Dryers come in a variety of choices when it comes to size and types.
It is an important appliance in any home as it helps to keep clothes and other items clean and dry.
There are different types of dryers available in the market such as Vented Dryers, Gas Dryers, Condenser Dryer, and Heat Pump Dryer.
All the dryers mentioned above use different methodologies to achieve the same objective i.e.Dry the clothes effectively.
Having said that almost all the dryers in the market work on either Gas OR Entirely on Electricity.
And there is a clear difference between a gas-operated Dryer and the one which uses Electricity.
In this post, we will cover:
- Difference between gas and electric dryers
- What’s the Operating Cost?
- Dryer Cycle Duration
- Installation/Hookups
- Supplies
- Power Outlet
- Pros and Cons of an electric dryer as well as a gas dryer
- Is it worth installing a gas line for the gas dryer?
- Gas dryer or electric dryer which is better?
- How do I know if I have an electric or a gas washer and dryer?
- Final Thoughts
Let’s dive right into it.
What is the difference between gas and electric dryers?
The main difference between a Gas and an Electrical Dryer is the heating mechanism. Both gas and electric dryers use electricity, the only difference is that the electric dryer uses only electricity whereas the Gas dryer uses electricity as well as gas to dry the laundry.
Let’s take a quick look at the working mechanism of both the dryers.
Heating Technique
Both Electric and Gas dryers work by heating the air and circulating it through the wet clothes.
In order to achieve the above objective, they use different methods.
Here’s how an Electric and a Gas Dryers work.
Electrical Dryers
Electric Dryers use electricity to generate heat during the dry cycle in order to dry your fabrics.
It uses a heating element that converts the electrical current into heat, and further transfers the heat to the air that is continuously forced through a blower or a fan towards your fabrics.
Gas Dryers
Gas Dryers use natural gas or propane gas to generate heat during the drying process.
Gas dryers use an ignition technique to generate heat, either through an Igniter or a Glow bar which ignites the gas released through the gas valves.
When you start a dry cycle, the igniter starts glowing, thereby generating heat.
Note – In order to install and use a Gas Dryer, your residence should have a gas supply line.
What’s the Operating Cost?
Gas dryers are cost-effective when compared to electrical dryers as far as overall power consumption is concerned.
Having said that even after calculating the total power and gas consumption of the gas dryers, the cost is on the lower side.
On the other hand, an immense amount of electricity is used by the electric dryers to generate heat during the dry cycle.
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Dryer Cycle Duration
Gas Dryers dry your fabrics in less time when compared to electric dryers.
Electric dryers take longer cycles to dry the clothes.
The shorter dry cycle duration using the gas dryers ensures less wear and tear to your fabrics, as your fabrics aren’t exposed to heat for longer.
Installation/Hookups
In order to install a gas dryer, you should have a gas hookup available in your laundry room.
Usually, most households have an electricity connection as the only option for powering the appliances.
In such cases, an electric dryer is a better option.
Gas dryers are not recommended in homes that have a propane tank as the gas source.
Also, there should be proper ventilation available to let the fumes out of your laundry room.
Furthermore, Gas dryers are not recommended for small laundry rooms.
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Supplies
Using a gas dryer means you will need to track and maintain the dual supplies such as electricity and gas.
Interruption with any of the 2 supplies may put your dryer to a halt.
Whereas electrical dryers work entirely on electricity.
Power Outlet
An average small to medium size gas dryer requires a 120 Volts power outlet because it only needs power for the motor in the tumbling process and to operate the fan or blower.
An Electrical Dryer requires a 240 Volts power outlet, this is because apart from the motor and the blower, it also uses excess power to generate heat during the dry cycle.
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Pros and Cons of Electric and Gas Dryers
Every product has a few advantages and disadvantages that you have to adjust accordingly or wisely choose a suitable product.
Let us look into the Pros and Cons of both Gas and Electrical Dryers.
What are the pros and cons of a gas dryer?
Here are some well-known pros and cons of a gas dryer.
| Pros | Cons |
| Can be connected to Existing gas hookups. | Not suitable for households without a gas line supply. |
| Overall operating cost is low (including electricity and gas) | The cost of the unit is expensive compared to electrical dryers. |
| Shorter dry cycle duration. | Gas shortage can halt your dryer. |
| Less wear and tear to the fabrics due to shorter dry cycle duration. | Requires additional gas hookups and a capped-off gas line that connects the gas inlet. |
What are the pros and cons of an electric dryer?
The Below table shows the Pros and Cons of an Electrical Dryer.
| Pros | Cons |
| Can be installed in almost every household that has an electricity supply. | Consumes more electrical energy. |
| Do not require a separate gas hookup or gas supply. | |
| The cost of an Electrical dryer is less compared to gas dryers. | Takes more time to dry fabrics compared to Gas dryers. |
| Electrical dryer components are easily available. |
Is it Worth Installing a Gas line for my Gas Dryer?
If you do not have a gas supply line and you have made up your mind to go for a Gas dryer, then you should keep the following things in mind.
Cost
The cost of adding the gas supply line to your household will be quite expensive and hence it will only benefit you if you are a permanent resident or if you have planned to stick to the same place for at least 5 years or more.
Transit
Later, when you plan to move your house, you may have to look for a region or a place that has a gas line or you will have to incur the cost of disconnecting the gas line and re-installing it in your new house.
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Gas dryer or electric dryer which is better?
If there is a gas supply line already available, then you may opt for a gas dryer. But if your house does not have a gas supply line, then it is always better to go for an electric dryer.
Both types of dryers are equally better when it comes to drying your fabrics and only a few factors make a difference.
Electrical dryers consume more power compared to gas dryers, on the other hand, gas dryer Units are expensive to buy.
So the ultimate cost to benefit can only be calculated by you.
If you have a large family and ample space for a dryer you can go for a gas dryer or else electric dryers are not a bad option at all.
How do I know if I have an electric or a gas washer and dryer?
The gas dryer will have a gas line supplied to its gas valve along with the power supply whereas the electrical dryer will only have a power supply.
You can simply look behind the dryer to identify the supplies attached to the dryer.
If your household does not supply gas then definitely it is an electric dryer.
You may also identify looking at its power cable and cords, the electrical dryer cords will look bulky and the gas dryer chords will look normal.
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Final Thoughts
Always select a dryer depending on your requirement and the frequency of use.
If you have a large family and you need to do laundry daily, it is always better to go for Gas dryers as they have a shorter duration for the drying cycle.
But if you do not have a gas line or supply in your house, you may have to incur a lot of additional costs.
Electrical dryers are a good option for most households due to their easy installation process.
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