Dryer venting questions and confusions keep coming up in emails and in the Samurai Appliance Repair Forum. Lots of disinformation out there about dryer vents, too.

How Dryers Work

A dryer’s job is pretty simple: heat the clothes so that the water in the fabrics evaporates. Then get rid of all that water vapor (humidity) by moving lots of air through through the drum.

Pop Quiz: What happens if the dryer is heating OK, but it can’t move enough air through the drum?

Answer: The clothes will get warm but will not dry in a reasonable amount of time. Why is that, Capt. Ron? Because if the air inside the drum is already saturated with water vapor from the warm, wet clothes, then it can’t hold anymore water vapor. The air is what we professional appliantologists call, “saturated.”

Dryer Venting Q & A:

Q: How do you get the air to hold more water vapor?

A: By getting rid of the water vapor that’s already there!

Q: And how do we get rid of the water vapor in the air inside the drum?

A: Through the dryer vent!

Get the idea? If the vent is restricted, it won’t move enough air to purge the water vapor from inside the dryer drum. So your clothes stay wet.

When I tell people this, I invariably get the reply, “Well, I checked for lint buildup in the vent and it’s all clear.”

Ah, I see, so lint build-up is the ONLY possible way that dryer vents can become restricted? How about if the vent hose is crushed or kinked? What if the vent hood flapper on the outside of the house is stuck closed? Hmm…

Ponder these things whilst you grok on this handy guide on dryer venting requirements.

To learn more about your dryer, or to order parts, click here.