Without a basement, most San Diego homes put the laundry in the garage, a hallway closet or a closet off the kitchen. Condos and townhomes in Downtown, Mission Valley, Hillcrest and the newer parts of Chula Vista almost always use a closet with a door. Installation guides add extra conditions for that kind of space: ventilation openings in the door, spacing around the machines and limits on what else can share the closet.
The reason is simple. A dryer pushes a large volume of air out of the house, and every cubic foot has to be replaced. When the closet door is shut, the door is where that air comes from.
What the installation guides say
- •Whirlpool 29-inch electric dryers (W10617663C): Closet installations with a door need ventilation openings at the top and bottom of the door, and louvered doors with equivalent openings are acceptable. The diagram lists the minimum openings as 24 and 48 square inches. Most installations need about 5 1/2 inches behind the dryer for the vent and elbow, and the guide recommends an extra inch on all sides to reduce noise. It also notes that local codes may restrict installation in closets, garages and sleeping quarters.
- •Whirlpool top-load washer (W10150593A): The washer guide says that if a closet door is installed, minimum air openings in the top and bottom of the door are required, with the same 24 and 48 square inch figures, and recommends 1 inch of extra spacing on all sides.
- •Whirlpool gas dryer (3405338, hosted by KitchenAid): The gas dryer guide adds that no other fuel-burning appliance may be installed in the same closet or recessed area, and that some codes limit or prohibit dryers in closets, so local codes should be checked.
The diagrams show which opening goes at the top and which at the bottom. Check the drawing for your model rather than guessing.
Why each rule exists
- •Makeup air. A dryer can't push air out faster than air gets in. A sealed closet starves it.
- •Heat. Openings high and low let warm air rise out the top while cooler air comes in at the bottom.
- •Combustion air. A gas dryer burns fuel. A water heater or furnace in the same closet competes for the same air.
- •Room behind. The vent elbow needs space to turn without being crushed against the wall.
- •Noise and service. An inch on each side keeps machines off the walls and leaves room to slide them out.
The San Diego versions of this problem
- •Condo closets with solid doors. Many condo owners swap the original louvered doors for solid ones for looks or noise. The dryer then runs hotter and slower, and the closet gathers lint.
- •Hall-closet laundry next to bedrooms. Common in remodeled older homes in North Park, Normal Heights and Clairemont. The guide's note about sleeping quarters is the reason to ask the building department before moving laundry into one.
- •Gas dryer and water heater together. Some older townhomes and converted garages put a gas water heater and gas dryer side by side in a single enclosure. That is exactly the arrangement the gas dryer guide prohibits; gas dryer installation requirements covers the rest of that hookup.
- •HOA rules. Many associations restrict changes to doors, dryer vents and penetrations through common walls. Check before cutting or replacing anything.
How to check your closet
- Measure closet depth. Add the machine's depth to the rear space your guide calls for (about 5 1/2 inches in the Whirlpool dryer guide) and see whether the door still closes.
- Measure width and subtract both machines plus the recommended side spacing.
- Look at the door. A solid door with no openings doesn't meet the requirement.
- For a louvered door, remember the slats block much of the panel, so the true open area is smaller than the louvered section.
- Check whether a water heater, furnace or other fuel-burning appliance shares the space with a gas dryer.
- Open the dryer door fully inside the closet to make sure nothing blocks it.
What we check when a closet dryer runs hot or slow
- •Lint trap, transition duct and the run to the outside. In a closet, the elbow behind the dryer is often flattened.
- •Whether the closet door is being kept shut during cycles, and whether it has openings.
- •The exhaust temperature and the dryer's high-limit and thermal fuse, which can trip repeatedly in a starved closet.
- •On gas models, the burner flame and the area around it.
If the closet is right and the dryer still struggles, see our dryer repair page. For stacked closets, also read stacking kit requirements, and for the duct itself, dryer vent maximum length.
Work for other trades
- •A gas dryer sharing a closet with another fuel-burning appliance should be evaluated by a licensed plumber or gas contractor, and the building department can tell you what code allows.
- •Moving a dryer outlet or adding a circuit is work for a licensed electrician.
- •Replacing a solid door or cutting openings is carpentry. In a condo, check with the HOA first; in a house, ask the City of San Diego or your city's building department whether a permit applies.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep a solid closet door if I prop it open while the dryer runs? That works in practice only if the door is reliably open every cycle. The guides call for permanent openings, so a louvered door or vented door is the dependable fix.
Does a ventless or heat pump dryer need the same openings? Ventless dryers have their own installation guides with their own clearance and airflow notes. Check that model's guide rather than applying a vented dryer's figures.
Sources
- •Whirlpool: 29-inch electric dryer installation instructions W10617663C (door openings top and bottom; 24 and 48 square inches; rear space; local code note)
- •Whirlpool: Top-load washer installation instructions W10150593A (washer closet door openings; 1-inch spacing)
- •Whirlpool: Gas dryer installation instructions 3405338 (no other fuel-burning appliance in the closet; codes may restrict)
If your closet dryer is running hot or taking two cycles, book a visit online and we'll find out whether the closet, the vent or the dryer is the cause.