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Project Summary

Scout Linda Mentz contacted Gainesville Fire Rescue to inquire if they could use scout made gear dryers. They were excited to work with her to design a PVC system that would work for them. The homemade PVC dryers are thousands of dollars less than their store-bought counterparts; gear dryers are used by fire departments across the country to help stations decrease the risk of cancer by encouraging more frequent suit washing.

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The blue buttons below are links to instructions to build both gear dryers.

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Filling out the forms below (if expressing interest or having completed a design) will be helpful to the data collection effort and provide resources for assistance.

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Solution 1

Air is pumped through a 4 inch overhead pipe and down through a 1 inch pipe. A wider base is used, and the hanging of the gear is more intuitive.

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This dryer has a tendency to break and burn out air blowers, especially if three of the valves are frequently closed to dry a single suit fast (like in the picture). Suggestions to solutions for this issue can be found in the Blog. I would not recommend building this dryer unmodified.

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Solution 2

Air is pumped up through holes in the wooden base and up through 3 inch PVC. A stronger blower and more complex base is used.

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This model ended up being the favorite, requiring no maintenance or new parts in the first year. I would recommend this dryer for its durability, longevity, and ease of modification.

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