# Venting a dryer through a soffit



## ChuckEA

Have any of you guys ever vented a dryer through a soffit? Is there a cap that can be used that will keep outside air from entering when the dryer is not in use?


----------



## Aceinstaller

not reccomended

find a way to vent out the wall.


----------



## bassmaster

Ditto !!


----------



## Grumpy

Vent out the wall when ever possible, but there are baffled caps that are made that can be installed into a wood soffit, and are sold at home depot. We have used these on a few jobs. They look funky and only come in white, so I hope you have white trim.


----------



## Bjd

I have done quite a bit of soffet venting in condos, Lambro make a soffit vent cap. It hangs below the soffit and connects on the inside.
If you cant use a soffit vent, I will go thru the roof with a roof cap.

BJD


----------



## Hurley

Any time I've had to install a vent facing down I've used a fixed louvered grill that's manufactured with a mesh screen. I've only ever found them a Don Park though, our regional sheet metal retailer. As long as you upsize the grill enough and keep the mesh directed away from the weather as much as possible it's worked fer us.


----------



## Bestheating

Dryer vents need to be cleand out accasionally. Hard pipe is best and access is important. Soffet venting is really meant for bath vent fans.


----------



## ChuckEA

just curious, what is the reason that venting through the soffit is a bad idea? is it an airflow issue or what? TIA


----------



## coolmen

dryer venting out soffit why not.as long as you use the proper exterior vent cap/louver (that wont trap lint) and keep the dryer at its required distance.(short as possible)


----------



## ChuckEA

*Thanks for the input*

Thanks guys for the input. Would you believe in the short time ( 10-15 mins) from when I ran the duct to before I installed the vent cap that some bird decided it would be a good spot to take up residency ! ! :laughing: A few raps on the duct with the blade of a screwdriver helped him/her decide against it because of "noise pollution" :thumbup:


----------



## Steve Unkie

Chuck,

I believe that venting out the soffit is ok, but you are required to stay 3 ft. or so away from any soffit vents going back inside your roofing system. If every other rafter bay is vented, this could be hard to do.
Just going from memory here and that is often flawed so check it out.



Steve Unkie.


----------



## River Rat Dad

Steve is on to something importent there. If an exhaust vent is too close to an intake, some of that moist warm air is headed in to the attic. Not a good thing. And given the expectations for soffit venting and roof venting these days, if an attic space is properly vented, it would almost for sure preclude the soffit venting of any exhaust


----------



## Grumpy

We do it alot on new construction, where we are installing the siding, and home depot sells a nice cap that can be used. Infact we forgot to install the caps on the last job we did and have to go back and install them  OOps.


----------

