What typical length can a dryer vent properly?

[Blackdog765]

We need to relocate our clothes dryer discharge vent to another side of the house due to some construction changes we are making to our existing house.

The new location is about 25 feet from the dryer to the outside wall, versus about the 5 feet that we have it today.

Do you know what the typical maximum recommended vent length is for a clothes dryer? I am going to try to search their website for a recommendation, and thought I would seek real-life reports here. The brand is Kenmore, and I think it might be made by GE, but kind of forget right now. Model: Kenmore Elite smart heat quietPak9 HE5.

 

[Blackdog765]

Manual says with 3 elbows, 36 feet. That's longer than I was expecting!

 

[bluewraith]

Manual says with 3 elbows, 36 feet. That's longer than I was expecting!

That's just was I was going to suggest, checking the manual.

Also, if you are able, use a smooth wall pipe instead of the junky plastic covered slinky. Not only are those flammable, the lint will get trapped inside the folds and block it up quicker then a smooth vent.

 

[SEIndSAM]

I had an apartment once where the dryer vent was 20' from the outside wall. It didn't work well at all. Management cleaned out the vent when I first complained, but it did not help much, it just seemed to be too much for my new dryer.

 

[rotortech]

My house was built with a 20' run from the laundry room to the outside wall. I was disappointed to see that. There are two elbows in the run. It definitely takes extra drying time but has not hurt the machine.

 

[Boiled Owl]

Elbows usually add 5' to the run. Most of these new dryers can't handle 30' length.
Duct boosters are an option. And speed the drying process.
Also, the dryer needs take up air from somewhere to burn. In tight homes this can be a problem.

 

[CountryBoy19]

As you found, your manual tells you... ever dryer is different...

Mine, with 2 elbows is something like 51 feet...

And I needed every bit of that because the dimwits that designed my house made the run that long and the only way to shorten it is to relocate the laundry room or discharge the dryer vent right onto my porch next to my front door...

I highly recommend using smooth pipe. I had terrible problems until I replaced the 37" of that stupid corrugated flexible stuff with smooth pipe.

Due to the complexity and cost of replacing my pipe I went with PVC. #1 DO NOT USE PVC if you have a gas dryer. And just to caution you, it is against code to use PVC even for electric dryers but the concern in negligible. My pvc pipe doesn't start until about 12 feet after the dryer.

 

[Blackdog765]

Thanks. I will definitely be using rigid metal, and am not sure if I will need 2 or 3 elbows yet, so I calculated with 3. If I end up only needing 2 I can go up to 44 feet. Either way, that is plenty for where we will be discharging - so I should be good to go. Thanks!

 

[churchmouse]

You can run it out to 36 ft. if you use metal pipe not the spiral you get in the kit. The spiral will cause resistance and catch lint causing a fire hazard.