Shoutout to the guy at the hardware store who warned me about using duct tape on a dryer vent

I was trying to patch a small tear in my flexible dryer duct and grabbed the duct tape, thinking it was the obvious choice. The older gentleman working the plumbing aisle saw me and said, 'That'll melt and catch lint, son. You need aluminum foil tape.' I bought a roll for about five dollars and used it instead. Has anyone else gotten a piece of advice from a stranger that saved you from a bigger problem?

2 comments

2 Comments

joseph_hunt3d agoMost Upvoted

Gotta disagree a bit, duct tape is actually rated for temps up to 200 degrees. My dryer vent doesn't get that hot, and a small patch with the good stuff has held for years. That foil tape is a pain to work with and tears easy. Sometimes the old-school fix is fine if you know what you're doing.

riley8603d ago

Honestly, how bad could it really be? I get the safety thing, but like @joseph_hunt said, a small patch with real duct tape probably works fine. Dryer vents aren't jet engines. That foil tape is super annoying and peels off if you look at it wrong. Feels like one of those things where people make a huge deal over a tiny risk.