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For what concerns gas dryers in general.....
That's also why some dealers started carrying asian Ultra-compact models from Rinnai, along with White knight machines from UK.
All dealers here typically started carrying US machines, and for most that dates back before the HE "craze" started in the US...what you had available were rear control classic machines, it's only recently that they started importing and having gas dryers with front panels, indeed meant to match front loaders and be stacked...operated with no probs.
Dealers of gas dryers are in costant growth...also thanks to their presence in fairs throughout Italy.
What stops many potential buyers is the impossibility to vent or a gas hook up...for the space issue they started offering those compact models...they're dear as well.
If one can is of course suggested to buy an american model...dealers are honest in this...and first ones saying there's no comparison...also mostly because what is also advertised is the fact that US dryers because of their bigger drums, will cut ironing...
You can read many reviews of people who are entuxhiast just about this aspect alone...and couldn't read one single negative one, some dealers were so sure of a positive response they would take their van come to your house offering a week-long trial for free.
Unfortunately as I stated not all and not even the most can have this "privilege", it's already a "privilige" being able to fit a dryer in this country..a big one, or one that requires nearby gas hook up or venting is something indeed "rare" to be able to have...just the venting aspect alone is what stopped many potential buyers in buying a dryer, back in the days of early italian dryers...and those who could, ended up rarely using the thing because of energy costs.
Rather surely the main reason why the condenser dryer took on for the most was indeed the impossibility for venting.
Gas dryers, being also something you don't typically find sold in your average appliance shop, makes of it of course an elite-appliance, as much as was owning a side-by-side refrigerator back in 80s and 90s...which you found indeed in dealers only, dealers who also offered US toploaders and gas dryers,sure not as common and as "much" as who now deals in gas dryers.
As you can understand, those who will purchase a US gas dryer, are folks who can afford it, and likely not having money issues more prone to have less space issues...
Me...I'm not particularly rich, got mine second hand from an unique circumstance...nor live in castle like house (for now)...what I did is fitting mine in my kitchen/living room, very next to sofa, would have gladly put it in the bathroom next to washer..but no hook up nearby...
When mom had our filter-flo shipped from US she also discussed getting a dryer...but the only place available is where mine is now,so we kept having the euro electric dryers...she refused categorically to have guests next to a dryer...me I simply don't give a rat's..and if it bothers you, then GTHO my house!
LOL But that's me.
I bless the day the Speed Queen entered in service in my home....and so does my neighbor after seing mine..she bought a set (her apt is double the size of mine)..and still thanks me now.