Insulating Dryer Vent In Attic

When venting dryers for long distances use rigid metal pipe with as few elbows as possible.

Insulating dryer vent in attic.

Cover the pipe in two to three inches of fiberglass insulation. This reduces the chance of the water condensing inside your house or dryer vent. Doing so would fill your attic with warm moist air that could rot the framing. Sometimes such as in town homes or condos it s not possible to vent a dryer through a wall outside.

Step 1 wrap pipe in insulation. Wrapping the vent pipe with insulation is a good idea. Attach insulation with foil based duct tape and caulk where pipe exits the house. You may have to cut through drywall to fully expose the pipe and be able to apply insulation.

Be careful you don t cut through any studs electrical wires or pipes in the process. The international residential code allows you to run a dryer vent through the attic but you can t terminate it there. A dryer vent should be vented outside. In these cases it may be necessary to vent your dryer through the attic.

Secure the insulation with hvac duct tape. Leaks and what to do about them every inch of the metal surface of the dryer vent must be protected in order for the insulation to do its job. The more insulation you install the less likely you are to have condensation in the ductwork. Either way insulation is a necessary step when installing or repairing the dryer vent pipe particularly if it passes through a basement or crawl space.

Of fiberglass insulation will keep the duct warm during dryer operation and will minimize condensation on the duct walls. 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. Insulating the duct with at least 1 in.