A:Answer This is a tricky question. The manufacturer recommends an additional 4 - 5" beyond the units measurements. I believe this is primarily because of the dryer vent on the dryer, and the water and drain hose on the washer. Basically the hoses should not be kinked. And the dryer needs to use semi-rigid or rigid duct. In my case, the vent connection was a bit of a limiting factor. The semi-rigid duct does not bend well (horrible bending radius). Thus to bend the duct and make the necessary connections i would have needed at least 5 inches. That was more spce than i could afford. I ended up having a handyman rework and lower the vent connectionon the laundry room wall so that the dry is more of a straight shot (very little bend). As a result, i have roughly 3 inches behind the dryer and to the wall. Of moving your home's venting is not an option, please know three are other method like using a retangle periscope duct to connect the dryer and save on the space. Good luck.
