TROOP 21
Gainesville, FL
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.
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.
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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