Dryer Duct Squeezing

Our new home has a built-in geometric challenge, that we did not notice when we put an offer down on it, had it inspected, closed, and then moved in last month.  We call this challenge "the laundry canyon". You see, the house was built long before front loading washer & driers were common-place consumer appliances.  30 years ago, most houses (if they had built in laundry rooms) had top loading washers and driers.

We figured out Just How Tight the appliances barely fit in the allotted space, when the movers tried to wedge the appliances into their spaces, last, after all the other household goods were unloaded and put into the house.  Front loading washers and driers are deeper than their top loading counter parts.  The additional depth means they "stick out" farther, and in sticking out they block the door to the garage.

As an engineer, I knew that 'proper ventilation' of the exhaust duct is essential.  Decrease or "neck down" the duct cross section, and you're wasting energy, taking longer to dry your clothes, and damaging the dryer over-all.  I knew there were dryer duct conversion kits commercially available, but of course they are Very Slow moving inventory, so retail stores don't carry them.  Lowes online, and Home Depot online did have them.  I wanted to get a reel lawn mower  - human powered instead of gasoline powered - and if I bought both together there would be free shipping, so I got the 28 inch "Spacer Saver Aluminum Duct" Model #UD38S, SKU 202449700 from Home Depot online for $20  (along with an awesome Fiskars Stay Sharp 18 inch push reel lawn mower, but more on that later).  A week later, it arrived.

I had to climb Over the dryer, and lower myself down behind it.  Installed the duct, piped it to the flex tube on the wall, and climb back out, but it saved me 2 critical inches of door clearance, so that the door  to the garage can now open nearly 100% - vs the previous 75% swing prior to installation of the duct.

It was high quality, sturdy gauge aluminum construction.  Well tolerances, easy to install.  I am a happy consumer.