Thread Number: 72068  /  Tag: Vintage Dishwashers
Gas vs. Electric Dryers 		[Down to Last]

automaticwasher.org's exclusive eBay Watch:
scroll >>> for more items --- [As an eBay Partner, eBay may compensate automaticwasher.org if you make a purchase using any link to eBay on this page]
Post# 953044   8/15/2017 at 23:14 (2,443 days old) by Maytag85 (Sean A806)        

maytag85's profile picture
I know gas dryers are more economical to use, but when it comes to how gentle a dryer can be, which is better? Gas or Electric?




Post# 953052 , Reply# 1   8/16/2017 at 04:01 (2,443 days old) by earthling177 (Boston, MA)        

Sean:

I encourage you to use the search feature on this site. We had this discussion several times already, and if you are in a hurry to find out what we thought, that's the easiest/fastest way.

In any case, here's my opinion and I'm sure many will think it stinks.

You can't make a general argument one way or another.

For some particular brand somewhere lost in time, there'll be a particular model that was gentler in gas than electric, just to get someone to respond with "oh, yeah?!? that same brand two years [earlier/later] had the gas model really harsh on clothes and the electric was just fine!!! So, there!!!"

Here's the deal: what makes dryers gentle has very little to do with gas vs. electric, and much more to do with what temperatures (operating, overtemp. limit etc) the clothes are subjected to, how the clothes are tumbled (is it too fast or too slow, do they ball up?), how sensitive the moisture sensor(s) is/are etc.

Something as seemingly irrelevant as an independent fan motor can make a big difference -- manufacturers try to use the same motor to run the drum and the fan because it's less expensive (even though the makers tend to appeal to "less likely to break", which shouldn't be true), but an independent fan motor can guarantee a much more stable air flow even for very long duct runs, not to mention a more stable temperature too, particularly when the drum reverses.

In any case, I'm not even sure manufacturers are making dryers with different specs anymore. In the 1960's it was common to find out that gas dryers were faster to dry, but some needed a different fan to move more air, others kept the same size fan but use different thermostats to run at higher temps. Nowadays, manufactures like to make as little and as few changes to the assembly line as possible, the ideal being everything in the dryers are identical except for the heater (gas vs. electric), so they can make exactly the same number of dryers of each kind that are *leaving* the factory *that day*, and so the number of each kind that is made each day can vary according to the orders, instead of the old ways of doing things.

One result of that is that domestic gas dryers don't have high-powered heaters anymore like they used to have (while the electric has, with few exceptions, been limited by the 30A circuits). Most of the dryers now finish within a few minutes and it's not worth having gas or electric because one will finish sooner or the other will be gentler.

Also, please, remember that *current* dryers are often running much cooler than the ones from 60 years ago. Some current dryers run the normal cycle at temps that rival the "gentle" temp from many years ago, and the gentle cycle runs close to 110F-120F in many models, which is about as safe as hanging the clothes on the line to dry, while many old dryers and coin-op dryers would run the "cotton/regular" cycle at temps in excess of 200F.

Cheers,
   -- Paulo.


Post# 953058 , Reply# 2   8/16/2017 at 05:04 (2,443 days old) by brucelucenta ()        

Very well said!


Forum Index:       Other Forums:                      


Comes to the Rescue!

The Discuss-o-Mat has stopped, buzzer is sounding!!!
If you would like to reply to this thread please log-in...

Discuss-O-MAT Log-In



New Members Click Here To Sign Up.



                     

automaticwasher.org home
Discuss-o-Mat Forums
Vintage Brochures, Service and Owners Manuals
Fun Vintage Washer Ephemera
See It Wash!
Video Downloads
 Audio Downloads
Picture of the Day
Patent of the Day
Photos of our Collections
The Old Aberdeen Farm
Vintage Service Manuals 		Vintage washer/dryer/dishwasher to sell?
Technical/service questions?
Looking for Parts?
Website related questions?
Digital Millennium Copyright Act Policy
Our Privacy Policy