Any handypeople around?

[Chrissi]

Well we got a new dryer, but when they went to install it, they complained that we were using a plastic tube to vent the dryer and that we had to buy an aluminum one and install it.

So I asked my housemate to take care of it. He took care of disconnecting the plastic tube and bought the new aluminum tube but hasn't connected it yet. So anyway, I just wanna do my laundry but I need the dryer, soooo, I took a look and tried to figure out how I'm supposed to do this stuff. I found the vent on the back of the dryer. Great. But now how do I connect it? Am I supposed to use tape? What kind of tape?

And there is a hole near the ceiling that looks about the right size for the other end of it, and I sorta remember that there might've been a plastic tube there at one point. I wasn't really paying attention... but now my housemate isn't home so I can't consult him on where exactly he disconnected things.

So does anyone know what the hell I'm supposed to do? Guide me through this. Slowly. I don't know what I'm doing.

[Chrissi]

Re: Any handypeople around?

Nevermind this is stupid, I think we have to call someone in. The aluminum foil tube isn't proper either, according to the dryer manual which I just found inside the dryer.

[chidori!]

Re: Any handypeople around?

ours has an aluminum tube

[foilman8805]

Re: Any handypeople around?

RTFM

[funmonkey54]

Re: Any handypeople around?

Wow. I didn't even know they had plastic tubes for that.

[PsYcHoZeRoSk8eR]

Re: Any handypeople around?

Dryer problems are big problems. Mine busted last year and leaked throughout the entire apt. If I had pictures of the mess I'd post them, but they are on another computer. If you can, leaving this to people who can be blamed if it doesn't work perfectly is probably a good idea.

[Chrissi]

Re: Any handypeople around?

That's not what mine looks like. It looks like, um, er.... well it's aluminum FOIL tubing, not metal ribs. It looks (and acts, sort of) like a slinky with aluminum foil in between all the spaces. It comes in a tiny package and you can pull it apart to stretch it out to a few feet long.

I can't find any other pictures and this is really small, but this is more what mine looks like (minus the cut-open part):

Okay the picture obviously didn't work. You'll just have to imagine it.

Okay I found the picture.

[foilman8805]

Re: Any handypeople around?

You'll just have to imagine us helping you then.

EDIT: Well, Saik0 pretty much told you what you need - either of those ties work fine. It sounds like you might need a longer tube if your exhaust vent is in the ceiling, but in my honest opinion it doesn't make any sense for it to be in the ceiling. That's pretty illogical design...maybe double check to see if there are any vents on the floor somewhere? Otherwise, go with the hole in the ceiling - you're probably right. (It's just kind of an eyesore to have that huge pipe go to the ceiling.)

You'll have to go to a hardware store to pick up those ties. I recommend the ones in Saik0's first picture. They're easy to deal with.