.
Zorrodidnothingwrong
Yeah, but they judge you.
GuitarBobMonterey
Let them use their clotheslines. https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/036/772/vultouri.jpg
cgiovanni15
bahahaha
ObliqueRay
You want something done right...
ArandomDane
Cheapest option is a condensing heat pump tumble dryer, no vent needed and more efficient.
ComicAvec
I have never heard of a drier needing a vent. Guess we use different kind of driers here in Finland.
Mithi
Heat-pump ... newer tech. Old ones blew the hot, wet air just out.
SatoriEnligtenmentNow
Where does the moisture from the clothing go?
ComicAvec
To a container inside the dryer. You pour the water in the drain after.
StephenDaniels
I would think it could be piped out through the drain for the washer. Or do you have to manually drain that too?
SatoriEnligtenmentNow
Each time? Or else it overflows?
lronMaiden
Yes, after each time. It has sensors to notify you and stop the operation before it gets too full.
BJA007
my aunt just spent two years in court fighting her contractor. Now she just has to hope he actually pays her what the judge ordered.
EonMoon
its called a builders lien i think, it goes against them or their buisness
dbsweeney
Spoiler alert: he won't
Luthierfer
Until the IRS showes up... then you just get pocket lint or purse dirt... whichever is left over.
FatBastardVegetarian
There's a reason why the word "Con" is in "Contractor". Also, tractor is in the word... but, there's not a reason.
HsuDoNihm
Sabotage his work vehicle. Send him your bill again. Wait a month. Repeat as necessary.
newsguycraigevans
Unnecessarily petty and crude. I like it.
HsuDoNihm
He's a contractor. He gets nails and screws in his tires all the time... nowadays. :P
WhisperingJeffGoldblum
Like this?
DarkBusterBaron
Context?
WitchUndertones
I hope that was the right car
HsuDoNihm
No, red lines are where you put the nails/screws. When he drives off away, he forces one into his tire. Spike all 4.
HsuDoNihm
SomeDetroitGuy
In most jurisdictions, you can easily get an order for garnishment if you've tried for a set period of time to get payment. It's usually a
SomeDetroitGuy
surprisingly short amount of time. Then you can go wild - garnish his bank account, garnish his wages, take his work tools. Fun time.
Jabokoe
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2011/06/06/137002727/sweet-justice-a-florida-couple-forecloses-on-bank-of-america
yoyo42
Get yourself a nice truck...
Nnoodles
Some contractors that do shady work have that loophole where they dissolve the company to avoid legal ramifications. Just start another.
RedWingedBlackbirds
Anyone remember that Adam Carolla show where he hunted down crappy contractors and made them come back and fix it? (With his supervision)
MarkySpaceMagnet
That only works with people who don't get paid under the table.
DulothX
Its a contractor. You can just go to his worksite and grab enough supplies to make up the difference, bring a sheriff.
putcleverusernamehere
Completely illegal and you can be charged with theft. No sheriff will assist you
putcleverusernamehere
Some years ago sued and won against a contractor who installed a driveway which had to be completely redone. Never got a dime
PrfctDrk
If they don't, they go to prison I thought
HenryLongfellowIII
If your contract is with a corporation and the corporation disappears, good luck with collecting anything from them.
feryooday
There was a warrant out for the girl who owed my bf reparations (she t-boned him while drunk, totaled his car & didn’t have insurance)
feryooday
We saw her at a bar and I called the non-emergency police. they told me they didn’t have room in jail to arrest her.
PrfctDrk
"Sorry I took the liberty to shoot her any way since you pigs can't seem to get anything done"
feryooday
Well we definitely wouldn’t get any money if she died. rob her maybe? lmao
MrRogersNeighborhood
@OP are you in northern Colorado? I can help you.
hauntednursery
Upstate NY, but thank you for offering!
lrateyourrig
I'm over by Albany, but I can't help you. Also, I got that hippy stink on me.
pawdraig
NYC at least is pretty protective of the client. Have your actually reached out to the GC yet? From comments it seems you haven't.
hauntednursery
I did! TLDR he put the vent in a hidden spot on the floor & it's the dryer that's malfunctioning. Fortunately it's still under warranty
pawdraig
Good stuff. So if anything sounds like they did a great job!
RustyRedbeard
Sorry to say but that should've been picked up by snagging
hauntednursery
What’s snagging? I honestly don’t know anything about any of this stuff.
RustyRedbeard
Sorry, its a final check for standard of work, missed steps like your vent, etc. Usually carried out before final payment.
Nanuek
You agree beforehand to withhold some of the money and then pay the final bill after a period of 'snagging' where you check for errors.
Morthera
I've never heard of that, do people do that in the US?
WhoIsFlabbergasted
Most jobs I've hired for do that in the contract. Half up front, half on completion. Contract ends with the final payment
AawesomeAardvaark
Not in the US. Half up front, half after inspecting the work is common though.
RustyRedbeard
This is the same thing, we just have another odd word for it over here, which we probably stole from another language and forgot about.
Nanuek
This is in the UK for me
Khrome
$10k for 1 cold water, 1 hot water, 1 drain and 2x 210 outlets and no dryer vent? Thats a good youtube video and $500 @ Home Depot
xj4low
I wouldn't trust a Youtube video when dealing with 210. Also, could be gas being upstate NY and that introduces a whole host of problems (1
xj4low
2) if not done correctly. Best case it works. Worst case, you just blew up your house and knocked the 3 houses around you off foundations.
Einbrecher
Plus how much in tools, time, and hoping it was done properly? "$500 + YouTube" should be a DIYer fallacy if it's not already. Though,
Einbrecher
$10k seems like a lot - but that also depends on the area and availability of contractors.
gablestout
Is that before or after running a new 220 home run back to the breaker and connecting it, or a 1/2" gas line? Fireblock the new holes? ⇲
gablestout
⇱GFCI protection on all 110 outlets? Mud and tape? the new vent pipe and sewer connections? PEX? water hammer arrestors? ⇲
gablestout
⇱This quickly adds up to a job no average DIYer should do on their own.
teacupsquid
Was it a whole new room though?
hauntednursery
Please, don't tell me that.
Einbrecher
$500 plus whatever tools you're missing plus the risk of damage/etc. if you do it wrong plus the time it takes/time you're out of a washroom
initialo
If you faff up the outlets your place would burn down, and your insurance wouldn't cover it. Need a licensed sparky for that.
Hammerwell
But can't you install them yourself and let it inspect?
initialo
It depends, but here, you can get the city to do the inspection. But you need a permit first.
tacticalattackterriers
OP said "built a room", so I'm guessing it's a little more involved than moving an outlet and cutting a hole in the drywall.
gablestout
I'm in the middle of expanding our utility room (W/D) to move our furnace in there and add A/C. It's ALWAYS more involved! Not a simple DIY
mormacil
How do you install that in my brick wall?
HenryLongfellowIII
Masonry drill, Drill around the circumference of the vent hole & chip the bricks away to leave a hole. Bezel and caulking covers the edges.
SatoriEnligtenmentNow
+1
mormacil
But there's more then one brick layer with insulation. I feel asking a pro to do it and not buying all the tools makes sense.
HenryLongfellowIII
Might well do. Personally, I prefer to invest in the tools and knowledge in most cases. Except for NG lines, I'll leave that to the pros.
HenryLongfellowIII
Taking down trees >20-30', no thanks. Don't own a serious chainsaw. And roofing- too big a job, better to cut a check for however thousands.
gablestout
Core drill with a 4" diamond core bit. You can rent them together for $170/day in Seattle
mormacil
That is fancy
mak10z
this is why you never sign off on the completion papers until you verify all work.
hauntednursery
I guess that’s one thing in my favor? I didn’t sign anything.
Kennleth
I mean... where I am, if you didn't sign anything you can't even prove he did the work.
mak10z
https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/contractors-completion-certificate was the person who did the work a licensed contractor?
mak10z
if so you may have legal reason to pursue them to finish the work.
hauntednursery
Yup he is, which is why I trusted him. I'm hoping it was just a mistake & not malicious bc he seemed like a nice guy.
TetraNordeh
Give him the chance to fix his mistake. If he doesn't, go after the bond money for incomplete work.
SatoriEnligtenmentNow
Missing a dryer vent is pretty egregious.
lamagra22
You didn't sign anything? Including a work order that listed a dryer vent as required? Oops.
Totallyscrewedinaustin
Things were signed in the beginning, though, right? What exactly was being build, cost, materials, ect?
DonutOlympian
Yeah, I've never heard of "completion" papers and I've had repairs done, and my dad was in construction
pawdraig
Any job I've done with an architect the architect needs to sign a certificate of completion before final payment. But I work very high end
DonutOlympian
Yeah architects I believe it, my stuff had just been with general contractors
SomeDetroitGuy
Usually they kind of hand you an invoice with a list of things done and ask you to sign it.
DonutOlympian
I've only ever gotten a receipt. All the stuff was in the estimate I signed then they just give me a receipt at the end when I pay. But,
Th1ng
get a heat pump dryer and save real money without the need of a vent
Rubbertje
I think you can't even buy that old junk in the EU...
[deleted]
[deleted]
RentedRedux
Heat pump dryers don't vent air. They condense on the cold side of the pump. You have to empty a water tray or have a drain. Downside- slow.
rahbeNoodleBandit
They absolutely do not. You're describing a plain old dryer where you fail to vent it outside, a condensing dryer works differently.
megodk
Don't you guys have dryers that collect the water in a specific container?
theatervoice3000
That's what mine does ?♂️ it's super easy
nero4ty2
nope, humid air is vented outside
ProphetofEntropy
thats a standard dryer, the type being discussed only dump heat into the room they are in, but this can make them less efficient than a 1/2
ProphetofEntropy
normal dryer depending where you live.
HappinessOnTap
They normally dispense the moisture through a drain. The commenter above has no idea what they’re talking about.
Totallycasual
Yeah, i had one of these in a small apartment, called a condenser dryer and it puts all the water into a container that you empty as needed.
DykeReeve
You obviously don't know what you're talking about. It's plain wrong. Heat pump dryers are the superior up-to-date technology.
ihatethetv
Well I’m happy to be proven wrong. Ive just heard poor performance from these in the past. Anyone see amodel with good reviews? Pls share
DykeReeve
As I'm living in Germany, models and make will probably be different from your market. If you happen to live in Europe: test.de my source.
[deleted]
[deleted]
DykeReeve
What's bad about it? We're very satisfied with our condensing dryer for 5 years. Not looking back to heating the backyard.
Contundo
Lol heating the backyard,
TheDudeHisDudenessDuderElDuderino
The ones I used while living in Europe are actually pretty good. My guess is that the ones you get in the US are substandard.
theatervoice3000
I have one and it's been terrific so far!
BurntRamen
What state are you in? I imagine it would work great in Arizona or New Mexico, but terribly in Louisiana or Mississippi.
PowerPedant
It's location independent. There's still a heating element, the heat is just not vented but removed from the exhaust to go back in.
InkyBlinkyPinkyAndClyde
I had one and I still miss it. Not having to move clothes from washer to dryer was great.
ihatethetv
Which one? Make model? Thanks in advance!
OhSureNowYouTellMe
The cost of an installed dryer vent in a $10k job is negligable vs a heat pump dryer. In a small remodel it's more but still a small part.
PowerPedant
A heat pump dryer is also quite a bit cheaper to run, so it's still worth it. Well, depending on use frequency and power cost, but likely.
ihatethetv
Deleted my previous comment. Imgur app wasn’t letting me edit: these I’ve seen before had terrible reviews and performance. I’d like to
ihatethetv
See make and model numbers with good reviews and decent price points. Previously I had seen Bosch and Miele that were lousy.
jonhamsandwich11
Whirlpool was mine. Once it had been fully replaced (literally, the only original part was the chassis) it worked fine...after 9 months of..
jonhamsandwich11
Phone battles. My aunt has Miele and hates it. Takes like 3 hours to dry. There was an LG model that had decent reviews
jonhamsandwich11
This IS a good idea, but dear God read the reviews first! I had one that was 2/5⭐, the warranty repairs took MONTHS and it was new.
NeoDarkElf
Warranty work can be denied if there's any signs of "infestation". Two mouse droppings and a puddle of pee was all it took.
Contundo
How long ago?
DykeReeve
We're happy with a heat pump dryer for maybe five years now. Saves a lot of electricity and produces no humidity.
MarkySpaceMagnet
A dryer just heats and displaces the water trapped in the clothing, how does it produce no humidity.
EveryUsernameIsTakenButNotThisOne
Humidity is the amount of water vapour in air. A dryer with heat pump condenses the water (i.e. make it liquid) and discards it: no humidity