How To Vent A Dryer In The Middle Of The House

No matter where your dryer is located, venting it is just as important as setting the dryer up itself. A dryer’s vent directs moisture and heat away from the dryer and out of the house. If you install a dryer without a vent, you run the risk of moisture building up, leading to mold, mildew, and water damage.

To install a vent dryer in the middle of the house, you need to vent it downwards so that the air and moisture are going through the floor and out. Since you don’t have the convenience of putting the dryer against an exterior wall, you’ll need to angle a periscope dryer vent so that it is pointing down at a 90-degree angle.

Underneath the floor, you’ll need to install another periscope dryer vent facing the opposite direction as the one above-head connected to the dryer. Seal the periscope vent using a spray foam sealant, and your new venting set up should hold and keep moisture and hot air out.

Unfortunately, if you do not have a basement or crawlspace beneath where you plan on placing the dryer if it is in the middle of the house, you won’t be able to do this. Let’s explore how to vent a dryer in the middle of the house more closely. In this article, we will explain precisely how to vent your dryer in the middle of your home.

While not as safe as venting a dryer using an exterior wall, venting a dryer in the middle of the house is safe if precautions are taken. If you need to vent a dryer in the middle of the house, the issue of lint becomes more of a problem than when using an exterior wall.

That is because lint is flammable. When a dryer is vented outside is vented outside, lint freely blows and effectively gets “out of the way.” While venting a dryer in the middle of the house, however, you won’t have the luxury of venting outside in every case. Instead, your best option is venting downward to the basement.

Put the first venting periscope through the floor over an existing vent if possible. Otherwise, cuts will need to be made. Place the periscope so that it is at as much of a 90-degree angle as possible. Line it up with the dryer and connect the back of it to the periscope to make sure that it fits.

If it doesn’t fit, then you will need to go to the store and purchase one that does. Or, you can get a clamp if the connector is too small. The circle clamp will go around the contraption, and then you can simply tighten it around without cutting off the flow. This will help to keep everything in place.

For the A scenario, let’s assume that you have a half-basement or basement with space for you to run PVC leading outdoors. If you do, that is great because it will minimize chances for mold and overheating.

Measure the opening of the periscope. Often, all that you will need is 4”-6” PVC to make the connection. Connect the PVC and run it all the way to the opening leading outside. Allow for 5”-8” of overlap outside to make sure the heat is going out properly.

For good measure, attach a mesh or flap to the end of the PVC pipe to help keep unwanted bugs from entering the pipe.

The B scenario refers to your basement not having access to outside venting. In that case, you should still attach PVC, but you won’t be running it outdoors.

4”-6” PVC piping will still do the trick. What you should do is position the PVC hanging off of the open bottom end of the periscope so that it is angled down.

If you have room for it, consider leaving an open container of water beneath the PVC. That way, if and when excess lint makes its way through the venting, it will land in the water. By doing this, you will reduce the fire risk associated with venting your dryer indoors.

Venting a dryer in the middle of the house is not always ideal, but it is possible. Some people don’t choose, as the ‘laundry room’ is in a middle hallway closet, tucked away from the exterior wall. When venting your dryer, make sure that you use two dryer vent periscopes. Sealing the periscope that is beneath the floor is vital so that there is no air leaking.

Once your dryer is vented in the middle of the house, follow up by inspecting it once or twice a year to get rid of lint buildups. It also wouldn’t hurt to put a container of water at the end of the length of PVC for fire safety. As always, if you’re not comfortable doing this yourself, you can always hire a professional to do the whole job, or at least assist you.