Episode 42 - Dryer Vents

Рет қаралды 90,104

3 жыл бұрын

In this episode I give an overview of what is involved in running the ducting for a clothes dryer vent.
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Пікірлер: 90

@dylanpeterson6192 2 жыл бұрын

per the new code, deforming the pipe like that is a no go apparently, as well as the grille on the termination. To me, that basically eliminates any chance of ever "legally" venting out of the soffits anymore.

@Danmc-li3pg Жыл бұрын

Is this a video on how not to do a dryer vent?

@bbrasher76 3 жыл бұрын

If you can hard pipe the full vent it would be recommended in my opinion. The flex stuff does not last and tends to hold lint. The screen at the soffit will get clogged over time. Put a louvered cover on instead that opens with air flow.

@rollandelliott 2 жыл бұрын

LOUVERED covers only work on horizontal runs, gravity woudl open the louvers if they were installed upside down. bad advice.

@seansyaboy7344 Жыл бұрын

A few things wrong about this setup but I’ll give you some tips to make it better. First I’d highly suggest removing that booster fan as they typically require 6-12 months cleaning or they’ll break because the motor is inline with the dust/moisture. It also makes it extremely difficult to clean the vent since the tool can’t get past the fan. The building code allows you to go up to 35ft max OR you can go by your dryer manufacturers specs. Most new dryers can push upwards of 100ft. Second replace the foil with solid metal. Foil isn’t up to code for use in walls. Last I’d replace that exterior cover with soffit style dryer vent cover with a damper. Hope this helps 😃

@JudgeBuster 11 ай бұрын

For sure, I'll bet he's never heard of backdraft butterfly dampers. All that cold air is going to come right up into that open vent and 4 inch duct when ever it gets really cold out. He says his attic is totally sealed and not vented. But that booster fan motor is definitely a future problem.

@JudgeBuster 11 ай бұрын

I'd only use Ames backdraft butterfly dampers. They're the best by far

@jacobmacek9678 2 жыл бұрын

I do HVAC, it falls on us to do all ventilation and a GC recently set me up with I think the exact same recessed set up. They are installing the dryer I just had to leave them basically where you are at in the beginning. So the opening they give you on top is just big enough to fit a crimped 4 inch, the problem is, especially on a dryer vent you want your crimp facing the other way. Your 4 inch elbow will be able to slip on the dryer, or some come with a 4 inch with the crimp side already facing you. The reason this is done is because of airflow and also dryer lint can get caught on the edges of the inward facing crimp, this is also why we do not use screws, only tape or mastic. My solution to this problem was to trim the 4 inch oval opening they give you on top. I used my sheet metal cutters and trimmed just a hair until I could get my 4 inch in without crimping. I left them about 2 inches of unbridled duct that they can tap whatever they are using into. I did my job, if anything happens I will pass inspection on my ventilation, I really think there is some extra kind of kit to go with that recessed wall mounting but that was my solution

@jacobmacek9678 2 жыл бұрын

*uncrimped duct Not unbridled wtf

@ensinitas Жыл бұрын

@@jacobmacek9678 the duct was unbridled and living it's best duct life? thanks for the correction, i was worried i had to learn a new term.

@raulruelas9443 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for making this video!

@Ciband Жыл бұрын

No problem. Thanks for watching.

@pablopicaro7649 Жыл бұрын

Code Violations , squeezing pipe down to 3.5" not allowed. Could use a "space Saver " instead (has needed cross section area). screen not allowed soffit, was calculation made for length past boost fan? Was serviceability considered for boost fan?

@Ciband Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the information. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge. I could not find any of the space saver (oval?) pipe at any big box or supply house I had access to. Maybe I just missed it. I have thinned out the screen on the soffit vent to provide less restriction. I would assume I would want to remove it entirely due to bugs getting in. Length is good past the boost fan. Only about 6 ft of pipe length. Boost fan is accessible above a drop ceiling in the mechanical room.

@bretdunham 3 жыл бұрын

Thanx for the info. Side note, for a moment i thought it was me talking. We both have same sound when making youtube videos, right down to the ummms and other weird traits.

@richarddavis5542 2 жыл бұрын

Interesting collection of fittings on the drain vent for the washer. To create the 6" wall, I have heard you could add furring strips and then you wouldn't need to compress the dryer vent pipe. I don't have all the measurements, but I was wondering if a path to the roof was available. Could you turn the pipe up and vent through the roof? Would that eliminate the need for the booster? I'm an owner/builder and like to share and encourage others doing the same thing.

@Ciband 2 жыл бұрын

Hindsight I should have furred out that wall I think.

@shahboy68 2 жыл бұрын

How are you going to clean that out when it gets full of lint ?

@crazydudetz Жыл бұрын

Use LintEater. It has flexible poles that allow you to get past the bends.

@travis7277 Жыл бұрын

Exactly, most of the new homes including mine have this nice looking set up, but a lot of people are having issues with them. Maintenance is a chore because it's on the roof, the dryer is punished against heavy resistance with that long pipe, twists and turns, and the roof may leak rain in time because of duct cleanings causing seals around it to break. In 2 years I had 2 clogs, then I had a roof leak from it so I decided to ditch mine, and duct it out an exterior wall,, the old school way. I just did it but i'm pretty confident the dryer will work better since its a horizontal run over much shorter distance, and it will obviously be easier to maintain, and of course the roof won't leak because I permanently sealed it.

@kiavaxxaskew Жыл бұрын

@@travis7277 you're right, may need inline duct fans to help with exhaustion. With the help of an inline duct fan maybe you're less likely to get clogs too.

@SanchoSanto 2 жыл бұрын

Won't the boost fan get clogged with lint in a short period of time? Also, why not just vent straight through the roof?

@Ciband 2 жыл бұрын

Yes it will. There is a lint trap that I should have (and will) install before the boost fan. Since I had the house spray foamed, I wanted to avoid as many roof penetrations as possible, but that would be another alternative.

@gordonq007 Жыл бұрын

Venting to the side of the house is usually better, since venting through the roof requires good duct insulation in attic and pushing up the heavy moisturized lint through the roof will reduce the dryer air flow (hence less ideal). In addition, roofers often use gooseneck with metal mesh for the dryer duct cover, which the mesh will catch and be clogged with lint over years (although gooseneck with louvers and other roof cover free from catching lint are available).

@TexasHoosier3118 4 ай бұрын

Looks like up high you maybe could have used 2 45 elbows instead of 2 90 degree elbows.

@Ciband 4 ай бұрын

Probably so.

@everardosalazar5511 2 жыл бұрын

I need to run a dry vent like that. Was any problems installing the Sheetrock? Did you installed regular Sheetrock or fire retardant Sheetrock ? Thanks

@Ciband 2 жыл бұрын

No issues so far. Just normal Sheetrock.

@Jessedog11 2 жыл бұрын

that would fail plumbing inspection in NYC. flexible mylar .is a no no, and a lint box/trap must be installed before the booster fan and accessible for regular cleaning.

@Ciband 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the comment. Tried to do the homework on vent length and the need for the booster but never came across the lint trap before the booster. Makes perfect sense in hind sight. I think I will add this before my fan since it is easily accessible. Thank you for bringing this to my attention and thanks for watching. My hope is that others can learn from my mistakes (and successes) so that we all can become better and more skilled. Thanks again.

@Jessedog11 2 жыл бұрын

They work well and since it is your home you should install one- they are very reasonably price. Good luck with your new home.

@danbogel7739 3 жыл бұрын

How do you hook up your dryer vent line to the oval that is created when you squished it through the over hole??

@Ciband 3 жыл бұрын

You have to deform the end of the flex hose to fit the oval.

@danbogel7739 3 жыл бұрын

@@Ciband thanks!

@jacobmacek9678 2 жыл бұрын

I do HVAC, oval and round pipe are same diameter so yes you can squeeze a round to become oval. I recently used the same recessed box, I trimmed a little bit of the oval on top to fit my 4 inch round in without crimping. Code is different in different places but here we are not allowed to use screws in dryer vent and all crimps must be in direction of airflow so no lint gets caught in the duct.

@ToFlyIm Жыл бұрын

the screen on your dryer vent escape is def not recommended. It will cause a build up of lint and cause blockage very easily. A simple flap that closes when the dryer is not on will be sufficient

@Ciband Жыл бұрын

Agreed. I’ve cut out part of the screen but it is not ideal. I hadn’t seen any soffit vents that would work for the dryer that had a flapper. In the works is a lint trap upstream of the booster fan as I should have done that initially. I would think that would trap all or most of the lint before it exits.

@JudgeBuster 11 ай бұрын

I think this is a DIY builder who watches How-to videos by pro tradesmen After he does an installation. That soffit horizontal dryer vent will cause the soffit board & the fascia to water rot. Hot steam in wintertime. Never seen pro tradesmen install soffit vents for dryers. He could've just routed the vent to the roof and eliminated a lot of needles work. Its incredible what DIYers post on YT thinking they're doing great.

@Ciband 11 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback. From what I’ve seen, routing the dryer exhaust out the soffit (as opposed to into the soffit) is a viable and code compliant method. The theory is to eliminate roof penetrations since the home is spray foamed and has a sealed attic space with no venting. How is it any different than routing the tankless venting out the side of the house? Thanks for watching and commenting.

@JudgeBuster 11 ай бұрын

I don't know what you're referring to about routing the tankless venting out the side of your house. Lots a stuff is code compliant, but most pro tradesmen or contractors won't do questionable installations that can cause complications. Your much too worried about having a dryer roof vent due to foam insulation, etc. That doesn't make a lot of sense. Properly installed, a roof vent is not going to leak heat or cooling. I've never heard that. I'm a 65 year old commercial carpenter and millwright.

@ensinitas Жыл бұрын

without reading all the comments did that orphan joist at the top plate cut pass inspection? at the very least a couple of hangers to make it look better...the good folks at simpson have a piece of bent metal for everything

@Ciband Жыл бұрын

No inspections out in the county. I had both the builder and the framer sign off on it before I did it.

@frankrizzo7307 2 жыл бұрын

Just curious why you used round pipe in the wall instead of oval pipe? Doesn't the box have an oval outlet coming out of the top? I'm not an expert, I'm genuinely asking. Thanks.

@Ciband 2 жыл бұрын

I didn’t know about any oval pipe and honestly assumed round was what you typically used. Everything I saw on best practices was to deform the round pipe to fit the oval in the box. Thanks for watching.

@Carlos.USA88 2 жыл бұрын

nice. how it was possible to run that 4 inch duct inside the 2x4 wall ?

@Ciband 2 жыл бұрын

A good question. The consensus I got from talk to my builder and others was to cut out the top plates in the wall leaving you a slightly larger than 3.5” hole. The duct then goes in there and gets sandwiched between the drywall. This plus dealing with the oval in the 2x4 dryer box make it a pain. I would recommend doing a 2x6 wall if you can. I would if I ever did this again. Thanks for watching.

@Carlos.USA88 2 жыл бұрын

@@Ciband thank you very much for the reply. I'm having the same issue, my wall is 2x4. I'm debating if doing something similar to what you did or if maybe going through the wall to the other side which is the garage and running the duct then up to the attic. Thank you for the video

@ensinitas Жыл бұрын

upon reflection, when the walls were wide open why not fur them up and use the 4" as delivered? a loss of the extra 2" in the backing wall would have been negligible. you could use a 2x6 on side to foot that joist we see calling for an inspector comment.

@Ciband Жыл бұрын

I should have furred the wall out. If I could go back, I would have. Lesson learned is when you are doing a project like this, your mind is jumbled and you will not thing of everything.

@ejmerritt1543 3 ай бұрын

I hope you waited until after the inspection to crimp that pipe and I really hope you made all the crimped ends to all face running outwards so the lint didn't get caught 🤦

@nicolad8822 2 ай бұрын

Why aren’t dryers just installed on outside walls straight out with everything very accessible? This seems like a totally overcomplicated process? What’s the thinking? (Non American)

@Ciband 2 ай бұрын

Many times the home layout has that. I just depends on the floor plan. Knowing what know now, I could have adjusted the floor plan to make this better. You don’t know what you don’t know. Thanks for watching.

@chrisakohler6560 2 жыл бұрын

Look at the plumbing vent. What in the ba Jesus

@Ciband 2 жыл бұрын

Not my work. I subbed that out. DWV is not something I know a huge amount about. Would you mind telling me what you see that is bad in that laundry box/vent? I think it would be good education for me and maybe everyone else as well. Thanks for watching.

@Jessedog11 2 жыл бұрын

LOL- 22.5 - 45s lol yikes.

@warrenmichael918 Жыл бұрын

LOL It goes nicely with the "S" Trap they have too!!

@jdacosta1878 7 ай бұрын

Cruising For A Bruising

@michaeljames9096 2 жыл бұрын

5 inch hole saw would of takin care of that .

@aprecisehomeinspection6544 Жыл бұрын

The max length is 35’. Not 25’.

@Ciband Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the correction.

@volbster2 Жыл бұрын

If you don't have any soffit vents around that's fine.

@Ciband Жыл бұрын

No vents. Spray foam insulation so the whole house is sealed.

@syedhussain9228 11 ай бұрын

Absolutely yes. How to not do vent!

@Ciband 11 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback. I’m open on how to do things better. This seemed to be my only route since I did not have roof access to go straight up and did not want to go straight out the side and dump on the back porch. Thanks for watching.

@gmjent5671 Жыл бұрын

Fur the wall out 1 1/2 “ problem solved

@ensinitas Жыл бұрын

that also lets him pick up the joist we see at the top plate cut...simply use 2x4's flat on side all around and hop the inspector buys it

@harjotmaan 2 жыл бұрын

Putting the vent through the soffit will cause moisture get sucked back into attic. Bad idea. A

@Ciband 2 жыл бұрын

Can you explain how vs. a roof penetration? What is the difference? Thanks for watching.

@tigmaster250 2 жыл бұрын

Because the air from the outside comes in the soffit and out the roof ridge vent. The moisture will just make a u turn and re enter into attic possible causing mold. Also, vent dryer out the roof and could possible clean the vent pipe with a leaf blower from time to time.

@Ciband 2 жыл бұрын

This house has no roof or soffit vents. It is sealed and uses open cell spray foam.

@tigmaster250 2 жыл бұрын

@@Ciband In that case, you may be fine if all the requirements were met when the foam was applied, etc. and the soffits aren't full of foam as well. Just don't create any leaks when installing the vent.

@albertgustafson4317 Жыл бұрын

My man Pee Wee Herman designed this duct

@roytallericoGunner 11 ай бұрын

Too high...lint will pile up fairly fast....no?

@jat91990 10 ай бұрын

The height is not necessarily the issue. In this case it’s the fact that they chose to run it all the way out to the side or rear of the house versus running it through the roof. There is truly no reason to have a booster fan place in a residential home… especially not a booster fan that’s connected to foil, which is a non-permitted material for a dryer vent in based on the IRC building code and manufacturers recommendations for safety. Unfortunately, the owner of this home will have expensive preventative maintenance costs due to this improper installation.

@willyblogs Жыл бұрын

That ptrap is wrong

@Ciband Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the observation. Can you tell me what is wrong with it?

@ThomsHous Жыл бұрын

@@Ciband You need 2 x the pipe diameter between the weir of the trap and the inlet of the tee. Assuming it is 2" pipe you need 4". It is effectively an S trap with a vent that does nothing to break the siphon. That trap will siphon. Place a short piece of 2" pvc between the tee and the trap to avoid this. Generally I always look for a 4" piece so there is no question.

@Ciband Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the information. I really appreciate it. Hopefully someone other than me will catch that for their project. So far I haven’t noticed any issues with the laundry draining. If this were to be an issue, what would I look for? Laundry drain backing up? I would think the head pressure would eventually be enough to drain things but this is not my area of expertise.

@kg4lod Жыл бұрын

@@Ciband The issue that @ThomsHous was referring to is actually the opposite problem. If your pipe trap is too full, and the water flow rate too high, you can end up with a full pipe all the way to the vent pipe (the T). If that happens the water in the trap will be pulled into the drain along with the drain water. The result is a completely empty (or almost empty) pipe from the vent pipe's Tee back to the machine's drain port. This will admit sewer gases into your home. Plumbing codes engineer this scenario out of existence by specifying that the pipe connecting the trap's output to the vent's input be much larger than the trap's piping diameter. This guarantees there is never enough water or water flow possible through the trap to completely fill the connecting pipe. There will always be an air path from the vent to the trap so that gravity can force enough water to stay in the trap during active draining events.

@greggclaussen Жыл бұрын

@@Ciband No, you won't notice it backing up, what happens with an S loop is complete siphoning of the trap thereby leaving no water in the trap at all. So you get sewer gasses coming into the space. You will know if you have created an S loop simply from a sewer smell. If you don't have a smell from it, that means that the ptrap didn't turn into a complete s loop, so there's still water in your ptrap.

@TheYensy007 Жыл бұрын

That’s the wrong place to vent anything from the house

@Ciband Жыл бұрын

Why is that?

@TheYensy007 Жыл бұрын

@@Ciband cause you venting bad smell and everything caning back to the house , you do roof or side walls

@Ciband Жыл бұрын

I’m venting everything to the outside, through the soffit. No exhaust is dumping into the attic or interior space of the house. This is to avoid the roof penetration for the spray foam insulation and keep the shell as sealed as possible.

@HD-eg8gn Жыл бұрын

This is a disaster!

@cornpop7805 2 жыл бұрын

You just screwed the pooch pal. You see the multiple joists resting on the top-plate, well that means serious structural loading! Too many 90s, too much length, a silly booster fan, in what appears to be an inaccessible area. No way to run a snake past the booster fan, so even worse than without it. Venting through the soffit. This is less than typical home-owner grade workmanship. The benifit of putting this on KZfaq is so when it catches fire, the insurance company can deny your claim and the law can come after you for the horrible fire death of your kids. You sir should hire everything out and never be allowed to touch a tool, or to procreate.

@Ciband 2 жыл бұрын

Lol, thanks for the comments. I am aware of basic physics on structural loading. I checked with my framer before routing the pipe and they said that it would be ok. I will trust their professional opinion since I am just a KZfaqr who doesn’t know anything. Length and 90s are in spec since I am using a booster. That is what they are for. Booster fan is above a drop ceiling. Totally accessible. I do need to plumb in a lint trap before the fan. I missed that one. It will be fixed soon. I until then I am on top of cleaning the lint at the vent to make sure there are no clogs. Venting through the soffit is totally fine in a sealed attic with spray foam. The rest of your comments are just crazy hyperbole. Part of DIY is learning, fixing, and doing better the next time. I would encourage you to try and be more constructive instead of just attempting to pick things apart. Thanks for watching.

@cornpop7805 2 жыл бұрын

@@Ciband There are certain things that can ruin your home, like where water damage is concerned. However, where structural and the potential for fire are concerned, leave it to the more capable. There's no way you didn't cause structural damage and increase the potential for fire, so let it rest!

@Tbone2839 Жыл бұрын

@@Ciband I don't see structural problem since all loading is downward but the length of run and the booster fan seem like they will be a problem. Any way to vent down and the out through basement or crawl?

@Ciband Жыл бұрын

No crawl space or basement. Slab on grade construction. The venting with the booster is working just fine. I’ve added a lint trap/cleanout upstream of the booster. This is talked about in a later video. Ultimately time will tell. Hopefully this will illustrate how important it is to think about every detail of your house design. A small move of a wall could make many things easier or harder.