Clothes dryers serve a pretty obvious purpose.
When you’re shopping for one, you know one thing for sure: You want one that’ll get
your clothes dry, fast—ideally without damaging them.
But if you’ve never bought one yourself, or if it’s been a while, you might not know
there are two basic types: gas and electric.
Hi, I’m Elyse with Designer Appliances.
We’re New Jersey’s premier independent appliance retailer, and we’re the only appliance
store that makes it our top priority to take the confusion out of shopping.
Have you ever looked behind your dryer to see what it runs on?
No worries if you haven’t.
We’re here to help you figure out what you’ve got.
Or you might be starting from scratch, building a new home or laundry room.
Great.
We’ll help you decide whether electric or gas is best for your situation.
It’s similar to a stove.
Both fuel types have pros and cons.
We’ll walk through them all.
Have any questions before we get going?
Post them in the comments section below, and we’ll get you an expert answer.
For starters, let’s identify whether your house is equipped for a gas or electric dryer.
Why?
Not checking the fuel source before buying a dryer is one of the most common mistakes
our customers make.
They’ll end up getting an electric dryer when their house is equipped for gas.
On the flip side, you might assume you have a gas dryer if you have a gas stove, but that’s
not necessarily true.
Confirming your fuel source can save you time, money, and a big headache come delivery day.
First, check your connection.
Look behind your dryer.
Most electric dryers run on 240 volts, but gas dryers plug into a standard 120 volt outlet.
240 volt plugs tend to be noticeably larger and have an industrial-looking outlet.
If your home was built prior to 2000, it’ll have three prongs; after 2000, they have four
prongs.
If your plug looks like these, chances are you have an electric dryer.
Gas dryers have a regular-size plug.
You’ll also likely see a gas hose attached to the back—it tends to be yellow.
You can also take a look at your electrical panel.
If the breaker for your dryer is a double slot breaker and it’s marked with 30 amps
or higher, you’ve got an electric one.
Then, check your new dryer.
One surefire way to confirm if the model you’re interested in buying runs on gas or electric
is to google the model number.
The model number usually appears on a silver sticker on the dryer door or nearby.
You’ll also find it on the spec sheet posted on the retailer’s website.
Before we get into the benefits of electric versus gas dryers, do you have any questions?
Ask away in the comments below.
Now that you know what you’ve got, let’s take a look at which is better.
We like to consider four factors.
#1: Which is more efficient?
It depends.
Gas dryers generally do the job faster and use less energy.
That’s because electric energy has to turn heat from a power plant into electricity,
send it to your home, and then convert it back into heat to dry your clothes.
Gas simply combusts in your dryer and turns into heat.
That’s much faster, and there’s almost no loss of heat in the process.
That also makes gas a more environment-friendly option.
The only exception would be if you produce your own solar electricity.
#2: Which costs less upfront?
Electric dryers.
Their sticker price tends to be around $100 less than gas dryers.
#3: Which costs less over time?
In the long term, gas dryers win.
Because gas runs hotter than electricity, it cuts your drying time—and your electric
bill.
According to the NRDC, gas dryers cost from 50 to 75 percent less to run than an electric
dryer.
#4: Which dries clothes faster?
I already alluded to how gas dryers slash drying time.
Because they generate more heat faster, gas dryers win.
We often get asked whether you can convert an existing electric dryer to gas or vice
versa.
The simple answer is no.
They’re built differently.
If you’re buying a new dryer, It’s also a fairly involved project to run a gas line
to your laundry room.
However, if you want to switch from gas to electric, it’s not too labor intensive to
have an electrician put in a 240 volt outlet.
Overall, gas dryers have more to recommend them.
They may cost more upfront, but they’re more energy and cost efficient, and they dry
clothes faster.
Still, that doesn’t mean you should get gas line installed if you don’t have it.
Relatively few U.S. households, especially outside the northeast, have ready access to
a gas line.
Our advice?
Switching from electric to gas makes sense only if you wash five or more loads a week
and plan on staying in your current home for the next five years.
If that’s not the case, it’s not worth it.
It’ll take at least two years to recoup your investment.
Do you hate—or love—your current dryer?
Let us know in the comments below.
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and advice that will make you an educated appliance shopper.