Hook Up a Dryer

If you have recently moved or purchased a new appliance, you will need to know how to hook up a dryer. There are three main things that you will need to keep in mind when hooking up your dryer: power, venting and level. If you follow some basic steps, you'll have a better chance of getting your dryer hooked up quickly and easily.

Steps

Connect the Power Supply for the Dryer

  1. Look at the plug for your dryer, and see if there are 3 holes or 4 to determine the type of outlet it will use. There are a couple standard dryer plugs--the 3-prong and 4-prong. The 4-prong plugs are newer and will be more common on newer houses.
    • You can easily tell the difference between these plugs because a 3-prong plug will only have 3 prongs, and a 4-prong will have 3 prongs and a ground fault prong. If your dryer socket is a 3-prong and your dryer has a 4-prong, you can change the plug yourself or consult an appliance repair shop. Often changing your plug only requires removing the back panel of your dryer, unhooking the current plug, and replacing it with your new plug. Check your dryer's manual if you have it.
  2. Turn off your gas vent if you are hooking up a gas dryer.
  3. Plug in your dryer.

Vent the Dryer

  1. Connect the dryer hose to the dryer vent on the back of your appliance.
    • Make sure to put the hose clamp around the hose before putting the hose over the vent.
  2. Slide the clamp until it is over the spot where the hose and the dryer vent meet.
  3. Tighten the clamp with a standard- or Phillips-head screwdriver until the hose will not slide off the end of the dryer vent, even if tugged. This will make sure that the air being vented out of the dryer will not knock the hose off.
  4. Slide the other end of your dryer hose over the outlet vent in your wall. If it feels unusually loose, then you can secure it with another dryer clamp. But, most often, this is unlikely for the outlet vent.
  5. Turn on your dryer to make sure that it is working properly. If you are hooking up a gas dryer, turn back on your gas vent. Let the dryer run for a few minutes then open it to make sure that the air is hot.
  6. Position your dryer where you want it to remain. Make sure there are no kinks in your hose between the vent and the outlet vent.

Level the Dryer

  1. Place your bubble level on the front of your dryer so that the edges are pointing to the left and right of the dryer. Once you've leveled your dryer in front, place the level on the back edge and make sure it is also level.
  2. Adjust the dryer feet by screwing them in or out either by hand or with a set of pliers. Do this on the left and right front feet until the bubble in the level rests in the middle.
  3. Place your bubble level on the left side of your dryer so that the edges point toward the front and back of your dryer. Adjust the feet to level it. Once that's done, repeat the process on the right side. Your dryer is now level and ready to use.



Tips

  • Some electricians suggest that you turn off the circuit that powers your dryer before plugging in your dryer for the first time. This isn't necessary, but might be a good idea if you have multiple appliances all powered by 1 circuit breaker.

Things You'll Need

  • Standard- or Phillips-head screwdriver
  • Dryer hose
  • Dryer hose clamp
  • Bubble level
  • Pliers

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

You may like

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Hook_Up_a_Dryer&oldid=356382"