How to Vent a Clothes Dryer | Ask This Old House
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- Опубликовано: 26 янв 2019
- Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey travels to Cleveland to reroute a lengthy dryer vent.
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Time: 1-2 hours
Cost: $30
Skill Level: Beginner
Tools List for Venting a Clothes Dryer:
Measuring tape
Drill Driver
Hole saw slightly larger than size of vent pipes
Metal cutting scissors or shears
Shopping List:
Rigid dryer pipes
Dryer vent elbows
Dryer vent cover
Critter cover
Foil duct tape
Vent clamp
Steps:
1. Measure and mark the correct location for the rigid pipe to vent to the outside.
2. Drill a pilot hole through the marked location to determine where to drill from outside.
3. When drilling through vinyl siding, set the drill into reverse and lightly score the hole based on the center of the pilot hole using the hole saw.
4. Set the drill into the correct direction and drill the hole. Don’t cut all the way through to the other side.
5. Go back inside and drill the rest of the hole from the inside. This will ensure the cut appears clean on both sides of the hole.
6. Measure and cut the rigid vent pipes to size. Seal the seams of the vent pipes with the duct tape.
7. Insert the pipe into the dryer vent cover. Seal the seam with more duct tape.
8. From the outside, insert the pipe into the hole. Secure the vent cover to the exterior wall with screws. You can add an additional critter cover over the dryer vent cover to prevent pests from coming up.
9. Insert the other end of the pipe into a dryer vent elbow and seal it with duct tape.
10. Push the dryer back into position. Connect the dryer vent to the elbow and secure it using a clamp and a screwdriver.
11. Plug the dryer back in.
Resources:
Richard recommends keeping the dryer vents as short as possible to prevent lint from accumulating and clogging the vent. All of the pieces Richard used to install the vent, including the duct tape, the rigid pipe, elbows, and the duct cover are all available at home centers.
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Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers-and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.
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How to Vent a Clothes Dryer | Ask This Old House
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I just absolutely LOVE this channel. And I would watch "This Old House" as a young man. Believe it or not I think it molded my brain to understand basic homeowner maintenance. Now that I'm a husband and I have my family to take care of this channel really was the father I didn't have. So thanks to ALL the Men and Woman whom have helped me without even knowing it.
The guys from This old House are so knowledgeable about every aspect of home improvement, and construction. The show has been around over 40 years wow!
Glad they mentioned the lint trap. That's a big one. I clean my lint trap off after every load.
common knowledge
Your supposed to
Two things that, quite frankly I'm surprised were missing. Firstly, *never* drill into a wall without first confirming the absence of any wiring or plumbing. Secondly, though the new vent duct was a snug fit, the *gaps should still be filled* with expanding foam, both inside and out.
Also, a long straight piece of wire hanger chuckled in a drill works a treat for drilling pilot holes through walls. No expense for a single-use drill bit, and the hole made is extremely small and easy to mask in the event of a mistake.
Lastly, the core from the hole drilled for the new duct makes a great plug for the abandoned vent penetration.
Don't worry Milwaukee powertools are insulated to protect from electric shocks
John Coloe the foam may have restricted the unit from moving to service, but I would have liked to at least see them put some silicone around the termination inside and out! They should have said in the video to make sure that there is no plumbing, studs and especially electrical before you drill a hole in the wall. I wonder how many people have had disasters because of the lack of safety warnings since this video came out!
John Coloe I guess they feel if your not smart enough to check for plumbing, studs, and electricity that you wouldn’t even attempt doing it yourself 😂🤣😂🤣😂
How do you check for plumbing and electrical work before? Do you need to drill a hole big enough to peek in?
@@scottymahoney My guess would be to start by drilling from the inside. Once you get through the dry wall layer you stop to check behind it to see what's there.
Also, it would have been important for them to make sure they weren't going through any studs on the exterior wall as they might be structural. They got lucky here.
At 2:31 there is a little kid boogying down the street on his scooter and it brought me joy and made me smile.
I like the reverse drill method for going through thin siding. I burnt out my corded drill doing this normal forward mode.
The dryer and washer would drive me nuts that far from the wall
Every unit is that far to account for the duct work. If yours is pressed up against the wall good chance its crushing the flex house and may cause a fire due to buildup.
Actually mine is not that far and no hose is being crushed. You just need to think outside the box a little and use the cavity in the wall to tuck in the piping. Then use a section of flex hose to be able to pull out the dryer and disconnect when needed. Not saying my dryer is touching the wall, but it’s not that far like in the video.
Mine vents straight out the back through the wall. They could build a shelf right above it and make it not as noticeable
I can't tell for certain, but I believe that Kenmore can be side vented which would have been ideal for this situation.
Flex hose should not be allowed on any dryer period. There is no reason a dryer can’t always be vented with rigid duct. Flex hose is the lazy way out and only leads to problems.
Simple fix yet critical for safety. Nice video!
Excellent job as always, I can't believe that would have been the original design from the builder.
You guys are great I most love watching HVAC related stuff. Keep it up!
I think caulking the top and sides of the new vent cover would be a good idea.
Very important to keep the vent cleaned out. I snaked my dryer vent out a few months ago and replaced the busted exterior cover, I'm lucky that I didn't start a fire there was so much lint in there. Also that guy was lucky that he could vent it straight outside, that his laundry was on an exterior wall. My house its a really long 20' run.
Best show ever.
I'm guessing the person installing he vent got paid by the foot. :D
Was this man a Electrician?
Weird I watched this video and looked at the comments and saw my name lol. I’m not the only one ha
Lmao
Uhh#
@@christianguevara3122 lmao
Great topic and good coverage of issue. Thanks for this!
I am addicted to these videos
Bet that dryer works amazing now
what? no just no.
@@Lurod_ i'd bet there's a performance improvement. Reducing a 37 foot run to about 18 inches, with only one one 90 degree turn-- has to make a difference.
no bead of silicone where the dryer vent meets the vinyl siding?
Towmy would not be happy
youd be surprised how tradesmen just tell the homeowner to call another tradesman bc they are plumbers not painters.
Thought the same thing but I'm not very craftsman leveled. It's pretty normal to bead silicone when matching 2 non similar materials ya? Plus will a plastic shield really keep squirrels out?
Plus that's now a good way for cold air to enter
@@silverSScamaro or hot ass air/moisture/allergens
edit: and *bugs*
The video I didn't know I needed last year. Thanks!
Thanks for this video. I wasn't sure which faces to make while I drill through the wall of the house.
i think they took out part of a stud, which is probably ok
@@honeypot-pd2oc What? 4:08 I think you misread what I said.
Excellent job! Thank you.
The shortest distance should be required when installing a dryer vent. I can't wait to make this change. Thanks for such a great video
This video is very helpful and I will be doing pretty much the same thing in the near future.
My dryer had provisions for a side discharge. Made it easy to get it right up against st the wall.
“Reverse”?! Who would have known. Thank you! Subscribed.
Another great video thanks guys....
Nice grass!
I would recommend a critter cover as Richard mentioned. I never had any trouble with birds and the dryer vent until one Spring I found out they were filling the vent pipe up like crazy with grass and twigs. I cleared it out and 2 days later they had almost filled it up halfway into the house again. On went the critter cover over the exterior vent. No more of that!
One cold winter, I had a small bird come down my chimney and ended up inside my oil-fired water heater. It smelled like roasted chicken
Critter covers arent legal for dryers
Well done.
I always love reading the comments on these videos everyone has something to complain about
Matt Limbs Well you should know any RUclips video regardless of the topic will attract those who want to complain about the tiniest of things. What a sad world we live in.
@@venividivici4253 there always reasonable complaints I think he did a good job but people complaining that he didn’t put caulk on the vent cover and drilled straight through half the stud are right he should have checks id there was a stud and should have sealed the vent cover with caulking
I'm just here for the "Why didn't they" "I would have" "The proper way is" "They should have" comments. I leave satisfied.
Haha right
Did he drill right through an outside supporting wall stud...hahahaha. he should have, fill in the blanks....
Lol, “ can you believe” this guys a puss
This clip is only so long. Going over every detail turns it into a 3 hour show. And of course nothing ever goes wrong or tool forgotten but you can learn alot
I read the comments for much the same reason, just cause someone can make a video doesn't mean they know what their doing, I often learn more from the comments than the videos.
That was crazy dyer duck work I ever seen
Great clip. Cool customer.
Nice work boss.
Neat. Thanks guys.
The bit in the drill when he clamped the pipe to the dryer was from a multi bit screwdriver!!! Haha love it.
I did this same thing to my fire hazard of a vent added the new galvanized duct and the dryer works on one cycle when its loaded with towels or jeans . Been a fan since the age of 5 now over 40 TOH makes being a diyer easier.....
The problem is most laundry areas only leave space for a contortionist to operate
Barely have enough room to open my front load dryer door while still standing directly in front of it...same for most other modern homes I look at. Either architects have no concept of daily reality, or it's a strategic design to squeeze more square footage into other areas of the home (because home buyers don't think about basic things like this during a walk thru).
@@A-uf3so Private residences aren't built to ADA, nor are most rentals/apartments for that matter. The laws of ADA/Fair Housing are a whole semester worth of discussion.
Ur so right
You are cdoing s
Haha so true
Great help!😃
Up in the north we use the condenser dryer to keep the heat in the house (in winter). Still a good fit so you dont have to put in a vent, but not good if its working against your AC for cold. We usually hang our laundry outside in the summer if not need to tumble (or door open). Not southern states compatible i guess. :)
Ducttape, fore everything except ducts.
Unless you get them to install a ducted mini split in your attic. They used hella duct tape on one of their other videos.
I was wrong. It's a dehumidifier.
ruclips.net/video/D3wd2yVwzvE/видео.html
Duck and duct genius
@@Type2DarylBTeas q
IDaryl Boord yess
Amount the other issues stated in the comments I personally would have put a short piece of flex on just in case the wife or kids shift the drier at some point down the road. Also it would make hooking it up much easier because it could be pulled out a foot or so when hooking it up.
Good video, straight to the point. I wonder why he didnt try to avoid the stud?
i would of tried to avoid the stud on the corner of the wall if it was me. I would of also used the flexible pipe to be able to move the dryer around if needed.
Never use flexible duct on a dryer even semi flex isn’t recommended use solid that way the duct doesn’t become a giant lint trap and you don’t have to clean it every 3 to 6 month or you could get fire where as solid duct needs cleaning every 1-2 years
And yeah he should be avoided the stud he drilled straight through not just a bit just straight dang in the middle although 1 shouldn’t be to big a deal it’s still a bad idea
Avoid flex duct whenever possible. Hard pipe is much more stable and easier to clean with drill brushes.
I wonder how many times the old dryer exhaust caused the high temp fuse to blow!!
LOL now there is a 1 foot gape between the dryer and the wall. Great fix! Perfect fit!
Same gap when he had the shitty flex duct and it is only 8" from the wall.
Incredible
Also, get an indoor drying rack. Clothes dry quickly in the low humidity of winter.
Very nice video. This is exactly what I had to do but a lot less length, only 22 feet.
I did a few things different.
I used a Dryer Dock (quick connect). I mounted 1/2 to the wall and the other half to the dryer so no tools needed to clean the dryer and duct once per year. Just 1/4" twist and it disconnects.
The second thing I did was to insulate the dryer pipe as it gets down to 35 degrees below zero here at times. You can add a spring loaded damper but that is a place to allow lint to build up.
Third is to add wheel trolley, that when I tighten up one screw and the dryer is able to roll out. Loosen the screw and it sits on the feet again.
This video shows the electric outlet higher than the top of the dryer. I put mine below and added a shelf to stop things from falling behind the machines. The washer connections do have to be that height but not the dryer's.
Because I live in an arctic environment I use outside air brought in through a heat exchange to supply the dryer with air from outside and not causing negative air pressure which brings in air from windows and doors as you use the dryer. Outside air is pulled into the basement through exchange, then the air is brought up to laundry room via 4" Easy Fit Connector. This has a 4" round, then transitions to oval to fit in a standard 3 1/2" wall at a 90 degrees. This is the same principle as the newer 96+ furnaces that pull in outside air for combustion.
I bought a ventless heat pump (runs on 120 volts) Miele dryer last year and won't go back to the old style vented dryer I had before.
noticing more Milwaukee tools in the TOH videos, did you guys part ways with festool?
Red and Green would have just duct taped a 1hp blower fan in-line to force the gunk out.
But this works too~
The best outside vent cover is Lambro 289W Dryer Vent Seal, 4". Easy to install easy to disassemble and clean. Full 4” opening if you run a brush or leaf blower from laundry room. I have installed for 3 bathroom vents as well and zero back flow. Do paint the them as not really UV tolerant.
Must correct myself. The product I have used is actually “ Heartland Natural Energy Saving Dryer Vent”.
In some states, it is against code to place that below a vented soffit. Same for the fireplace.
Great work. I've gotta fix the former Joe homeowner's last duct work job by venting right out the pre-existing wall vent instead of out the drywall, up 6ft, across 3 ft. and down the soffit vent. Unbelievable how incapable of thought some people are.
Dryer manufacturers need to make a dryer vent that exits on the side or the top, so you can push the dryer all the way against the wall.
It looks like that hole saw cut through the wall stud. I'd be concerned doing that if it's a load bearing wall.
Only issue drilling that close to corner of the wall is he went through a portion of the stud. You can see it on outside view walls aren't that thick.
In england our dryers use pvc flex pipe to vent how ever I use aluminium the sort you would find on an extractor fan or cooker hood
Shouldnt there be some caulk outside where new vent meets the siding or doesnt it rain there?
it only rains on the other side of the house
Nick Stosz absolutely!!
Yeah cause any water that runs down will make its way into the wall. I always make sure to add caulking for every type of dryer vent I install for good measure
Put a couple of blocks of wood, or similar, cut to fit between the washer / dryer to the wall baseboard to prevent them from moving back toward the wall. Unbalanced shaking or bumping into them will try to do this in time.
Nice
do yoi have a video on exhaust installation when dryer is in cellar? about 6 feet below ground level.
Answer for almost every problem I have met. Great help
That is almost the most absurd dryer vent configuration I've ever seen.
They probably wanted to save the heat in their house/basement.
I watch your show and enjoy the knowledge you guys present. Great presentation!. I own a condo in a 7 floor multi unit building, built back in the mid-seventies. There is a half-bath in my third bedroom and all fixtures were removed before I purchased it. I would likes to put a laundry room in this half-bath. There is exhausts vent in this area. My question is can I vent the drier thru the existing vent. But I don"t know where and how this vent exit the unit. Should I proceed with this remolding?
You should probably find out where that duct goes before doing anything. It might have been closed off at the end. Or it might have been cut and left open somewhere, meaning it would vent inside the building and cause all sort of moisture issues.
💥💯🙌 great vid!
Can you do that with a brick wall? I would just love that. I have a cellar with no vent at all.
How do you make sure you don't hit electrical behind wall?
what did they do to determine there was no electric wire where they drilled the pilot hole and final larger hole? and unless you're positive there's no electric wire in that area, holding the metal part of the drill is a bad idea. right?
Well done, I would have taken care that there were no obstructions in the wall before cutting holes by probing thru the interior drywall with a screwdriver, you can never be too careful.
I know I would have hit a stud, especially drilling that close to the inside corner.
@@tomcook4790 HE DID
@@tomcook4790 I did too.
Check the dryer installation instructions for maximum vent length. My last vented dryer allowed only 12 feet with 2 elbows. Even with the new aluminum vent, you need to check/clean every year, minimum. The dryer blower wheel may also be plugged with lint, depends on how many cotton fabrics you dry in the machine. Cotton is bad for lint. Buy a condensing or heat pump dryer instead, they’re ventless. Use a clothesline on nice days during the summer.
Ventless doesn’t mean lintless. Heat pump dryers are a terrific idea, but some reviews indicate that lint can build up inside the cabinet.
@@lorijain3398 You’re right, Lori. I bought a condenser type, not a heat pump. I have to maintain the condenser section at least once per month and lint has twice blocked the drain tube so these units haven’t solved the lint problem entirely. I had to get a drum roller replaced about 5 years in, the repair involved removal of the lid so I could see inside the cabinet. Fortunately, there was no lint in there. I’m happy to clean the condenser and surrounding area monthly and I like the idea that the dryer isn’t exhausting indoor air outside.
I wish more people would look into heat pump dryers. Most people don't realize that an electric dryer in your house is one of the most energy consuming devices you'll ever find. Using a heat pump dryer means that it will use 25% of the energy and you don't need a vent! They are great in situations where retrofitting a dryer and installing a vent is not ideal like needing to drill through 8 in of a concrete basement wall like the city wanted me to do in a basement apartment I was building. I just said I don't need a vent if the dryer doesn't have one! Problem solved
Is it o.k. to go up a few feet so not buried by snow? Or would two bends trap moist lint? Good vid.
They didn't mention that the dryer should also work better and more efficiently since it will be easier for the hot air to blow out.
I like your video
So it’s not necessary to find and avoid the stud before drilling and 4-1/2 inches hole in the wall?
Just a reminder, dryer lint is flammable. It's like a fine dust that gets everywhere.
I've seen poor dryer venting lead to fires. Many times a dryer is located near a gas fired furnace or gas fired water heater.
It is important to make sure there is no dryer lint accumulating outside of the venting.
Apartments are notorious for having a laundry closet that is also contains the gas water.
Lint builds up, water heater fires up.....boom, fire.
Venting through an attic where there is a gas fired furnace can pose the same danger.
I just bought an old home, and in the "utility" room, the dryer only has about 2.5/3 inches of clearance from the back of the wall, for the door to shut. ALSO, the exhaust hole is in the floor...underneath the dryer. Would the best thing be to build a platform, then do a 90 degree/tight fit vent extension?
That is a good idea
Now watch my video on how to clean out the dryer to prevent a dryer fire! But really, I came here because my new house has no vent in the basement all! They moved the dryer to the main floor on the opposite side of the house and I too did not want to run 37 ft across the floor joists to connect and go through a closet. Now to drill a pilot hole and see where Im ending up under a low clearance deck before it snows again!
Our dryer is in the basement and the vent is going through a cement wall. Would it be better to go through the sliding
It always amazes me on how advanced the USA are and then alot of household appliances/electrical fittings are so old fashioned. Ours sits to the wall and maybe once every few months I'll empty the water chamber down the sink and then no 4inch hole through my house.
Water chamber? What are you talking about? Our dryers in the US don’t produce water...
@@athhud from the condition your dryer will be spitting out that pipe.go check out an indesit idc85k there called condensing dryers. You don't need a pipe. You just have to empty the plastic tray/container every now and then.
Interesting technology that I wasn’t aware of and is quite expensive in the US currently. Fortunately our power is cheap enough that a basic ducted dryer will never cost enough to run/maintain to make up the cost difference for the condensing dryers at their current prices. Of course if you go buy Samsung’s latest top of the line R2D2-C3PO $50k dryer that will break before it’s 3rd birthday, the Condensing units make a lot more financial sense.
Do the condensing dryers not have a means of dumping water into the washer drain? I would despise having to remember to empty a water tray.
Only way to set dryer flush with wall is to have that duct roughed in behind finish wall with maybe 3” past finish wall so you can snug the band once mounted
I can't understand why people/homeowners don't clean the dryer lint trap after every load!! First off it's a fire hazard and 2nd it makes the dryer work harder to dry clothes causing premature motor failure!!
Wish mine was that easy.
I thought I was the only one who had houses with weird stuff like that. I feel better.
Nice job Richard you drilled right through the corner stud.
Hi Jiggles... That is the name of the dryer vent duct cause it jiggles and wiggles.😂😂
Shortest distance between two points is straight line right through studs on load bearing wall. Lucky he didn't snag any romex as well. Quite surprised by this video. Come to expect more from TOH.
Murica where houses are so cheaply made, that you have to fear it will collapse from a little hole in your wall lmao
What do I do if old-school dryer has to dry cycle twice to dry clothes? Is there some vebt somewhere I cant see?
Glad they sealed all connections with foil tape. Most people forget that any leak is a leak. Especially the vent from the water heater.
Edit: spelling
how about patching the hole in the drywall and the hole in the floor, Richard!
That's not the plumbers job! They just make the holes
dropn loads bs.
@@zack9912000 how many plumbers do you know that finish and paint drywall repairs? I never found one
@@steverone7623 Plumbers love making holes that's for sure.
dropn loads most around here do, basic painting and hole patching they do isn’t hard to do at all
Most dryers have a side exit conversion. Wouldn’t it have made sense to come out the side?
how to do you know if there is no electrical or anything in the walls?
I got the same outlet outside, but in winter it's causing cold air to come inside the house, Freezing cold... Any suggestions please?
What about caulking around the outside vent?
No stealing around the new pipe?
Any schmo can drill through vinyl siding. Why don't they show examples of going through brick siding?
Can you recommend how to block back air flow? (My dryer vent is clean, the flapper on the roof dryer vent cover is not stuck, yet I get condensation in my dryer.) All the roof dryer vent covers I've seen have a gap around the flapper through which the air leaks to the house.
Make sure the portion of ducting going through your attic is insulated.
Why no horizontal separation from the window?
Why not using rectangular stack duct instead of 4 in elbow?. A 2x8 with 4 in. round adopter will work fine.