How to install a dryer vent in 6 easy steps

Before you begin, you’ll want to start with a clean dryer. Remove any build-up of trapped lint in your dryer before installing your new dryer vent. 

Start by disconnecting any existing ducting from the dryer exhaust outlet and the wall. Then, remove as much lint as possible by hand. Be sure to clean out the connective ducting as well as the opening to the dryer exhaust outlet and vent hood duct on the wall. When you’ve removed as much as you can by hand, use a vacuum to suck up any remaining lint. Don’t forget to clean outside, too. Remove the vent cover from the exhaust hood on the outside of your home and clean the dryer vent using a vacuum hose.

Grab a measuring tape to measure the distance from the dryer’s exhaust to the location of the vent outlet grill on the exterior wall. Be sure to measure the exact path the venting will take, accounting for twists and turns. 

Try to keep the vent path short, straight and direct for the most efficient venting. Your dryer product specifications can help you confirm the required vent length and number of elbows. If your vent path seems indirect or unnecessarily complicated, consider contacting a professional to help improve the path for you.

Before installing, you’ll have to decide whether you want rigid or flexible metal venting. Both of these options come in 4-inch diameter tubing and can effectively vent dryer exhaust. However, each option comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. 

Be sure to follow the recommendations in the owner’s manual while choosing. Still stuck? Read on for the differences between semi rigid dryer ducts vs flexible dryer ducts.

Make sure your vent hose is short, supported and has very little slack once it’s fully installed behind the dryer. If the ducting is long or snaking back and forth after installation, use your measurements to determine how much you need to trim for a snug fit. 

Use tape or a marker to mark the distance between the dryer exhaust outlet and the wall on your dryer’s vent duct. Make sure to add about half an inch to ensure some overlap. Then, put on your protective work gloves and use tin strips to cut your way around the mark.

You’ll want to decide between vent clamps or foil tape to secure the dryer venting to the dryer exhaust outlet and wall vent. 

If you’re using a vent clamp to secure venting, place the vent clamp loosely on the edge of the vent hose and slide the edge of the vent hose over the wall outlet. Use a screwdriver to tighten the vent clamp and give it a slight tug to ensure it’s securely in place. Then, connect a second vent clamp to the opposite end of a vent hose, connecting the vent to your dryer exhaust and using a screwdriver to tighten the clamp. Using foil tape to secure the dryer venting follows the same steps as vent clamps, substituting foil tape in place of the vent clamps.

Slide your dryer back into place, guiding it to avoid kinks in the venting. Be sure to adjust your dryer so that the venting is as straight and sturdy as possible.