Dryer Exhaust Duct Through Roof

Cleaning the inside vent.

Dryer exhaust duct through roof.

The international residential code allows you to run a dryer vent through the attic but you can t terminate it there. Doing so would fill your attic with warm moist air that could rot the framing. Dryer manufacturers recommendations supersede this so if you have to make a longer run read the owner s manual. Duct and subtract 5 ft.

Terminating the shorter duct run with a dryerjack helps venting through the roof deliver on the promise this shorter route offers. Dryer vent specialists will tell you that a vertical approach to installing a dryer vent is inefficient and creates a fire risk for a home if it goes unchecked. If your laundry room has access to an outside wall cut a hole and install a standard dryer vent. If the vent goes out the sidewall then it s something they.

The first thing that we will do when cleaning a dryer vent that is vented through the roof is to disconnect the dryer and clean the inside vent. If their dryer vent goes out the roof then they need to get it cleaned at least once a year and can cost anywhere from 150 to 300. Commercial vacuums are used to suck up as much lint and debris as possible from the inside. Dryer duct through roof this arrangement will work fine at first but just like dryer vents that go through the side of the house the terminal will eventually get clogged with lint.

Be careful you don t cut through any studs electrical wires or pipes in the process. Here are the steps that we at dust doctors follow when cleaning a dryer vent on your roof. For example a dryer with a 90 degree elbow at the exhaust port and another at the top of the basement wall can run a maximum of 15 ft. At less than 5 1 2 above the roof plane it is also low profile for minimal visibility.

This is one of the most common mistakes we see from people who are not experienced with air ducts. The photos below are from a recent inspection of a 2007 built home in plymouth that had a badly clogged dryer vent terminal at the roof. For medium snowfall zones and or higher profile roof tiles select the larger model 486 which is as efficient but taller. Once this step is done we will proceed to cleaning the vent on the roof.

First you ll partially block your roof vent with the piping reducing the flow of cooling air through your attic. For every 90 degree turn and 2 1 2 feet for every 45 degree turn for dryer vent installation. It is not advisable to vent a dryer through the roof. Use no more than 25 ft.