Thread Number: 54711
Which is more cost effective to dry clothes, Electric or Natural Gas? |
[Down to Last] |
Post# 771068   7/15/2014 at 14:13 (3,544 days old) by scoots (Chattanooga TN)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
|
|
Post# 771070 , Reply# 1   7/15/2014 at 14:18 (3,544 days old) by eronie (Flushing Michigan)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
2    
I prefer gas it's cheaper and way faster too. |
Post# 771071 , Reply# 2   7/15/2014 at 14:22 (3,544 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
|
Post# 771072 , Reply# 3   7/15/2014 at 14:23 (3,544 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
It really depends on what the costs of gas and electricity are in your area. In my province (Quebec) electricity is still quite reasonably-priced; it's very unusual to see a gas dryer for home use in the cities and suburbs around here. However, a good number of laundries use gas dryers (the speed would probably trump operating cost there).
|
Post# 771102 , Reply# 5   7/15/2014 at 15:34 (3,544 days old) by twintubdexter (Palm Springs)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
I'd be a nervous old man if I had to do laundry with an electric dryer while two central air conditioners are humming in the background. I rebuilt many a vintage dryer as a young person and always tested them with wet clothes...because it was fun. The gas dryers always seemed faster, of course using clothes from a Frigidaire Unimatic or Rapidry 1000 was not the same as a load from a Kenmore. The fastest were the Norge gas dryers. My mom had one. I think that huge fan and the way they sort of "injected" warm air into the clothes were the reasons. Although I can't speak for all the vintage brands, Frigidaire Filtrators were among the worst. Very little air flow and high heat that turned your white sheets pastel yellow. I'm sure many members have these dryers and love them. Of course, a Norge with it's reverse air flow ended up filling your laundry area with leaking lint and moisture as the dryer's seals aged. All the wall paper in my mom's laundry room peeled off along with the paint.
I'm lucky that my house has both gas and electric for the dryer. Oddly enough there's 220 under the gas cooktop and gas under the electric wall oven. |
Post# 771103 , Reply# 6   7/15/2014 at 15:35 (3,544 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
I think it would mostly depend on how much wash you have to dry. A few loads a week would not matter on either gas or electric. I prefer the clothesline outside too. But I have a friend that owns a chain of laundromats. All their dryers are propane or natural gas where available. They also loop the incoming water to the oil fired water heater over the tops of the dryers. He says his electric bill for the stores are all higher than the gas bills.
|
Post# 771109 , Reply# 7   7/15/2014 at 15:52 (3,544 days old) by ovrphil (N.Atlanta / Georgia )   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
I remember when my mom converted from gas to electric drying, she said, "I like the electric dryer because I don't worry about the pilot light." We had to re-light it when it got windy outside. But she too said that the clothes dried faster in the gas dryer. This is a question, electric or gas, that can't exclude (as everyone points out)prices for natural gas. However, if you are able and willing to hang outside, it wouldn't matter if it was gas...as you're not using anything during the months when you hang out laundry.
|
Post# 771124 , Reply# 8   7/15/2014 at 16:50 (3,544 days old) by RevvinKevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
1    
Here in Southern California, while there are "all electric homes" in some areas, natural gas is the predominant "fuel of choice" for heating water, heating the home, heating the pool, cooking, drying clothes, etc.
After being limited to a 220V dryer for about 12-14 years, I now have both gas and 220V dryers and much prefer gas because it will dry in less time and at a lower cost vs. electric.
Kevin |
Post# 771125 , Reply# 9   7/15/2014 at 16:56 (3,544 days old) by whirlykenmore78 (Prior Lake MN (GMT-0500 CDT.))   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
1    
|
Post# 771149 , Reply# 10   7/15/2014 at 18:49 (3,544 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
4    
Will always be always be cheaper to run compared to the same dryer in standard electric vented format.
When comparing a Gas Dryer to an electric dryer this is the only comparison where both appliances are virtually 100% efficient, so you are enjoying the full cost difference between the heat value you get from gas or electric. This is never the case when comparing a gas water heater [ 70% efficient ] a gas furnace [ 80-94% efficient ] And a gas range is well less that 50% efficient in its use of fuel. There are many parts of NA where it is much cheaper to cook with electricity. The other important comparison is the damage you do to the environment from using a dryer, unless 100% of the electricity you are using at your home is generated by methods that produce no carbon dioxide or other pollution a NGD will always be better for the environment because the heat is produced inside the machine so the amount of gas burned is just 1/3 of what typically would have be burned at a big power plant to produce enough electricity to run an electric dryer. All that said there is very little difference in the operation of modern gas and electric dryers. There is little speed difference, reliability is about the same overall, Both are very safe if properly installed and maintained [ although I think we see fewer fires in gas dryers ]. gas dryers may be slightly harder on some types of clothing, but I have never seen any proof of this. Electric dryers with their very dry heat could be harder on cotton clothing if you even slightly over-dry items. John L. |
Post# 771168 , Reply# 12   7/15/2014 at 20:07 (3,544 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
Commercial laundries round the world usually prefer other sources of heat (steam, gas, propane) over electric.
That being said when it comes to domestic use in the United States much depends upon local rates. Here in NYC believe natural gas dryers out sell electric, which makes sense when you consider the high cost of electricity. Persons we know with electric dryers are mainly in high rise buildings that do not have gas lines for laundry purposes. If you live in a rental there probably isn't much that can be done about that situation. However in a co-op or condo building suppose with the proper permissions long as there is a gas line (cooking) going into the apartment it might be possible to do something for a dryer. IIRC from this group and readings elsewhere depending upon geographic location when utilities were rolled out the dominant and or sole player in the market had a major influence. That is if you lived where the Tennessee Valley Authority was rolling out *cheap* electric then it is likely most if not all appliances in a home would run on that type of power. Know persons what would love to have a gas dryers and or even ranges but their area/street does not have service. Local gas company costs simply make it too expensive to run a new main not only to the street but to just one home, so they are stuck. If you can convince several neighbors to sign up for service then things re different. However if you live in a remote area where it is just your home for miles around, then you may never be able to get a gas company to give you service. |
Post# 771220 , Reply# 15   7/15/2014 at 23:48 (3,544 days old) by kb0nes (Burnsville, MN)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
I'd be hard pressed to say that gas driers don't finish a cycle faster then electric. It seems to be a significant difference in my experience.
When we moved to Minnesota we came from an all electric home in Ohio, bring along with us a ~1970 Kenmore electric dryer. We used that for about 3 years before on a visit here, John swapped all the parts effectively making our dryer a gas model. This is about the best apples and apples comparison that you can get since it was the same drier, same blower and same ducting etc. I can't imagine going back to an electric. About the only advantage electric has is that the dew point of the heated air is slightly lower since there is no moisture by products from combustion. But it doesn't seem to make up for the increased heat of the gas burner in ultimate drying speed. In the coldest depths of a MN winter I wonder if electric might not become more cost effective provided the drier vents indoors. Pulling all that cold make up air inside only to have to reheat it may nullify the lower cost per BTU of the gas energy. |
Post# 771227 , Reply# 16   7/16/2014 at 00:07 (3,544 days old) by Supersuds (Knoxville, Tenn.)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
This site has a handy calculator that lets you plug in your local rates and number of weekly loads in order to estimate annual costs.
michaelbluejay.com/electricity/dr... Using my approximate local rates -- 10¢/kWh for electric and $1.10 per therm for gas in summer -- 8 loads per week costs $137 for electric and $109 for gas. That's for the entire year. So in my case there's really not much difference unless I was doing a huge amount of laundry. I haven't checked California electric prices, but from what has been posted before they impose a steep penalty for using more than a certain amount, so it's easy to see why Californians would avoid electric dryers whenever possible. |
Post# 771251 , Reply# 18   7/16/2014 at 04:51 (3,543 days old) by arbilab (Ft Worth TX (Ridglea))   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
Used both extensively, however with a fairly small number of machines. Gas made stuff smell burnt, probably the detergent scent overheating. In addition to the things that can go wrong with electric (motor, belt, timer, thermo, coil) gas adds two more I've had trouble with, igniter and valves. So I prefer electric.
As above, relative cost depends where you live and how utilities are apportioned. One thing is absolute: The more water you spin out, the cheaper the task of (powered) drying. Just did a queen set in the (1300rpm) twintub last night. 2 1/2 min spin costs virtually nothing*. Put the whole shebang in a coinop electric set on LOW heat and it finished in TWENTY MINUTES. The same load washed in the coinop Neptune FL (~800rpm) takes twice as long on max heat in the same dryer. No difference in dryer fuel is going to make up that difference unless one fuel is free. So to save on whichever fuel the clear choice is high spin speed. Also meets the 'carbon footprint' objective since the energy difference in spin speeds is negligee (sic). * Since I made that assertion I'll do the math to back it up. Spin motor rated at 140W. 2 1/2min = 0.042hr. 140 x 0.042 = 5.83 Whr. 5.83 / 1000 = 0.006 kWh. .006 x national average electric 12c per kWh = 7/100ths of a CENT. Let's take a low 3000W dryer running 50% duty for 1500W and 20 extra min. 20min = 0.33hr. 0.33 x 1500 = 500 Whr. 500 / 1000 = 0.5 kWh. 0.5 x 12c = 6c for that extra 20min to dry the same load only wetter. Now the punchline: 6c / 0.07c = 857 times more expensive to remove the 800rpm water with the dryer than with the 1300rpm spinner. |
Post# 771268 , Reply# 19   7/16/2014 at 08:16 (3,543 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
Hi Rick, your cost estimate is probably way off, A standard Coin-Op dryer still consumes about 6000 watts on low heat and drying sheets for 20 minutes probably means the heat was on full for 15-18 minutes if you took the clothing out about the time the clothing was dry.
Since the electric dryer is the big power user here the only way you can make an accurate calculation is to know exactly how much power you used to dry your load. I would [ Guess ] that you actually used about 4500 watts for 20 minutes. John L. |
Post# 771276 , Reply# 20   7/16/2014 at 09:26 (3,543 days old) by pierreandreply4 (St-Bruno de montarville (province of quebec) canada)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
|
Post# 771277 , Reply# 21   7/16/2014 at 09:28 (3,543 days old) by Magic_Clean (Florida)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
2    
consideration............is how free flowing the exhaust vent system is. This is a major contributing factor. Have had both and don't recall any significant difference in drying results or time. ..L.P. |
Post# 771318 , Reply# 22   7/16/2014 at 16:11 (3,543 days old) by mtn1584 (USA)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
1    
the LEAST expensive way to dry clothes, is on a clothesline. |
Post# 771323 , Reply# 23   7/16/2014 at 16:42 (3,543 days old) by Supersuds (Knoxville, Tenn.)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
|
Post# 771328 , Reply# 24   7/16/2014 at 16:50 (3,543 days old) by mrsalvo (New Braunfels Texas)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
1    
Most cost effective? A clothesline. |
Post# 771444 , Reply# 26   7/17/2014 at 02:52 (3,543 days old) by arbilab (Ft Worth TX (Ridglea))   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
5    
Yes John, the dryer estimate was stingy. But the point was how almost zero cost of highspeed spin cancels much more expensive dryer time. Not how much dryers actually cost.
A shocking number of homeowner associations outlaw line drying. Less shocking perhaps that most HOAs are comprised of busybody control freaks with tihs for brains. Who else would care what you did in your fenced backyard other than testing explosives and raising skunks? |
Post# 771494 , Reply# 28   7/17/2014 at 09:41 (3,542 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
Have not changed much, vintage electric models usually had at least 4800 watt MT HOH ] elements and most brands had 5000-5400 watts and virtually every WP-KM had 5600 watts. Now every full sized dryer in the US has 5000-5400 [ 5400 for all WP products ] watt elements.
Some vintage gas dryers did have higher BTU burners at one time, but even back in the 50s and 60s the majority of brands only had 18,000 BTUs. Today most dryers are 20,000 BTUs, SQ is 22,500 and I am aware of no current full sized dryers that are less than 20,000 BTUs. Interesting thoughts about there being less oxygen inside a running gas dryer and although the oxygen reduction is very minimal [ a person would have no trouble breathing inside a gas dryer ] I would think that if anything the lack of oxygen would make natural fibers like cotton last longer as they will not deteriorate as fast in a reduced oxygen environment. |
Post# 771503 , Reply# 29   7/17/2014 at 10:27 (3,542 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
In the eastern part of Canada, most houses don't have access to natural gas. Both natural gas (where it's available) and propane are more expensive than in the United States and electricity is cheaper than it is in most states. Most of our electricity is produced with hydraulic power.
So the ratio of electric/vs gas dryers is very different here. In fact, I don't know anybody who owns a gas dryer here!
My '65 Rapidry washer is finishing it's final spin while I'm typing this, I'll need to go out and hang my wrinkled clothes outside! Running them in the Filtrator dryer that I got from John me would help getting the wrinkles off but I don't care much about that! |
Post# 771872 , Reply# 32   7/19/2014 at 10:11 (3,540 days old) by e2l-arry (LAKEWOOD COLORADO)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
2    
|
Post# 771877 , Reply# 33   7/19/2014 at 10:38 (3,540 days old) by ovrphil (N.Atlanta / Georgia )   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
If that stand provides sturdy support, you're lucky - can you use it if it's a little windy? Ours is a late 40's early 50's model, that doesn't have a stand; the post slides over a shorter pole, secured in the ground with cement.
Yours looks much light and easier to maneuver, so that's why I wonder about the wind effects. Nice job on pinning up the laundry! :-) |
Post# 771950 , Reply# 35   7/19/2014 at 19:14 (3,540 days old) by nmassman44 (Brooksville Florida)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
I have that same clothesline...love it. I agree the cheapest way to dry laundry is on the line. It's free, can't beat that! That said I have both gas and an electric dryer and here our gas isn't cheap nor is electricity so for me it's a wash. The GE Profile dryer that I have does a fantastic job drying and that's electric. The sensors are spot on and doesn't take long to dry a load. The Frigidaire built GE piggy back dryer that I have is gas and it does ok, but I find it can get carried away and easily over dry a load when the temp is set at Regular. On Low temp it works very well since it uses the thermostats to sense the dryness of the clothes. I know that this dryer is a fire hazard since some have had issues with them.
|
Post# 772989 , Reply# 36   7/25/2014 at 04:21 (3,534 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
Seems as though the way gas is widely used, it would have the edge in energy consumption--and performance--over electric... Much like how compressed air is used to run a jackhammer...
But as for servicing and repairs, would electrics be more simple, needing only a basic heating element, or would gas dryers be almost as simple, if you can diagnose what components for the drying, and that need replacing or repairs? Which is more true? -- Dave |
Post# 773002 , Reply# 38   7/25/2014 at 07:06 (3,534 days old) by beekeyknee (Columbia, MO)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
|
Post# 773008 , Reply# 39   7/25/2014 at 07:23 (3,534 days old) by ovrphil (N.Atlanta / Georgia )   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
|
Post# 773033 , Reply# 41   7/25/2014 at 10:10 (3,534 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
for many areas, and as mentioned HOA's, line drying is not even allowed, not to mention optional.....
hanging a car mat over your fence while washing your car will yield you a 25.00 fine....been there.... side note, this same location did not have central air, and A/C's or fans in the windows were not allowed either....wish they had these portables available back then, but they might have complained about the vent in the window just the same... I didn't stay there long!..... |