Review on 4-inch Deflecto Dryer Vent, Galvanized Vent Hood with Wide Mouth Design, Silver Finish (GVH4NR) by James Townsend

When I bought my house a few years ago, an industrial house, I never noticed that there was no external vent for drying. The dryer vented onto the floor and I never thought about it. I never cared if he went outside then. Why should I? Too many other renovations in this old house. I recently bought a new washer and dryer and when I installed them I found that the dryer vented to the floor but that's about it. No wonder rabbits and other critters live under my house in the winter. It's warm underneath. It's time to get it right, which is why I bought this bleeder valve. Many other styles were available, but all seemed to have plastic parts that became brittle and crumbled over time. This one, which is all metal, will hold me for the rest of my life. I cut a 4 ½ inch hole in the house baseboard, fitted a bead of caulk around the back of the vent and stuck it in the hole. I found four screws (there are no screws for the four holes on the edges of the vent), screwed them in and crawled under the house. This is an old house, so it's on earth. (Now they throw them on the bowl.) I crawled through 3-inches of fine-as-dust dirt and old insulation (the shower smells like a good idea), weaving my way through a maze of bars and metal straps like a factory house it always does. and came to the vent. I found a semi-rigid vent tube hanging from the floor, placed it over the vent and clamped it in place. It was a little difficult to attach the 4" hose to the 4" opening while working on my belly in near darkness, brushing off the occasional brown recluse. Although it was all worth it. Knowing my new dryer is properly vented and that metal vent will never rot. There are no installation instructions included with the valve, but it's pretty obvious what you need to do. Most people simply replace the existing vent rather than cutting a new hole for a new install like I did. The vent is thin and light, but strong, although the tube will deform with rough handling. It has a gravity valve, so unless you stand it up straight or tilt it back slightly, the valve can dangle in the open position, defeating the anti-crimp feature. I did a test and the ventilation worked great. I will never have to buy one again but if I did then this would be my choice.