Is It Okay To Vent A Dryer Through A Roof

No a dryer should not be vented through the roof.

Is it okay to vent a dryer through a roof.

It should go out through a wall or the eve of a roof. After the snow melts below the vent it ll probably freeze again farther down on the roof. While it sometimes made sense to vent through the roof every roof vent that had previously been used was inefficient often to a dangerous degree. When bath fans and clothes dryers vent through the roof they melt a bunch of snow.

This causes the steam from your dryer. It is not advisable to vent a dryer through the roof. Vent a dryer through the roof only as a last resort. It should have a cap on the end with a flapper so that animals cannot get in.

If this happens enough an ice dam will form that s large enough to cause roof leaks. If venting outside isn t an option you can vent the dryer out of the attic through the roof using a special roof vent to keep rain out. Then get on the roof and peel back any shingles that may be covering the vent as well as the guard. Be careful you don t cut through any studs electrical wires or pipes in the process.

When venting dryers for long distances use rigid metal pipe with as few elbows as possible. Once the vent is exposed use a vent brush first clean the exterior surfaces. 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. This is one of the most common mistakes we see from people who are not experienced with air ducts.

After the snow melts below the vent it ll probably freeze again farther down on the roof. Check with your appliance dealer or local building inspector for recommendations about the best roof vent cap to use. The international residential code allows you to run a dryer vent through the attic but you can t terminate it there. A vertical dryer vent is typically a problem because it acts as a moisture condenser.

Before you clean a dryer vent on the roof vacuum out the vent behind the dryer since it s easier to clean out the length of the vent from the ground floor. When bath fans and clothes dryers vent through the roof they melt a bunch of snow. The sheet metal duct is cooled by the outside air in the attic.