Dryer Gas or Electric

[turboace]

Hi All,

I'm moving into a new house in North Carolina. My LG pair is staying behind in NJ; nearly 5 years and no problems with them. I have decided to get the TOL Electrolux washer and dryer. My new laundry room has both LP gas hookup as well as an electic line for the dryer. I'm pretty sure I am going to get the gas dryer, because over the long run, it should cost less to opperate. That is of course unless someone here has information that I should consider that would indicate I should get the electric dryer. What does everyone think?

 

[alr2903]

Get the gas, IMHO, electric dryers tumble along time before they get up to drying temp. Most noticeable with towels and jeans. Gas does not get hotter than electric, but gets hot FASTER. We have natural gas, and it's cheaper to use than electric. Maybe someone here has more info about the cost of Liquid Propane gas. alr2903

 

[travlincub321]

Gas all the way..I wish my asko was gas, for electric its not bad.. but the gas whirly is much better

 

[steve1-18]

I do prefer gas, but in Georgia natural gas is not as cheap as it once was. Bottled gas is probably going to be more expensive than the natural. Question is, what other appliances in the new house are running on propane?
One thing to consider, the gas dryer is designed for natural gas and will have to be modified for propane. That should not be a problem. Your gas supplier should be more than willing to supply the needed upgrades and may or may not install them. Also wondering whether "changing / upgrading" a new gas dryer will do anything to the warrantee.
After all is said, the operation cost really shouldn't be too different. Remember, the washer is going to extract a lot of the water from the laundry before it gets to the dryer so drying times are going to be short, either way.

Steve1-18

 

[iheartmaytag]

I think it comes down to preference

If you prefer a gas dryer and want one, get it. If you would rather have electric, get that one.

Remember the gas dryer will be more expensive to buy about $100 - $200. In my area it wouldn't be that much cheaper to operate. The electric is simpler with less to go wrong. My feelings are, and especially with Propane; that electric is safer--but that's my phobia so I won't transfer it to you.

In the end they will both dry about the same, so get what you prefer.

 

[jeffg]

Andy, propane has become outrageously expensive. Unlike natural gas, propane is a distilled petroleum product and its price follows the price of gasoline.

Our house is on a 150 gallon propane tank, and we use it for water and space heating, the oven/stove and a few other appliances. From fall to spring it gets refilled about once every five weeks, at a cost of around $500 per refill. Natural gas would cost 1/4 as much (or less), and a lot of people in our area are making their homebuying decisions based on whether a property is "on the grid" for natural gas.

 

[rll70sman]

Choose the gas option. Power rates are rising all around the country and will continue. This will make a gas dryer cheaper to run over the long haul. I wish my townhome had gas hookups for the stove and dryer. I have a natural gas furnace and water heater so go figure what Centex was thinking when it built the place.

 

[rayjay]

Hi Andy. Another Jersey guy here. So you are moving to NC? Where, my cousin moved a year ago to NC. I would say to check the propane rates out. As much as I like a gas dryer and I have one with natural gas, the electric may be less to operate.

 

[rp2813]

I vote for gas but can't say I'm with you on Electrolux, unless the big ticket machines you're going for are NOT re-packaged Affinities.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Electric is cleaner and safer. Propane MAY be cheaper.
Gas is generally considered to be the "greener" option, over electric.

If you line dry in summer and are interested in saving the heat and humidity in winter, electric will safely facilitate that.

Around here, the answer is simply get one of each. LOL Who has only ONE washer and/or dryer anyway?

 

[turboace]

Thanks everybody for all the advice. I'm going to go with the LP gas. I will be using LP for my new blue star gas cooktop, gas fire place and hot water. I know I have to order the LP conversion kit from Electrolux. I have propane in the house I live in now, we have a 1000 gallon underground tank and have been getting it for about 2.75 a gallon. We use it for everything.

My new house in Wilmington NC has a Rinnai Tankless Water Heater. I'm excited because I'll be living there alone and I travel a lot for work, so no more heating and keeping a whole tank of water hot all the time, only when I need it. Should save me a lot on propane. My new house is an Energy Star five star house. It is crazy insulated and efficiently built. I will be heeting with a 18 seer Carrier air to air heat pump. The builder told me that the plug in load actually takes more energy than the heating does. The house is guarenteed to use 30% less energy than a non-energy star house. dsd

On another note, are the electrolux washers direct drive like my LG washer is?

 

[easyspindry]

Be in touch . . .

. . . when you move. I live in Winston-Salem about 3 hours from Wilmington.

I have always had natural gas dryers with no complaints. Except right now I have a Duomatic that is electric.

Hope you enjoy NC. It's a beautiful state.

Jerry Gay

 

[toggleswitch2]

~The builder told me that the plug in load actually takes more energy than the heating does.

Please explain, I don't understand this.

 

[jeffg]

I think he means the power load from the blower.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Ok thanks.

 

[turboace]

Toggle,

The builder told me that the amount of electricity everything you plug in, lights, tv, transformers, fridge, freezer, etc, takes more energy than the HVAC does. It kind of makes sense to me in that, all those things are generating heat and if you have a super tight insulated house in a not so harsh climate, those plug in things all generate heat. We will see, move there in just under a month.

 

[surgilator_68]

If it's only a choice of propane or electric, I would pick electric. The last time I calculated the the cost of using a dryer run on propane it was much higher than electric. If it was natural gas it would be cheaper.