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Dryer in a laundry closet with little clearance

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SteamingatMohawk
SteamingatMohawk Member Posts: 1,093
in Strictly Steam

My washer and dryer are in a laundry closet in the kitchen. I am replacing both and have a challenge with fitting the new dryer. To put it simple, the duct comes into the closet vertically through the floor. A 4" adjustable elbow was used to go from the vertical outlet of the duct to the horizontal connection on the dryer. That takes up 4+ inches of the floor space. Between the wall and the back of the dryer.

The existing dryer is about 24 inches deep and the new one is 28 inches deep. I have only about 4 inches from the front of the dryer to the bifold doors. I may be able to trim the dryer end of the elbow to gain some space. In looking on the web, I found a "periscope" dryer vent on the Supply House web site.

https://www.supplyhouse.com/Lambro-Industries-3005-R-4-90-Degree-Aluminum-Dryer-Duct-Extends-18-to-30

image.png

I wonder if using it would give me more room instead of the existing elbow. It doesn't seem to help much if at all.

Another option is to use flex duct instead of the elbows to make the transition from the dryer to the horizontal duct in the basement directly below the dryer to the back of the house

I don't want to cut into the wall to run the elbows/duct, if it isn't absolutely required.

Suggestions, other than get the "boss" to buy a smaller dryer…

Comments

  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 4,053

    Hi, Does the new dryer vent only out the back? Some are designed to be able to vent out the sides. That could give you some options. 😇

    Yours, Larry

  • yellowdog
    yellowdog Member Posts: 293

    Cut the wall and install a Dryerbox. The dryer will be able to go almost flush to the wall.

    PC7060
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 20,004

    Yes, cut the wall open. If you make a mess of it you are the only one that will ever know. Start when your wife gets in the car to go shopping and have it done when she gets back. Fork over some $$$ so she will be shopping a while.

    Larry Weingarten4GenPlumberEdTheHeaterMan
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 16,254
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1887934#Comment_1887934

    was this how the water heater got out of your basement?

    EBEBRATT-EdEdTheHeaterMan
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 16,254

    you could build a platform to put the dryer on, elbow it back in to the periscope below the platform then connect the periscope in to the back of the dryer on top of the platfoprm.

    you could shop for dryers by dimensions, i think bosch makes a particularly compact one.

    you could possible extend the doors out one way or another.

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 20,004

    @mattmia2

    LOL. I did pull it up the cellar stairs while she was gone to NH to visit her grand kids. I started on it the second she cleared the front door.

    I had to put a 5/8 threaded rod with an eye bolt on it through the closet wall so I could use a come-a-long.

    When she got home the wall was already patched. I did show her some pics. The only downside was I couldn't get it out of the condo by myself so she had to look at the water heater sitting in the kitchen for two days until my brother showed up😎🤥

    mattmia2EdTheHeaterMan
  • SteamingatMohawk
    SteamingatMohawk Member Posts: 1,093

    I have a simpler solution. The washer is on the left of the dryer. Between the washer and the left side wall of the closet is about 8 inches of space where I have a laundry bag that catches dirty clothes being dropped from the illegal laundry chute. I can move the washer to the left enough to align the dryer with the existing duct.

    But I will have to reconfigure how the clothes drop into the bag. It's easy, just put the big round blue wash tub that wee store on top of the washer on top of the bag next to the wall and let 'em fall. The good thing about this is the "Boss" already has considered it, but not yet mentioned it to me. She also prefers that I not mess around with the dryer vent.

    So, at least as a first attempt, keep the "boss" happy, do nothing with the dryer, eliminating a headache and she will live with how the dirty laundry lands in the tub. No muss, no fuss, no $$ or time expended.

    Time will tell.

  • SteamingatMohawk
    SteamingatMohawk Member Posts: 1,093

    The problem with going into the wall is that the space below is the ventilation duct for the hot air heating system, making any mods painful.

  • PC7060
    PC7060 Member Posts: 1,769
    edited 9:47PM
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1887876#Comment_1887876

    building a dry box is simple and allows for the dryer to be just a couple inches off wall. Be sure to plan for access to remove dryer at later date

    image.png

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