Here’s How to Improve Makeup and Combustion Air in Your Laundromat – And Also Get Lint Under Control
[This is the second of a two-part series. You can read Part One here.]
Last time, we discussed a trick you can use to keep your store’s ceiling looking like new, as well as a general guideline to follow with regard to the optimum number of laundry carts to have on hand. In this article, I’ll share two more operational “hacks” to help you run your laundromat more smoothly and profitably.
Improving Makeup and Combustion Air
Makeup and combustion air is one of those interesting topics – at least for laundromat operators. Most store owners have at least some idea about the concepts of makeup and combustion air.
With that said, I would venture to guess that approximately 80 percent of all laundromats lack sufficient oxygen and have poor combustion air/oxygen ratios behind the dryers in their back rooms.
First and foremost, we’re going to forgo the technical jargon here and speak in layman’s terms. Simply put, makeup air is any air that isn’t directly behind the dryers – while combustion air is the air directly behind the dryers that the dryers use, in combination with the fuel (either natural or propane gas) to create hot air/heat in those dryers.
Over the years, I’ve had discussions with all of the major dryer manufacturers, and they all agree that when dryers are tested for efficiency, they are tested in an open environment. This means that all of the makeup air/oxygen and combustion air/oxygen calculations are done with no obstructions in front of or behind the dryers.
Unfortunately, this is not a real-life scenario.
As an industry, we starve our dryers of combustible air. We’re choking the life out of these machines by restricting the amount of air they receive. We deprive them of sufficient air, and thus they cannot operate at maximum burning capacity.
When we build new laundromats, remodel existing stores or replace dryers, we often install them 18 to 24 inches away from the exterior walls of the building. By limiting the space behind the dryers to just 18 to 24 inches, we create a combustion air problem and a new need – a makeup air/oxygen need.
About 20 percent of laundromats have holes in the walls behind them. These lucky few are the exceptions to the rule. So, how do we fix this problem.
It’s simple: bring oxygen to the back of the dryers any way that’s safely possible. Repeat after me: “You can never have too much air for your dryers!”
And there are several ways to address this challenge:
- Replace your solid ceiling tile with an “egg crate” type of ceiling tile at the front of the dryers, thus enabling oxygen to be pulled in above the dryers.
- Add an exhaust fan above the door, set it on a timer and have it draw/suck, thereby forcing air into the back of your dryers. Also, adding a small hole to the bottom of your dryer access door. Place a vent cover over it to make it look professional. This will create a positive airflow effect, where the oxygen is not obstructed in any way.
- This is my favorite – replace the dryer access doors with metal security doors (with mesh). This will solve your dryer efficiency issues and provide your dryers with sufficient air.
All in all, the goal is to burn more efficiently. If you do so, you will make more money. And isn’t that why you’re in business?
(Editor’s Note: Before undertaking any project involving your laundromat’s dryers, always consult and defer to your dryer manufacturer’s owner’s manual with regard to proper machine installation, as well as makeup and combustion air requirements.)
Lint… And How to Get Rid of It!
When it comes to laundromat operations, lint has got to be one of the most talked-about topics: “Where is all of this @#$%& lint coming from – and how do I stop it?
The lint is coming from the exhaust vents – or, as they’re also known, the “candy canes” – on your roof. For some reason, the engineers and architects decided it would be a good idea to place the intake/fresh air vents between the dryers’ exhaust vents on the roof. So, fresh air is sucked into the building by the intake/fresh air vents, and those same vents suck the lint expelled by the dryers right back into the building. What a mess!
We breathe oxygen at about 98 percent. What typically comes out of a laundromat’s exhaust vents is approximately 92 percent; it’s commonly referred to as “stepped-on oxygen” and is packed with lint (a combination of surfactants from the soap and bleach). Not something you want to breathe for any length of time.
The exhaust from your commercial dryers flies out of the vents at 45 miles an hour (Yes, I actually measured it.) This exhaust, which is full of lint, hits the roof and floats around at about 8 to 10 inches off the surface. When lint rises higher than 15 to 20 inches above a roof’s surface, there is typically sufficient air circulation to blow away that lint for good.
However, what about the lint that is sucked back into the laundry space, because the fresh air intake vents are normally just eight inches above the roof’s surface.
There are a several to resolve this lint challenge. Of course, there are lint collection systems, but the price for such systems may be cost-prohibitive for many laundry owners.
Some owners place socks on their exhaust vents or buckets full of water under each vent to catch the lint. However, any solution that requires someone to get on the roof of his or her laundromat on a regular basis is flawed. In my opinion, the risks aren’t worth the reward.
To me, the best solution is to create metal walls that surround the intake vents, up to 24 inches. They will draw fresh air into the building without the “stepped-on oxygen,” which is blown onto the roof at a level of 8 to 10 inches above the roof’s surface. When the lint is agitated to rise to roughly 20 inches, it will be blown away and carried off the roof forever. The raised metal walls surrounding the fresh air intakes – raised to 24 inches – with ensure fresh clean air, as well as greatly reducing “stepped-on oxygen” and the intake of lint.
No more “snow” all over your laundromat. No more lint trapped in every nook and cranny of your store. No more gummed-up computer boards, coin drops or card readers. No more lint cleaning. Best of all, your odds of suffering a lint build-up fire are drastically reduced – which is good for you and good for the insurance company. Who knows? You might even get a break on your premium.
Of course, before making any changes to your facility’s venting, be sure to check all local building codes to ensure that what you have planned is within the parameters of what is allowable.
(There are some specific issues related to the installation of those protective 24-inch walls around the fresh air/intake vents. If you’d like more details, feel free to reach out.)
I was lucky enough to have been taught and trained the basics by some of the early founders of the laundromat industry. I feel blessed to be able to pass along these operational tricks of the trade to you. It’s my hope that you found something new in the ideas that I’ve shared.
