Thread Number: 86234  /  Tag: Vintage Dryers
Gas dryers - visible flame?
[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# 1107815   2/13/2021 at 08:21 (1,139 days old) by fan-of-fans (Florida)        

Having never used a gas dryer before, is there a visible flame in the drum? Such that if you held the door switch down and started the cycle, could you see flames or a glow of them, like you can an electric?

I remember reading on here about one old gas dryer, that had a perforated drum which through which flames wer visible. Clothes broiling? Scary! Sounds very unsafe to me. Apex maybe was the brand? Heard the electric version was similar.





Post# 1107817 , Reply# 1   2/13/2021 at 08:43 (1,139 days old) by kd12 (Arkansas)        

The old gas dryers I remember from my college dorm in the '80s didn't have a visible flame when running. Had a glass window on the door to see inside the drum. That's my only experience with gas dryers, as I found they didn't dry particularly well.

Post# 1107820 , Reply# 2   2/13/2021 at 09:23 (1,139 days old) by appnut (TX)        

appnut's profile picture
My parents always had gas dryers, so the first 23 years of my life. One big heck no you can't see any flame.

Post# 1107822 , Reply# 3   2/13/2021 at 09:39 (1,139 days old) by fan-of-fans (Florida)        

I have heard in some cases though of visible flames, if a dryer set up for natural gas was accidentally run on propane. The flames would get large enough to be seen through the vent at the rear of drum. Since propane runs at a higher pressure than natural gas.

Post# 1107824 , Reply# 4   2/13/2021 at 09:42 (1,139 days old) by bradfordwhite (central U.S.)        

bradfordwhite's profile picture
gas dryers and fire? nahhh....

  View Full Size
Post# 1107828 , Reply# 5   2/13/2021 at 09:56 (1,139 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)        

dadoes's profile picture
 
Gas burners, on "modern" dryers anyway, are in the base under the drum ... nothing to see from inside the drum.


Post# 1107834 , Reply# 6   2/13/2021 at 10:45 (1,139 days old) by rinso (Meridian Idaho)        

Maytag HOH gas dryers had a flame that you could see by opening the pilot lighting door while they were running.

Post# 1107835 , Reply# 7   2/13/2021 at 11:00 (1,139 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

It was determined in early dryers that it was safest to have the flame above the tumbling fabrics in a dryer with a perforated drum and to move the heat through the dryer in a counter-flow pattern to prevent scorching and burning that could be experienced if the heat source were placed below the tumbling fabrics.  So if you have had the chance to look at an operating large capacity commercial gas dryer from the outside and could see the unenclosed burner box, you would see that the flames are at the top and the tips of the flames are pulled slightly down by the strong downward flow of air through the dryer.  You generally can't see the flames because they are not big enough to be visible from  inside the drum and the mostly blue flames do not give off as much light as a yellow flame with more glowing hydrocarbons such as a candle flame.  

 

Early domestic gas dryers with a perforated drum and a burner positioned like the heating element in an electric dryer in the upper quadrant  of the outer tub could have visible flames.  Early Hamilton gas dryers sought to cope with that situation by having a radiant plate that was exposed to the tumbling drum on one side and to the burner on the other  to prevent the products of combustion from passing through the tumbling fabrics, but it was a short-lived design.

 

Now if you had a gas-fired Whirlpool made dryer and you were to turn it on in a totally dark room and look in the glass door, you might be able to see the blue glow of the flame below and behind the inlet grill on the back of the drum bulkhead  as you can sometimes see the dull red glow of the electric heating element in the same area. 


Post# 1107836 , Reply# 8   2/13/2021 at 11:27 (1,139 days old) by Maytag85 (Sean A806)        

maytag85's profile picture
Maytag gas dryers from the mid to late 50’s to the 80’s all had a small access panel on the bottom right hand corner for the burner and I am familiar with removing the small access panel to light the pilot on my 1973 Maytag DG306

A video of the burner in operation on my 1973 Maytag DG306.


CLICK HERE TO GO TO Maytag85's LINK


Post# 1107837 , Reply# 9   2/13/2021 at 11:29 (1,139 days old) by Maytag85 (Sean A806)        

maytag85's profile picture
What the burner looks like when starting up on a Maytag HOH gas dryer

CLICK HERE TO GO TO Maytag85's LINK


Post# 1107853 , Reply# 10   2/13/2021 at 15:07 (1,139 days old) by henene4 (Heidenheim a.d. Brenz (Germany))        
Nyborg commercial dryers

Back when I was younger we went to a laundromat in a vacation town we visited every other year.

They had (and actually have) large prominently red Nyborg Gas dryers.
That brand is long gone but there machines made by Miele and Electrolux sold under that name through time.
This machine is closest to Miele probably though also not at all.




They have an almost Bunsen style burner on the left back of the drum that burns vertically.

In the old place (not the one I linked, though they are the same machines) there was an inspection hole on one dryer you could see the flame through.

In normal operation you might be abled to make out some red glow in the left back and maybe some flame from time to time.



One interesting thing is that those dryers are surprisingly low air flow (at least compared to the Miele machine that ran alongside them) and flame always burned quite red.
So not the best design.






If you increase airflow in a gas dryer you often get better combustion and a bluer flame.

But that greater air volume can pull the flames further.

That would potentially increase the chance of a flame touching the clothing under bad circumstances (as I said, those Nyborg machines would show flames from time to time).

With the burner below or above the drum 2 90° turns are usually used between burner and drum inlet.

Thus if the flame should ever grow to large for any reason, it is unlikely it could make that U-turn.






On these Nyborg dryers as well:

HORRIFIC performance.
Air flow was bad.
You had to use high temperature settings.

The Miele (or even the smaller ELux dryers in my go to laundromat back home) have the amazing advantage to have intense air flow.
Even with medium or low temperature settings you would get fast drying.

High drying temperatures were even and still not terribly extreme.

Those Nyborg dryers heated very unevenly and were running either obscenly hot or very cool.
And took a good 33% longer for the same loads.


CLICK HERE TO GO TO henene4's LINK


Post# 1107861 , Reply# 11   2/13/2021 at 15:52 (1,139 days old) by bradfordwhite (central U.S.)        

bradfordwhite's profile picture
And as they are now, all these dryers suck all the particles and toxic gases that are expelled when burning through your clothing.

That toxic gas is so bad you HAVE to vent a gas dryer, like a gas furnace and water heater, outside. This is according to manufacturers.

Then there is the brown residue that you will find in chimneys from gas burning appliances. That builds up on the inside of the dryer and ON YOUR CLOTHES.

You can see it when looking at the insides of older gas dryers. There is a noticeable smell and gross brown discoloration of the inside of the drum.

That doesn't happen with an electric dryer.


  View Full Size


This post was last edited 02/13/2021 at 17:33
Post# 1107863 , Reply# 12   2/13/2021 at 16:02 (1,139 days old) by henene4 (Heidenheim a.d. Brenz (Germany))        
Wouldn't go that far

Main reason to vent gas dryers isn't really the exhaust being all to toxic.

Biggest issue is just they use up tons of oxygen.
Venting them outside creates negative pressure in your home which replenishes the oxygen by just sucking in more air.



It's the same as with cars.

Yes you shouldn't huff the exhaust.
But you can't kill yourself with car exhaust anymore.

At least not the nice (CO) way.







And the amount of dirt being deposited isn't that big.

Most of what you see there is not residue caused by burning directly.

It's just the airflow passing by.
Over time that deposits stuff.
Static charge naturally builds up in most air paths over a great enough time frame.


Post# 1107866 , Reply# 13   2/13/2021 at 16:10 (1,139 days old) by Maytag85 (Sean A806)        

maytag85's profile picture
Don’t see any evidence of unburnt deposits in my 1973 Maytag DG306. If there are deposits in the burner cone or plenum then the burner isn’t burning properly and the burner will need to be adjusted somehow. My 1973 Maytag DG306 has that one adjustable air mixing valve for the burner you can adjust and you will see it when you open the pilot access door.

A gas dryer doesn’t admit that much if any carbon monoxide at all according to John Lefever/combo52 plus there is tons of air being pulled through a gas dryer burner and burns more clean and efficient compared to a gas stove or gas water heater burner. Real reason why gas and electric dryers are exhausted to the outside is because of the lint and moisture that comes out of the exhaust.


Post# 1107890 , Reply# 14   2/13/2021 at 20:33 (1,139 days old) by akronman (Akron/Cleveland Ohio)        
Gas Dryers

akronman's profile picture
Northeast Ohio has a huge majority of gas dryers instead of electric. They are very clean, cheaper to operate than electric, and very safe. I have a 62 year old gas dryer whose drum is just as clean as my 40 and 30 year old gas dryers, and just as clean as my many electric dryers. I do vent all my dryers, but there are a few neighbors and homes I've seen where their one gas dryer is not vented, and no one died, though I agree it isn't wise. When I bought my home, the previous tenants had an unvented gas dryer for 14 years they lived here, but I vented it within a week. And my whitest of whites are still whitest of whites after all that gas drying. Also, in my experience with gas versus electric, the electric burners seem to wear our more often than any parts of the gas burner/ignition system. Fewer repairs.

Post# 1107893 , Reply# 15   2/13/2021 at 21:12 (1,139 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine)        

wayupnorth's profile picture
As a kid, we had a Bendix 50's gas dryer. You light a pilot holding in a red knob and after 30 or less seconds you could turn it on, burner lit, clothes baked but you could see the burner visable on the floor in front when it was dark in the front of it.

Post# 1107932 , Reply# 16   2/14/2021 at 11:44 (1,138 days old) by Helicaldrive (St. Louis)        
Electric dryers start on fire too

We had a 1959 GE electric dryer when I was a kid. The rear of the drum was perforated, and the heating coils were right behind the drum. When they were activated, they glowed bright red through the drum perforations. Yikes. Not a good design. If the dryer were overloaded, or had a bulky item in it, the items caught in the rear of the drum would scorch and plastic zippers could melt.

I believe GE and others still have that design to this day. WP and Maytag never did, and always had the electric coils in the same housing as the gas burner.

Nobody is right and nobody is wrong, but personally, electric dryers make me more uncomfortable about fire hazards than gas. I don’t like the idea of house wiring heating up with 6000 watts passing through it, and those hotter-than-a-firecracker fuses that eventually burn out and smoke also creep me out.

My gas dryers have never gotten dirty/sooty inside, or yellowed my clothes, or made them smell like gas.

Just my experience and opinion. There will never be universal agreement.


Post# 1107936 , Reply# 17   2/14/2021 at 12:23 (1,138 days old) by fan-of-fans (Florida)        

Here in Florida gas dryers seem quite rare. Homes might have a gas stove but usually everything else is electric (other than possibly a gas water heater if it's the tankless instant kind).

Even older mobile homes that might have a gas stove and furnace would still have an electric dryer and water heater.

As for the coils being visible I know what you mean on the GEs where the back wall is perforated. They are still made that way.

As for Whirlpools, I THINK (but don't quote me on it) our 70s Whirlpool made Kenmore we had when I was really young had coils that were visible through the rear vent. It's been so long, so I could be wrong. I know our 2004 Whirlpool made Kenmore does NOT have visible coils, but you can see a light glow from them through the vent.

I seem to remember reading on here that electric dryers pose more of a fire hazard with lint buildup than do gas.


Post# 1107937 , Reply# 18   2/14/2021 at 12:31 (1,138 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)        

dadoes's profile picture
 
29" WP dryer design has the heater box at the back, not under the drum (unless there has been a revision on that).  The inlet grill is at top of the heater box.  The element is below the grill but the glow can be seen.


Post# 1107941 , Reply# 19   2/14/2021 at 12:39 (1,138 days old) by Maytag85 (Sean A806)        

maytag85's profile picture
The HOH electric dryers have the heating element fairly close to the drum like the GE dryers of the era but they limited the heat output to 4500 watts and used a extremely sensitive high limit thermostat and even as something as simple as opening the door on a HOH electric dryer will cause it to trip by the heat rising from the heating element.

Never really liked the design of GE dryers since the heating element is literally behind the drum not to mention it’s 5600 watts. GE still uses a similar design to this day in their electric and gas dryers.


Post# 1107953 , Reply# 20   2/14/2021 at 15:19 (1,138 days old) by twintubdexter (Palm Springs)        
Cole, first post

twintubdexter's profile picture

My Mom's old Apex had a perforated drum and you could look through the glass window and see the flames in the upper left-hand corner.. I've mentioned it too many times before so I won't get into it again. It was "fun." Working at the appliance store all those years, I saw several dryers come in as trades that had caught fire, some brand new ones too. The ones that stick in my mind are the electric Maytag Halo-of-Heat models. I worked on a lot of those and they were very fine appliances. but when the high-limit thermostat failed they would burn a big ring into the front, like they had been branded like a steer. Usually the door seal and other non--metal parts were burned up too.


Post# 1107954 , Reply# 21   2/14/2021 at 15:20 (1,138 days old) by CircleW (NE Cincinnati OH area)        

Helicaldrive, properly sized (and properly installed) wiring doesn't "heat up". 10 AWG wire is normally used for a dryer, though if it's a long run, 8 AWG should be used. I've never had any circuit breaker get more than warm with a full load on it. If a CB gets too hot without being overloaded, it's not making good contact with the busbar. If a fuse overheats in the same situation, it's either making poor contact with the fuse holder, or the fuse holder is making poor contact with the busbar (if the type that plugs or bolts on to one). Premium panelboards have silver flashed copper busbars, and breakers that attach firmly. If a buildings service equipment is worn out, poor quality, or inadequate, it needs to be replaced promptly.

Post# 1107964 , Reply# 22   2/14/2021 at 17:09 (1,138 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
Dryer Heating Types

combo52's profile picture

Interesting thread.

 

Hi Sean, MT HOH electric dryers were 4800 watts and had more than their share of  heatdamaged clothing and fires when things went wrong.

 

10 Ga copper wire does get warm when running and electric dryer, yes 8 Ga is cooler running but keep in mind the shorter the run of 10 Ga wire the Hotter it gets. 

 

Wiring failures at connections, circuit breakers, buss bars etc are a very common electric dryer failure, I see some form of wiring failures on electric dryers nearly every week often several times a week.

 

Generally in a typical home no other circuit is loaded as heavily as the dryers circuit, electric water heaters come close but are usually 4,500 watts where as dryers are close to 6000 watts on the same size circuit and wiring.

 

There were so many wiring failures related to electric dryers in our neighboring county [ Montgomery County ] that in the 60s through the 70s they required 8 Ga wire a 40 amp breaker or fuses and use of a range cord and receptacle. on all dryer installations.

 

John L.


Post# 1107974 , Reply# 23   2/14/2021 at 18:59 (1,138 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)        

dadoes's profile picture
 
Specific circuits in a non-typical home can easily top a dryer circuit.  Resistance HVAC heat for example, and my tankless water heater.


Post# 1107976 , Reply# 24   2/14/2021 at 19:06 (1,138 days old) by bradfordwhite (central U.S.)        

bradfordwhite's profile picture
Yes.

Electric furnace 90+ amp double pole, poss. 2 double pole breakers
typical stove 50 amp double pole
Hot tub 60 amp double pole
tankless w.htr 80-120 amp double and triple pole breakers
RV outlet 50 amp double pole
electric car plu 50 amp double pole
packaged AC unit 60 amp double pole
pool heater 50 amp double pole

an electric dryer just uses 25-30 amps double pole.


Post# 1107984 , Reply# 25   2/14/2021 at 19:59 (1,138 days old) by bradfordwhite (central U.S.)        

bradfordwhite's profile picture

It's just funny hearing the apologists for gas dryers.

We don't need to hear the "I've had a gas dryer all my life and...... blah, blah, it's always worked......" crowd members.

yeah, obviously, if it's what you've known all your life, your going to defend it like it's your child.

--------

What counts are those who've seen both and can speak for the differences.

I've seen both and there IS a difference. Heed the warnings if your strong enough. lol

--------

Not only have I seen the differences in gas dryers compared to electric, but also water heaters, furnaces, stoves, and pool heaters.

 

Personally, I've always had electric dryers.  Have had both electric and gas water heaters, had gas furnaces for many years of my life

When I owned rental properties in the 90s they all had gas water heaters and furnaces. I've changed out my fair share.
Nearly all had electric stoves.

Obviously, any dryer with defective heat limit switches, regardless of gas or electric, can cause problems. I've seen that as well.

There is much more that can go wrong with a gas appliance compared to an electric one.

I also collect retro/used/antique things besides appliances. One of them is older linens. You can tell when something has been dried repeatedly in a gas dryer. It dingier, it has a smell to it, the fabric is rougher.
There is a difference.

I've also seen the utility areas of laundromats behind the gas dryers and it always has the stereotypical brown/yellow grunge.
That generally doesn't happen with electric dryers, electric furnaces, electric water heaters, electric stoves.

I've seen coin-op electric dryers in apartment buildings and they might get dirty from daily wear, like any appliance, but they don't get the yellow grunge on them.

 

I've had probably 100 dryers since I've been fixing/collecting/ repairing  and gas dryers build up a yellow/brown haze on the inside of the drum and obviously on the clothing that has been in the drum.

 

---------------

In short gas is messier and certainly more dangerous.
And GAS clothes dryers, as they have been designed so far using direct contact of combusted gas on clothing; it is a terrible design.


Will a gas dryer with working high limit thermostats dry your clothes?
Yes, but it's not going to be as clean as an electric dryer.....which is contrary to the whole idea of doing laundry in the first place.

 

IMO- A proper gas dryer should have a combustion chamber and heat exchanger like a gas furnace.  That combustion chamber should have it's own fresh air intake and exhaust.  

 

There is a good reason why as far back as the 50s there were advertisements for "clean living" in an all electric home.  It's true.


  View Full Size
Post# 1107996 , Reply# 26   2/14/2021 at 20:57 (1,138 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        
RE: Reply #25

We had two Norge gas dryers in the 60s that had the big lift up door in the top for pilot/burner access. The underside of the access door would get fuel grime buildup on it. In warm weather when I use my outdoor gas dryers, I notice that the fabrics coming out of them do not have as sweet a smell as those dried in the electric dryers. I'm not complaining and after the first load or two, I don't notice it.   


Post# 1108007 , Reply# 27   2/14/2021 at 23:46 (1,137 days old) by CircleW (NE Cincinnati OH area)        

I just checked the circuit breakers on two circuits serving 4000 W fan-forced electric heaters, that each have been running continuously for hours. The 20 A breakers were only slightly warm, and the 70 A feeder breaker to the panel serving one of the heaters was cool. I also felt the cables, and they were barely warmer than those with little if any load. The newer panel is an Eaton CH, and the older a Cutler-Hammer, which also uses the CH type breakers. I do remember the old FPE breakers getting warmer than these, but not overly hot.

A 20 A breaker is rated at 4800 W at 240 V, and for continuous loads limited to 85%, which is 4080 W, so 4000 W is nearly 85%. A 30 A breaker is rated at 7200 W, and 85% is 6120 W, so a dryer is less than the continuous rating. If a breaker of the proper rating overheats, it must either be defective, or it and the panel are poor quality. I don't doubt John sees problems with wiring associated with dryers, as I know lots of buildings have less than top quality wiring.


Post# 1108015 , Reply# 28   2/15/2021 at 00:22 (1,137 days old) by bradfordwhite (central U.S.)        

bradfordwhite's profile picture

Proper breaker is important.

 

I remember a friend had a 1970 rental mobile home with a newer (2000ish) GE washer and electric dryer .  He mentioned that he kept having problems with the dryer not working.  He had a service person come out and replace a part on the dryer but still not working right.  

 

I checked the breaker box and they had the dryer circuit as a double pole 20 amp.  It was enough for the motor to run and heat but not continuous.  The breaker also didn't switch off correctly because it was damaged from getting hot.  It wouldn't stay on. 


Post# 1108019 , Reply# 29   2/15/2021 at 00:34 (1,137 days old) by kenwashesmonday (Carlstadt, NJ)        

There was a block of Gold Medallion all electric houses in the town I grew up in.  By the 1970s, they all had gas lines run to them due to the high cost electric heat.


Post# 1108020 , Reply# 30   2/15/2021 at 00:40 (1,137 days old) by Maytag85 (Sean A806)        

maytag85's profile picture
The house I live in that was built in 1985 and it would classify as a Gold Medallion all electric home but the previous owners got gas in 2001 sometime. I find it interesting how in the Live Better Electrically commercials from the 50’s and 60’s they tout that having a all electric home is better but they don’t even bother mentioning what the electric bill would be like in a all electric house.

Post# 1108023 , Reply# 31   2/15/2021 at 01:59 (1,137 days old) by bradfordwhite (central U.S.)        

bradfordwhite's profile picture

Electric may be more expensive in some areas compared to the equivalent BTU in  gas, coal, wood, etc.  

 

But that doesn't change the fact that for living standards electric is still better, more convenient, safer, and cleaner.

 

Those are two different issues.  

 

Sure you could shovel coal or wood daily to heat your home,

or you could spend thousand of dollars to install a tank and a dirty oil furnace,

or spend the same to install pipes, ducts, a chimney, and a gas furnace that will need frequent service calls and create noisy background disturbances.

it might be half as expensive monthly.  It might be 1/3 the cost monthly.

 

It's interesting because by 1970 it was clear that homes built in say:

1920 had no insulation, were drafty, and expensive to heat.

1960 had minimal insulation 1" , no vapor barrier, cheap windows, and was easier to heat

1970 had more insulation 3", a vapor barrier, thermo pane windows, and was even easier to heat, keep comfortable, and less expensive monthly.

They should have focused on subsidizing home insulation, windows, and doors rather than

subsidizing residential gas service because most all homes already had electric service, it is expensive to install gas lines, and we would have been better off in general.

 

By the mid 1980s new homes in the northern regions had 2x6 walls with R-19 and ceilings with R-60 insulation so they were on the right track. 

 

Now insulation has got so good, people in some areas are heating their homes with light bulbs or the equivalent.  That's awesome.

Goals as they say.

 

Insulation: doesn't require a pipeline or over head lines, doesn't require a service call,  doesn't make noise,  has no moving parts.   


Post# 1108024 , Reply# 32   2/15/2021 at 02:06 (1,137 days old) by bradfordwhite (central U.S.)        
Insulation and solar electric is the way forward

bradfordwhite's profile picture

Solar electric is getting so affordable convenient and available too.

 

You can power your home with this.

 

I've seen utility company advertisements where they will install panels on your roof for like no money down and if you feed back into the grid you may not have to spend any money.  Might even get money back.

 



CLICK HERE TO GO TO bradfordwhite's LINK on eBay

  View Full Size
Post# 1108025 , Reply# 33   2/15/2021 at 02:06 (1,137 days old) by bradfordwhite (central U.S.)        

bradfordwhite's profile picture

I hadn't looked at these in a while. 


  View Full Size
Post# 1108029 , Reply# 34   2/15/2021 at 06:43 (1,137 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
Electric Dryers Loading Their Circuit

combo52's profile picture

Yes I know that there are many circuits in most homes larger than the 30 Amp line most dryers use.

 

My Point Was that in most homes the dryer more often and more consistently loads its circuit nearer to its limit, an electric range, an electric water heater, central A/C- HP and even back up electric heating almost never load the circuit to around 90% of its capacity.

 

John 

 

 

 


Post# 1108032 , Reply# 35   2/15/2021 at 07:13 (1,137 days old) by askolover (South of Nash Vegas, TN)        

askolover's profile picture

My house was built in 1956 and was entirely electric.  It didn't have a dryer connection in the house at all.  At some point in time one of the previous owners who worked for the gas company changed out to gas water heater, stove, furnace, and ran a line out to the shop and had a gas dryer in there.  I have 3 240V outlets (well 4 now since I got the Miele and had to run one for it).  After I bought the house I was looking at the fuse box and saw the reason why the PO changed everything to gas.  There were melted wires in there!  Now, the only thing that pulls much juice is when the central AC is running.

As far as yellowing of the dryer or the clothes, never had an issue.  Mother has had both fuels in my lifetime.  I do know that homes with an indoor cigarette smoker will have more yellowing with gas appliances.


Post# 1108070 , Reply# 36   2/15/2021 at 13:54 (1,137 days old) by twintubdexter (Palm Springs)        

twintubdexter's profile picture

Heaven forbid I'd have an electric clothes dryer or an electric water heater, not with 2 central air conditioners (have friends that have 4) with triple-digit temps the norm for all of July & August. If all of my electronics, TV's and computers and the like, along with the all of the lighting could operate on gas I'd have those too. I suppose in a way they do since most of the electric power I receive is generated with natural gas.

 

Gas...I like it.


  View Full Size
Post# 1108086 , Reply# 37   2/15/2021 at 16:22 (1,137 days old) by warmsecondrinse (Fort Lee, NJ)        

It seems to me that performance years down the road depends on the quality of equipment installed and skill level of the installer. Skill level of the service folks currently maintaining older systems is as well. I can tell you that most techs today have no idea what to do with a 100+ year old one-pipe steam heating system or know that it supposed to be silent or operate at pressures that are comically low by today's standards.

Maybe other older technologies have the same problem?

#25

I agree with you in that attitudes depend on what one is used to and how well it worked.

My grandparents had a 1,000 gallon oil tank buried in the back yard. Tank fed the oil-fired boiler present when my grandparents bought the house in 1953. Never a smell of oil during day-to-day operation..... EVER. As in ZERO. A couple times I was present when the guy from the oil company came to change the oil filter. He told me oil should never smell and if it does, something somewhere is wrong.

The attic was insulated with 6 inches of what my grandfather called "rock wool" He said it was made from the slag left from some refining operation I've forgotten. He told me it was popular 1900 - 1930's because it was the only insulation cheap enough to be worth installing given the prevailing low oil prices.

House had huge exterior storm windows one had to climb up a ladder

After one frigid winter in the late 70's I went around sealing crevices, put in insulation behind outlets, etc. -- the things an industrious young teen could do

---------------------------------

I grew up in a 60's development originally slated to be called "Gaslight Village". The only thing not gas-powered was the refrigerator. Even the lights outside were gas.

The only complaint I recall about gas dryers was that particles (which should not have been there) came in with the gas and built up somewhere in the burner causing it to burn inefficiently (i.e. yellow). Once the burner was clean all problems with singeing and yellowing went away.

When hurricane Gloria hit we lost power for 8 days. I was very happy to be able to take a shower and have coffee :-)

Many/most older homes in the northeast were wired only for 120v. 240v "had to be brought in from the street and was very expensive". That was the mantra. I can't speak to the truth of that, beyond that it was the line from the electric company and repeated by everyone who looked into it or had it done.

I should point out that gas was available everywhere. I only know of one all-electric development where I grew up. Literally everyone else I knew had gas service. Under those conditions in the 70's and 80's gas was definitely cheaper than either oil or electricity. That all-electric development went up in the mid 70's. IIRC the houses were insulated as 'much as possible' (FWIW) but the electric bills were so outrageous that within a few years most owners had replaced the baseboard electric with oil-fired hot water.

-------------

Solar electric

Solar cell efficiency keeps creeping upward and costs keep creeping downward. Solar electric makes good economic sense today in places it didn't 20 years ago. There's no reason to think that trend will not continue.



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