skip to main content

How to plumb the dryer vent

13 years ago

I am building a new home with a crawl space here in Missouri. Today I noticed that the dryer vent has been run up and out the roof. This distance is an easy 25 or more feet, straight up. We are presently renting a house with a crawl space and its dryer vent goes down through the floor into the crawl space and then out the foundation wall and has a PVC type cover on it. I am seeing small pieces of lint on the outside cover and was wondering if the 25' of straight up lift in the new house is too much? My GC seemed to think this was a normal install.

Opinions please!

PS I have the block checked under the Message block that says "Check here if you would like copies of follow-ups to your message emailed to you." I am not receiving any notifications when people respond to my posts. What's up?

Andy

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

dadoes
13 years ago
Always, always, always route a dryer's exhaust ducting on the shortest, straightest path that's possible. The machine should ideally be located on an outside wall for a straight-through exit.
fordtech
13 years ago
My vent goes straight out the wall, only a couple feet long. I have saved a lot of drying time = energy = money over the years with that setup.
Related Discussions
How to do a dryer vent through the slab?
Q
Comments (16)
While this is the ideal rarely is it the case anymore. Builders opt for making the laundry room more convenient to the kitchen which more often than not is in the central part of the home. As a chimney sweep for 40 years who tackled dryer vents early I learned convincing builders to alter their habits is futile much to the peril of homeowners. We suggest rerouting the vent up and out the roof. This is not optimum but normally the only feasible way to do it. The pipe should be metal but not aluminum and each joint should be taped with METAL tape not duct tape which will fail after a few years of heated use. Dryer vents can only be 35 feet long according to building codes and each 90 degree bend subtracts 5 feet from that total. Slab vents have 4- 90's thereby making the legal limit of the vent to be only 15 feet long. Rarely are they that short. The cleaning procedure detailed above is normal and time consuming but necessary for this faulty dryer vent design. As dryer vent cleaners we have perfected a system that works most of the time yet there are those that must be rerouted to be made more efficient.
...See More
Bosch ventless dryer exhaust vent - how to clean?
Q
Comments (11)
In the search for an answer to my problems with Bosch dryer, I stumbled upon your problem. Although you said you cleaned the whole system multiple times, I have to ask if you cleaned the compartment underneath the condenser unit? First thing, unplug the dryer. When you pull out the condenser, at the bottom of the tunnel is a hatch door. Underneath that lid is a compartment for water. In case you don’t see it, just push your hand down the tunnel and you will be able to feel it. It can get really messy and green in that compartment underneath that lid. The water pump is located on the left side of the tunnel. Steam goes through the condenser, and water gets in that hidden compartment and the pump pushes the water through the pipe, up in the condensate container. In my Bosch model, these are the parts that get in touch with water. Maybe your smell problem is there. If you are going to clean that part I’ll advise you to take the left panel of the machine off. It is much easier to work like that. Also at the back of the machine, when you take the smaller lid down (the one with a lot of screws, shaped like a foot) you will uncover the motor fan. Underneath the fan, in the plastic that surrounds the fan is a hole. Check that hole because green algae end up in there also. Clean the metal lid because it can get wet and full of lint. Maybe you already have done all of this, in that case maybe this will help someone else.
...See More
How do you clean a periscope dryer vent?
Q
Comments (5)
You pull the dryer out and brush the vent out. And you open the dryer rear and clean it too. Then you brush out the vent to the exterior. Then, after brushing it all, you hook up your vacuum and vacuum it all. Then you reverse the hose on the vacuum and blow air through it all. This should be done 2x per year. Spring and fall at Daylight Savings change is a good reminder. Along with changing the batteries on your smoke detectors, and exercising all of your home’s water and gas shut off valves.
...See More
Does Anyone Know How an Exterior Dryer Vent Should Operate?
Q
Comments (4)
Oasis is a marketing name. The model number tag on the machine is much more specific, should be somewhere around the loading port visible when the door is open. The serial number is coded for the year and week of manufacture. Cite it here if you want to know the age more precisely. Dryers are simple machines (gas is a bit more complex with the burner components), typically valid to repair if not physically cratered from abuse or a needed part hasn't gone unavailable. I refurbed some common mechanical wear-parts (belt & rollers) on my neighbor's 20yo dryer last June for $73 parts cost, it oughta run another 10 to 20 years.
...See More
andyhutch1947
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks for your responses.

I talked to my GC about this today and he agreed with you guys and actually had it laid out to exhaust to the side and out, about 6-7' max. The building inspector was out looking at something else and saw the layout and said it had to go straight up because it is a gas dryer, not electric. He said it had to be 25'?? feet away from a window so the only option was to be... go straight up.

Anyone else have any input?

Just a note. The county I live in has only had a building dept for two (2) years. Before, no inspections, no control, owner beware!! I am not sure what code they are using nor do I know what experience the inspectors have but it is possible that the exhaust of a dryer is different than the exhaust of say, a, hot water heater or gas furnace. Maybe someone with a gas dryer can respond to this in how his house is vented.

Thanks

Andy
fahrenheit_451
13 years ago
Two things:

1) Request from the Building Inspector/Building Department issuing your Building Permit a copy of the building requirements for dryer vents specific to your jurisdiction. I am not sure why your GC has not already done this? Do this as none of this makes any sense, and for future insurance purposes. Get the business card of the Building Inspector and other Building Department personnel you interface with.

2) Dryer manufacturers have specific requirement about the length of vent that they can safely handle--including horizontal runs. Check your dryer's manufacturer for said requirements. They typically include a length deduction for any elbow and will state the type of elbow, and the reduction of required length, per each type of elbow (e.g, 45, 90).
andyhutch1947
Original Author
13 years ago
451 F

Will do!
gin_gin
13 years ago
I'm not in your state, I'm near Chicago, IL. But I can tell you that I'm renting a house built in 2007 which has a gas dryer & a dryer vent that goes directly out the side of the house. There is also a window maybe 5 feet away from the vent. Now that I think about it, I think I even have a bedroom window on the 2nd floor above the vent.

Related Stories

LAUNDRY ROOMS A Kitchen Laundry Cabinet Full of Surprises

By Mitchell Parker

A little DIY spirit allowed this homeowner to add a washer, dryer, kitchen countertop and dining table all in one

REMODELING GUIDES Contractor Tips: Advice for Laundry Room Design

By Buckminster Green LLC

Thinking ahead when installing or moving a washer and dryer can prevent frustration and damage down the road

LAUNDRY ROOMS Laundry Makes a Clean Break With Its Own Room

Laundry rooms are often a luxury nowadays, but a washer-dryer nook in a kitchen, office or hallway will help you sort things out

MUDROOMS 4 High-Performing Mudroom Ideas

By Mitchell Parker

Looking for entryway ideas with plenty of storage? Here’s how to make hooks, cubbies and drawers look great

BASEMENTS Tricky Basement Bathroom? Cool Design Opportunity!

By MyFixitUpLife show

Have some fun with your bathroom design while getting all the venting, privacy and storage you need

KITCHEN DESIGN A Cook’s 6 Tips for Buying Kitchen Appliances

By Christine Tusher

An avid home chef answers tricky questions about choosing the right oven, stovetop, vent hood and more

LAUNDRY ROOMS The Cure for Houzz Envy: Laundry Room Touches Anyone Can Do

By Becky Harris

Make fluffing and folding more enjoyable by borrowing these ideas from beautifully designed laundry rooms

LAUNDRY ROOMS Clever Ways to Hide a Laundry Station

By Toronto Interior Design Group

When you don’t have a whole room to devote to the wash, use these solutions to tuck the machines out of view

LAUNDRY ROOMS Get More From a Multipurpose Laundry Room

By Lisa Frederick

Laundry plus bill paying? Sign us up. Plus a potting area? We dig it. See how multiuse laundry rooms work harder and smarter for you

LAUNDRY ROOMS 7-Day Plan: Get a Spotless, Beautifully Organized Laundry Room

By Laura Gaskill

Get your laundry area in shape to make washday more pleasant and convenient

Sponsored

More Discussions

PreOrder new Bosch 500 series or something else

6

Bosch ventless dryer questions…

3

Dryer is taking too long to dry!!!

14

Laundry room ideas

2

Washing Machine Draining Question & Laundry Room Design

7