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How to Install a Gas Clothes Dryer

In this edition of DIY Smarts, Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey helps an expectant couple select and install a gas dryer.

Steps for Installing a Gas Dryer:

  1. Any work involving gas can be dangerous and should be left to a licensed professional.
  2. Start by shutting off the gas at the meter using a wrench or at the nearest gas shutoff upstream of where the new gas work will happen.
  3. Measure and connect a series of gas pipes, fittings and nipples to the source of the gas to the rough location of the dryer. Secure all the connections between the pipes and the fittings with pipe dope and tighten them with the wrenches.
  4. At the bottom of the gas work closest to the dryer, add a drip cap to allow for a sediment cleanout.
  5. Connect the flexible gas line to the end of the new gas pipes and then to the gas fitting on the dryer using the wrenches.
  6. Using a drill with a hole saw attachment, drill a hole in the exterior wall where the dryer will vent.
  7. Insert the dryer vent cover into the dryer vent and tighten the clamp with a screwdriver until it’s secure.
  8. Feed the dryer vent into the wall and then screw the dryer vent cover to the exterior wall.
  9. Connect the dryer vent to the dryer and secure it to the dryer using a clamp and the screwdriver.
  10. Plug in the dryer (this power is only to spin the drum) and turn the gas back on.
  11. Test all the new gas work for any leaks using a leak detector.
  12. Once you’ve confirmed the gas work is all perfectly sealed, secure the pipes to the walls using screws and the gas tubing hangers.

Resources:

Richard recommends that if the electrical service to the house is insufficient, a gas dryer could be a more suitable option for installation. Working with gas can be extremely dangerous, so, as with any other gas appliances in the house, this type of work should only be handled by a licensed professional.

Richard installed a 120V gas vented dryer, which is manufactured by GE Appliances. The other materials he used for this installation, including the black gas pipes, fittings, nipples, and pipe dope, can all be found at The Home Depot.

Shop Gas Dryers at The Home Depot

Shopping List:

Gas pipes
Gas pipe fittings
Gas nipples
Pipe dope
Dryer vent
Dryer vent cover
Flexible gas connector
Gas leak detector
Gas tubing hanger

(Available via The Home Depot)


Tools: