Dryers encourage lint collection because it is warm inside, and lint is a warm-weather habitat. They can often get clogged up with loads of lint, so an excellent way to prevent this and clean out the dryer periodically is to vent them. Dryers will also produce moisture, leading to mold in your home if not properly vented.
Venting the Dryer Outside
If you own your own home, it is good to vent the dryer to the outside, through the roof, or an exterior wall. It will help keep your home cleaner and prevent mildew.
It’s easy for a dryer to vent outside in the laundry room or close to another vent. But sometimes, even with all of the vents you can account for, a dryer will do something weird and not work right. It might be stuck on the tumble cycle, or the lint trap is empty and needs attention. Either way, your clothes are done drying, but your home is still cold and damp.
The best way is to install an outside vent on your roof or exterior wall. You can even cut a big hole in your wall to install the venting if you don’t feel like sticking it in the middle of your garage or attic. If you don’t have an outside vent to use, you can conduct a bit of dryer vent surgery.
The first thing you’ll need to do is unscrew and remove the old ducting that extends from the back of your dryer to wherever it was initially going. This should have a round metal duct on both ends unscrewed by hand. You may need to pull the dryer away from the wall to get enough room to work, but it won’t take much force.
Next, you’ll need to cut off a length of ducting from another part of your house and measure a few inches more than you need. The ducting should slide into place so it’s effortless; try not bend it. You’ll need extra for the couplings and screws on each end.
Once it’s in the position, you’ll need to cut out a hole of about three inches in diameter or bigger, depending on the size of your ducting. The ducting will then be placed through the hole you’ve just created and screwed into place from the inside; make sure that you use tape to seal it. Then run the vent outside, screw it into place, and paint over any areas that have been damaged or exposed, as this will keep critters from crawling through your vent.
Taking Care of the Vent Situation
If the ductwork to your dryer is in good shape, the easiest solution is to open a window in the room where you have your dryer and close it up quickly. That way, any air flowing out will go down a chimney and not anywhere else. If you can’t get a window open in your room, here’s a back door alternative: There should be a back door that leads to the outside in every room where you dry laundry. If you have a small bathroom that you don’t use, this door is probably where it leads. If not, find it anyways. Measure the opening to be sure that your dryer will fit outside of it, and take a look at the ceiling to see what kind of stuff is in its way. You may have to remove some insulation and water pipes sometimes and put it all back when done.
Getting Things off Back Door
You’ve got to get down and dirty here. It would help if you got everything off of your back door. Faucet handles, light fixtures, air conditioner vents, anything that’s in the way needs to be pulled out and vacuumed clean. If you don’t have a shop vac handy, you’ll need one before long. It has to be extra powerful because dryer lint is heavy, and it’s easy to get sucked up into the vacuum motor. When done, you should be able to fit the dryer through the door without any problems.
After that, feel your way around the ceiling in your laundry room and locate the air handler or air ducts. You’ll want to remove these from their positions, but be careful not to shift them so that it looks like a cyclone hit them. If you have to, you’ll be able to replace these later, so make sure that you’re leaving enough room for the dryer to fit through.
Putting the Dryer in Its New Location
You can now push the dryer into its new location. Remember that it might not be able to pivot 360 degrees in any given space. It’s up to you to make it fit. You need to push the dryer back into its original location and ensure that everything fits correctly and is still working correctly before proceeding.
Finally, you might consider venting the dryer’s exhaust vent to the outside. If your vents are in good shape, there’s no reason not to put them back. If your ductwork is in bad condition or you have a tiny house, and your dryer will be challenging to get ahold of all of its pipes, you may have a professional do this for you.
After you’ve got the dryer in its new place, remove the ductwork or pipes that fed into its original location. If they’re wet or covered in mold, it’s probably a good idea to replace them with new tubes. Otherwise, your dryer will wind up back in its original location again, and you’ll have to start this all over again.
To remove them, get down and use your shop vac to suck up all the water. If there is much water to suck up with a shop vac, use a bucket and a garden hose on the down-low side of the pipe. You want it damp to slide the tube back in place but not wet. Measure where the new line will go and trim away any excess with a pair of pliers or wire cutters. When done, you’ll want to put a bead of caulk around the pipe and screw it into the dryer’s new location. That way, it will stay in place.