Product review (5 stars): Keeps the cold out
When we remodeled our laundry room, a typical dryer vent was installed, and the walls were insulated against the fierce NW winds off Lake Ontario. The first time the temps went below zero, my washing machine pipes froze and I had to thaw them out by running my gas dryer for an hour and trickling water into the utility sink! When it happened a second time, I was totally frustrated. And, any time the wind blew, the flapper would make so much noise we couldn't sleep. We eventually put a plastic bag on the outside vent and I had to remember to remove it every time I used the dryer--which was dangerous, obviously, and a pain in the neck. Then I found this product online, ordered it and installed it. (We had to screw it into our vinyl siding.) This past winter was brutal and the pipes never froze, and the inside of my dryer remained room temperature instead of freezing. Plus, there's nothing to flap in the wind. I can say this product saved my pipes, my marriage, and perhaps my life.