Can You Vent Your Dryer Into The Attic

It s ok to vent the dryer directly into the house so that the air can be used as either a source of humidity or a source of heat.

Can you vent your dryer into the attic.

For more on dryer venting see our blog posts what is the maximum length for a clothes dryer vent. In addition to being against most building codes and a potential fire hazard venting a dryer in an attic can result in moisture problems which could lead to rot or mold in your attic. It can cause you a lot of problems with mold and mildew forming on the underside of your rafters and decking as well as getting into your insulation. Doing so would fill your attic with warm moist air that could rot the framing.

Second is that a drain vent is typically too small and too moist to properly vent a bathroom fan. In these cases it may be necessary to vent your dryer through the attic. A dryer vent should be vented outside. The photo below shows an accumulation of dryer lint in an attic after years of the vent terminating in it.

Not all dryers will allow for this so be sure to check the owners manual to ensure it can be vented in this manner. Sometimes such as in town homes or condos it s not possible to vent a dryer through a wall outside. The international residential code allows you to run a dryer vent through the attic but you can t terminate it there. You have a serious risk of venting sewer gasses into your home.

And what are the code requirements for an outdoor dryer vent cover. Sewer gas can be explosive not to mention likely to be unpleasant and possibly unhealthy. Lint and grease are fire hazards moisture promotes molds and heat will cause snowmelt that often results in ice dams. Venting dryers and bathroom and kitchen fans into an attic is a very poor practice.

Several different ways you can move that hot air to the outside. Venting a dryer into an enclosed space is never a good idea. No it s never a good idea to have any exhaust fan in your home dump all that hot moist air in your attic. Your dryer must be able to rid itself of excess hot air or that heat can build up and become a fire hazard.