insulationwashing-machine
My friend's dryer leaves partially wet clothes. I plan to clean it and remove any lint.
My question is – Do dryers have heat insulation that looks like lint and should not be removed?
Here are few pictures:
While this dryer looks different than mine, I think what is in the doors is actually lint and not heat insulation (to reduce heat loss via doors)?
And the thing in the back probably is lint as well that should be cleaned:
Update #1 (the other side of drum that shows close up of picture #3):
What kind of construction is the floor? It seems to me that the floor would be your main heat loss culprit if you're up to a sufficient insulation value in the walls and ceiling.
To answer your question directly: There are no ceramic or composite tiles that significantly add to the R-value of the structure. However, there are additional materials that you can place inside the walls.
I would look into other things, like heat loss through a window, or through a fan vent that draws air, or through the floor. If the room still feels cold, I would definitely include in your renovation a heated floor mat, which gets embedded in self-leveling cement and then tiled over. Having a nice warm floor in the morning when you get out of the shower is one of the ultimate simple luxuries in my opinion.
Rooms above garages are often done improperly. It's amazing, because it really isn't all that difficult, but a lot of people seem to mess it up.
Unfortunately, there's no "easy" way: You're going to have to remove some drywall to inspect and see how the insulation in the ceiling is done. There may or may not be a gap in the space, depending on how the ceiling was done. Even just taking the temperature above the insulation in that space will tell you a lot (above the insulation, it should be close to room temperature).
Drafts in that space are absolutely killer, it means there is a direct source of outside air. Black on the insulation is a good sign of airflow, indicating drafts.
Basically, if the ceiling space isn't totally sealed, the only thing you can do is turn the garage into a conditioned space (very expensive, in terms of both construction costs and ongoing energy costs), and even then, if the problem is between the insulation and sub-floor, it won't help.
What should be there at a minimum is a continuous vapour barrier, with a layer of insulation on top. The vapour barrier should be sealed to the subfloor or the vapour barrier from the walls above. The insulation should go all the way around the edge (in the headers), so the insulation is continuous from the floors up to the subfloor. There should absolutely be no drafts, exposed concrete, or anything directly connected to the outside that is uninsulated.
The best way (in my opinion) to seal this space is to use closed-cell spray foam, and form a continuous seal across the bottom of the entire subfloor. This gives you great insulation, no drafts, and acts as a vapour barrier as well (vapour barrier is not needed in this case -- though some building inspectors still don't understand this, so check your local codes). It also is better at ensuring fumes from vehicles in the garage can't get into your living space (in theory, vapour barrier prevents this as well, but 6mil vapour barrier is easier to puncture than a couple inches of hardened foam).
Though you may be able to find something obvious and fix it, be prepared that there's a possibility that the only "fix" is going to be to completely tear down the ceiling of the garage and re-do it properly.
If you're going to spend money and time on this, do it right.
Best Answer
No. No such insulation that looks like lint. Anything that looks like lint is lint and has to go. Can use compressed air carefully to get at the hard to reach stuff. However the more likely culprit is a blocked or kinked vent pipe. Or a vent that does not vent clearly to the out of doors. Check out the vent pipe first. Make sure that it is clear all the way with no restrictions or reductions. Make sure that it is as straight and short as possible. When you put your hand on the air flow outside at the vent cap you should feel a hard pressing column of air. Without lots of air movement, you just can't dry clothes.