How to Install a Dryer Vent

After locating the shortest route for the ductwork, determine the location of the dryer vent exit.  When installing a dryer vent for laundry centers in basement locations, keep in mind that the vent hood on the exterior of your home must be at least 12 inches from the ground.

• Use a section of vent pipe to mark a circle where the opening will be from inside of your home.
• Drill a test hole in the center of the marked circle. Use a power drill fitted with a 1/4-inch pilot that is long enough to reach the outside.
• Check the hole from outside the home. Place the vent cap over the hole so that its top rests on the high point of the siding.
• If the hole is a little high or low, measure the distance from the pilot hole to the center of the vent cap duct.
• Transfer that measurement inside, if necessary, to mark the new dryer vent center.

If you are installing a dryer vent through a finished wall, remove a small section and check to be sure you won’t be cutting through any wiring, plumbing or ductwork.

• Use a 4 1/4-inch hole saw to cut the vent opening.
• Remove the hole saw frequently to keep it cool and to remove debris.
• Once the hole saw’s pilot bit pops through the exterior, go outside to complete the hole using the pilot hole as a guide.
• Finishing the hole from the opposite side will help make a smoother opening and minimize uneven splintering on the home’s exterior.
• If cutting through stucco or brick, use a hammer drill and a 1/4-inch masonry bit to create both the pilot hole and to cut out the vent hole.

For masonry, drill closely-spaced holes around the circumference of the circle that marks the opening. Then, chip the masonry away with a chisel.

After the hole is completed, get the dryer vent hood into place from the exterior of your home.

• Insert the duct pipe on the vent hood through the hole.
• Position the assembly so that the opening faces toward the ground.
• Secure the dryer vent hood to the siding on the home’s exterior using wood screws
• For masonry homes, use appropriate anchors instead of wood screws
• Caulk around the top and sides of the hood to seal it from the elements using an exterior-grade silicone caulk.
• Do not caulk along the bottom. This way any moisture that might get behind the hood can escape.

With the vent hood securely in place, begin connecting the exit point and the dryer. When cutting rigid dryer duct pipe, wear gloves to protect your hands. Freshly cut edges of duct metal are extremely sharp and even light contact with an edge can cause injury.

• Depending on the location of your vent, you may require an elbow to connect to the vent hood duct. You may have two elbows back-to-back to get the run to line up the path from the dryer.
• Install a duct elbow onto the dryer, if necessary.
• Measure the distance between the elbows, including the overlap from the connection at each end.
• Duct pipe usually comes in 5-foot lengths. Cut straight lengths of rigid pipe using tin snips.
• Assemble the cut pieces of duct pipe, ensuring that the crimped end of the pipe fits into the pipe above it. This allows the exhaust from the dryer to flow smoothly to its exit at the vent hood.

Each connection of duct pipe needs to be held together and any lengths of pipe longer than a few feet need to be supported.

• Attach the straight run to the elbow at the vent hood.
• Attach the other end of the straight run to the dryer, shifting the elbow or elbows as necessary to complete the connection.
• Use a carpenter’s level to ensure the runs slope slightly toward the vent exit.
• Attach hanger straps to support the duct.
• Use foil tape wrapped around seams to seal connections. Do not use screws as these will collect lint inside the duct.

Now slide the dryer into place and use the level to see that it rests flat on the floor. Adjust the dryer legs as necessary and then lock them into place. Then turn on the dryer to test the flow of the dryer vent installation. Go outside to check that the louver or flap on the vent hood is operating.