Clothes Dryer Vent Tables
Summary: Use these clothes dryer vent tables to determine maximum potential distance between your dryer and the clothes dryer vent to overcome friction. Properly connecting a dryer to an outside vent terminal requires attention to the type and length of the pipe, the number of pipe bends and the shape of the dryer vent terminal.
Related Articles: Installing a Vent, Clothes Dryer Vents, Vent Leaks in the Ceiling, Vent Hood Manufacturers, Dryer Vent,
Condensation Sources, Fight Condensation, Cause and Control
Properly connecting a dryer to an outside vent terminal is not as simple as it might seem. You need to be concerned with the total length of run of the pipe, the type of pipe you use, how many bends are in the pipe, and the design/shape of vent terminal at the end of the pipe.
The dryer blower only produces so much energy. This energy is offset by friction within the vent pipe. This is why you must be concerned with the total length of the pipe. Ninety degree angles also create friction. Each bend equals the friction the air would encounter if it ran through an additional 10 feet of straight pipe. Smooth metal pipe offers less friction than flexible pipe with lots of little ridges within the pipe. The vent cover shape and design is important as it also acts as a partial dam or blockage to the exiting air. A vent with a wide mouth opening say four inches or so or one with the little louver doors that swing wide open offer the least resistance. The smaller the vent opening the greater the amount of final resistance.
Use the tables below to calculate how far your vent can be from the dryer. Pay attention to the type of pipe you have and the vent configuration!
Vent cap with wide four inch opening or mini-louvers and smooth metal pipe
- Total Pipe length can be 64 feet with No bends
- Total Pipe length can be 54 feet with 1 bend
- Total Pipe length can be 44 feet with 2 bends
- Total Pipe length can be 35 feet with 3 bends
- Total Pipe length can be 27 feet with 4 bends
Vent cap with narrow 2.5 inch opening and smooth metal pipe
Vent cap with wide four inch opening or mini-louvers and flexible ribbed pipe
|
- Total Pipe length can be 27 feet with 2 bends
- Total Pipe length can be 25 feet with 3 bends
- Total Pipe length can be 23 feet with 4 bends
Vent cap with narrow 2.5 inch opening and flexible ribbed pipe
- Total Pipe length can be 28 feet with No bends
- Total Pipe length can be 23 feet with 1 bends
- Total Pipe length can be 19 feet with 2 bends
- Total Pipe length can be 17 feet with 3 bends
- Total Pipe length can be 15 feet with 4 bends
|
|
Comments:
Steve Geller 18 Dec 2007, 21:54
Thank you for the information. I don't often say it.
big al 02 May 2008, 09:19
how far does an electric dryer have to be from an opening window?
Sterling Schwab 14 Jun 2008, 17:02
My wife and I just bought a house with the washer & dryer are in the
basement. Previous owners vented the dryer directly into the basement (for
who knows how many years), so there is lint fibers everywhere hanging off
everything. We bought a new dryer, a Frigidair Galleria. The washer &
dryer hook ups are at the front of the house. I would like to vent the
dryer shortest possible length, which would be onto our cement and block
front porch. To do this I would have to run the vent pipe up the basement
wall about 8 feet, then snake flex tube thru the homes front face plate, go
between the interior and exterior wall another 1 foot, then 90 degree turn
thru the exterior wall where I would install the vent. Is this the
smartest thing to do, or should I run horizontal 15 feet in the basement,
thru cement block into the garage, put in a 90 degree turn, then out of the
garage wall. This would avoid the porch scenerio, but I would have a lot
of dryer piping. What do you think is the smartest thing to do in this
case?
jc 29 Nov 2008, 08:29
I have bought a house(50's) that has the dryer located in the center of the
house and really as far as the plan goes this is the best place for it,but
the vent is directly into the subfloor not to the outside....anyway I have
to vent it out and thats about 20-30' away using smooth galv pipe w/2-3
bends right?or even up thru the roof possibly? need opinions please...
thank you jc View all comments |
