Installing a Clothes Dryer in Tight Quarters

[John Morris]

Thinking of the engineers thread going on at another forum, right now I am cursing the engineers of Samsung dryers, why the heck would you put the gas line all way the down at the bottom of the dryer, where I need to crawl up on top of our brand new dryer, cram half my body down the backside of the dryer and between the wall, and stretch my arm all the way down to the back bottom of the danged dryer just to get a wrench around the threaded flex gas line. Why, why!

Why can't the gas line be at the top back of the dryer, why why!

[HandyDan]

What's the problem.  Engineers know everyone loves a challenge.  Or is it that engineers are challenged.  I wish they would be made to use what they design before it is put out to the public.

[John Morris]

7 minutes ago, HandyDan said:

What's the problem.  Engineers know everyone loves a challenge.  Or is it that engineers are challenged.  I wish they would be made to use what they design before it is put out to the public.

I aint no spring chicken, and to get my 215 lb 5'-10" frame down in between the wall and dryer, well you know, my ribs feel cracked, the blood rushed to me head, the mama and the kids were laughing, it was a mess!

[John Morris]

Oh ya, by the way, the hose kit Sears gave me to use for this specific dryer, didn't even work! None of the adapters fit, so we still do not have a hooked up dryer. Sheesh, ok, deep breath, deep, breath.

[Gene Howe]

repeat after me...Oohhhmmm.   Oohhhmmmm.

Six more times, then you can get out of the Lotus position.

[John Morris]

6 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

repeat after me...Oohhhmmm.   Oohhhmmmm.

Six more times, then you can get out of the Lotus position.

Thanks Gene, instead of the Lotus position, I opted to just go to bed early last night, long day at work, than long night with the dryer. My patience was cracked, so much so I was impatient with myself!

[Roly]

7 hours ago, HandyDan said:

What's the problem.  Engineers know everyone loves a challenge.  Or is it that engineers are challenged.  I wish they would be made to use what they design before it is put out to the public.

 Remember their job is to make it as cheap  to build as they can.  They probably saved fifty cents by not piping it up.

 Could you extend either the supply side or dryer side up to an accessible point then make the final connection at that point ?   The only problem is the more connections the more chance for leaks.  Roly

[Stick486]

8 hours ago, HandyDan said:

What's the problem.  Engineers know everyone loves a challenge.  Or is it that engineers are challenged.  I wish they would be made to use what they design before it is put out to the public.

exactly...

think of all the money saved in manufacturing..

put a riser on it..

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

Just be thankful you are required to use a bottom vent for the exhaust. By "bottom", I mean it comes out in the center of the undercarriage. This house was built that way, fortunately Samsung offers a kit to convert to bottom vent and it wasn't even terribly expensive ($45). Not so fortunate, you need to dis assemble the entire dryer (as in remove the drum) to install it. I called a service guy to do it, and he charged me $65...which was cheap considering it took him 2 hours. But that's not the hard part, installing the dryer and getting the vent connected is....more or less on the order of what you are going through. Somone said, the designers should have to use/repair what they design!

[Stick486]

a much longer flex line so you can pull the dryer away from the wall and work behind it...

 

[steven newman]

I had it easy.....I just plugged in the cord.     Needed a tin riser to get the exhaust piping done over to the basement window. 

 

As for the stove in the kitchen.....there iS a gas outlet.....but I had an electric stove, figures.    Had to install another breaker in the box, run 10/3 w/ground romex to a NEW outlet that matched the stove's plug.  Got the right plug on the second trip to Lowes....normal.

[scarletjim]

Here's an idea using magnetic connectors from Lee Valley

MagVent Dryer Vent Connectors - Lee Valley Tools.pdf

[Gene Howe]

[Chips N Dust]

I think it comes down to $$ If they can save a few dollars by not bringing the connection point up from the bottom, that is what they are doing. I see it in other items you buy now also.

[p_toad]

I don't think it's just them.   My GE stove has the gas pipe coming in at the bottom.   My Maytag gas dryer has the gas coming in at the bottom.  (well, they're not mine, i just get to work on them.   They belong to SWMBO).

[Michael Thuman]

The gas lines are black pipe with pipe dope to seal them.  

At any big box stores you can get nipples in different lengths.

0. Check codes and see if this is permitted.

1. Turn off the gas.

2. Turn out the vertical pipe in the laundry room.

3. Turn out the horizontal pipe under the floor. 

4. Replace the horizontal pipe with one around 2" shorter.

5. Drill the appropriate hole in the sub floor centered on the wall bottom plate.

6. Measure from your desired location to the elbow below the floor.

7. Obtain that length of pipe and slide up inside the wall. (If you had to use a union then drill bigger hole)

8. It wold be best if this pipe was laid next to a wall stud.

9. cut a 4" x 4" hole in the drywall.

10  Install an elbow then a nipple for the gas line.

11. Secure the nipple to the wall stud behind the wall with a strap.  Plug it.

12. Soap all connections with soapy water.

13. Turn on gas and watch for bubbles.  If you find any you need to tighten or disassembly and apply more pipe dope.

14. Patch wall.

15. Hook up dryer.

 

Notes:  Normally I test my gas lines one piece at a time as I build them.  Takes more time but much less rework but we aware you will have gas in the piple you have plugged.

When you unplug it (after turning off the gas agian) you will smell some more gas so I let is dissipate before my next test.

 

 

[HandyDan]

The problem comes from no standardization.  When changing a faucet the holes in the sink are the same.  Change out a water heater and new words abound.

[John Morris]

19 hours ago, Michael Thuman said:

The gas lines are black pipe with pipe dope to seal them.  

At any big box stores you can get nipples in different lengths.

Thanks Michael for the tutorial on this subject, I can do this! And I just may. Thanks for your time and effort on explaining.

[John Morris]

On 9/15/2016 at 5:05 AM, Roly said:

 Remember their job is to make it as cheap  to build as they can.  They probably saved fifty cents by not piping it up.

 Could you extend either the supply side or dryer side up to an accessible point then make the final connection at that point ?   The only problem is the more connections the more chance for leaks.  Roly

@Michael Thuman addressed the re-configuration pretty good Roly, I may take him up on this reconfiguration, I already have the dryer installed, but I am seriously considering re-working the line, just so I don't have to deal with this again in the future, nor the next owner of this home if there ever is one.

[John Morris]

On 9/15/2016 at 5:27 AM, Fred W. Hargis, Jr said:

Somone said, the designers should have to use/repair what they design!

Amen brother!