How to Install a Gas Clothes Dryer | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey helps an expecting couple select and install a gas dryer.
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Time: 3-4 hours

Cost: $800 and up

Skill Level: Expert – licensed professionals only

Tools List for Installing a Gas Clothes Dryer:
Pipe wrench (x2)
Drill
Hole saw
Screwdriver

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

Steps:
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 clean out.
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. Drill a hole in the exterior wall where the dryer will vent. Do this using the drill with a hole saw attachment.
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 (https://www.geappliances.com/). The other materials he used for this installation, including the black gas pipes, fittings, nipples, and pipe dope, can all be found at home centers.

About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we’re ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O’Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.

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How to Install a Gas Clothes Dryer | Ask This Old House
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