this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2024
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I did not know gas powered dryers existed. Is that just super old or something?
I'm in southern California and I think most houses have gas hookups for driers, often with gas stoves and gas water heaters too.
They work well and just make a lot of sense. However, I think they tend to be more expensive than electric clothes dryers.
They were cheaper back in the day, but they're much more dangerous.
How so?
If the vent plugs up you're now having carbon monoxide inside your house, it uses a flame to heat, so more potential for fire. If something goes wrong you can have a gas leak. Electric is install it and forget about it, gas you have to watch it. That being said, I prefer gas, it's more efficient, just have a carbon monoxide detector in the room with the dryer and clean your vents regularly.
To be fair: Electric dryers are still very much a fire hazard, if they're not properly maintained. But a much smaller one.
I suppose the flame is a fair concern, but it's pretty well protected. I had to open up my Maytag to replace the solenoids a little while ago and I was satisfied with the safety of the design. The burner valves fail closed and don't open unless safe conditions are met.
Just clean yo stuff
Negative. I bought a new gas dryer ~8 years ago and did plenty of research at the time. Electric dryers are FAR more likely to cause a fire.
Your research must have changed, as did mine. They're equally likely to cause a fire, but with gas you have the additional concern of carbon monoxide and gas leaks.
Citation needed.
"LED flashlights are FAR more likely to cause fires than my trusty Tilley-lamp!"
I think someone doesn't understand conditional probabilities. It's as if you're arguing that cows are more dangerous as animals than sharks, because more people die to cows than sharks. This omits the fact that a lot more people interact with cows than sharks.
Just like if you look at stats on appliance fires. I wouldn't have even guessed that even in Hicksville USA, people still actually run gas appliances. D'you also have a gas fridge?
Other than camper vans from the 80's, I haven't even seen gas powered appliances. Even in the army in the 00's, we would use diesel-generators and then use electricity. Well aside from the stoves, which weren't gas either. Diesel burners.
But yeah I'd be interested to be proven wrong and have you prove that electric dryers are more likely to catch fire.
They are super common here in the midwest. I don't know anyone with an electric drier.
Is that midwest usa? They're news to me jn the Netherlands
Yes, midwest USA. We all have gas pipes into the house for heating. So it became the default for stoves, hot water heating and clothes dryers.
I've committed to not buying new gas appliances when the old stuff breaks. I switched to a heat pump water heater last year. I really want to get rid of my gas stove next.
There's gas here too, I just never thought of using it for a dryer. Personally I'd like to ditch has ASAP too
East coast USA, also in abundance here. A good deal of homes have all gas appliances.