Lint Alert – How It Works

Back pressure in the dryer’s exhaust system is always changing.  Over time, it increases because of lint buildup, crushed hoses, damaged vent hoods and—surprisingly often—animal nests.  The Lint Alert works to protect you by continually monitoring airflow and showing the exact pressure in the exhaust system.  Armed with this information, you can save energy and be certain the dryer is operating at safe levels.

Air Pressure Sensor

The Lint Alert gathers this information through a highly discriminating digital pressure sensor. It detects extremely small changes in water column inch (WCI) pressure by sampling minute amounts of airflow. Because of the very small volume of air sampled, there is zero impact to air pressure in the duct.

Onboard Computer

The air pressure samples are then analyzed by a programmable integrated circuit. This small onboard computer evaluates data to know whether the dryer is on and how the exhaust system is performing. Most importantly, it learns each unique system (click here to learn more about computer calibration) so it can compare current airflow to optimal, then report changes over time.

LED Indicators

These changes are shown through a simple to understand LED interface where green indicators, turn to yellow, and then red as pressure becomes more problematic. Optimal performance is shown with a single green indicator glowing. As airflow naturally becomes restricted over time, the second, then third green indicator will illuminate. This is a good time to clean the dryer and duct system for best energy efficiency and safety.  In the event the system is not cleaned at that point, the yellow and red indicators will eventually illuminate. Once pressure becomes dangerous (or there is a sudden obstruction) all LEDs flash in unison and an audio alarm sounds.

Dryer Duct Connection

For the sensor to sample pressure in the system, a self-tapping fitting, the SmartTap™, attaches to the transition hose behind the dryer. This fitting is connected to the alarm module by a 1/8″ tube and provides flexibility to plug the alarm module into the nearest power outlet (to conserve available power sources, the LintAlert includes a pass through terminal into which other electronic devices can be plugged).