Replacing dryer vent without tube?

Submitted by InsanityOfPigs t3_1003ley in DIY

Hey, so my dryer has a literal rigid metal pipe going to the wall, and there’s a flimsy plastic vent apparently glued to the exterior wall. The vent has no tube attached to it as it seems most are sold as such.

How would I go about replacing this? Do I need to just find a vent without a tube that normally is attached to it? Or are the vent tubes flimsy enough where I could shove it in the wall into the the interior of the rigid metal Pipe from the dryer?

I tried to attach pictures but I guess the rules won’t let me. Thanks

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wwarnout t1_j2fd8cc wrote

Most vents that I have seen come with an optional tube. This tube is designed to fit around the outside of an existing metal tube.

You might have to cut the vent tube shorter, depending on how close the end of the rigid pipe is to the outside wall.

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zedsmith t1_j2ffs8r wrote

At the home center, you’ll find dryer vents generally come with a (approximately ) foot long metal 4 inch round duct that attaches to the vent. You pass that through the wall, screw the vent to the exterior of the house, and foil tape the part poking into your laundry room to your dryer duct (which can be flexible ducting as long as it’s not inside a wall.

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InsanityOfPigs OP t1_j2ffxn5 wrote

Yeah in this case the rigid metal pipe from the dryer goes directly into the wall and meets the exterior vent

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zedsmith t1_j2fgab4 wrote

I know, but it’s easier to make the connection in the room, rather than pushing rigid duct from the dryer through the wall and knowing what length it’s needs to be to get the dryer vent to sit flush on the wall.

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InsanityOfPigs OP t1_j2fihv3 wrote

Yeah but then it sounds like I need to do away with the existing rigid pipe and do the whole thing? Opposed to just attached a vent where the old one was? I’m kind of okay with the rigid metal pipe as it actually would keep rodents from chewing through it and getting into my garage, even with the current broken vent.

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Crimzero t1_j2flarm wrote

The rigid pipe is nice to have not only for the rodent issue but lint will not accumulate like it would in the flex tube.

Why are you replacing this setup?

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InsanityOfPigs OP t1_j2fmjl9 wrote

I don’t want to. I just want to replace the exterior vent which is really broken and smashed up. Was curious if I could do it since it seems all vents come with this tube attached to them to marry to the tube attached to the dryer.

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Crimzero t1_j2fo71k wrote

Sounds like you want a "Dryer vent cap". You can find them separately from the dryer vent kits you have been finding. Any big-box hardware store should have them (in the US at least), maybe they are in a different part of the store/aisle.

You mentioned that your current one may be glued on? If so, use a hammer and chisel/flat head screwdriver to remove the old vent and replace it with the new. Preferably you would use screws to attach the vent to the house, but if it was glued I'm wondering if there was a reason, like the vent goes through concrete and the installer couldn't be bothered to drill anchors for it.

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InsanityOfPigs OP t1_j2fp0ea wrote

The exterior is stucco so I suspect that might be why it was glued. Thanks for the advice!

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