How much power does a gas dryer use.

oil pan 4 · 04-28-17, 07:03 PM

I finally picked up a natural gas dryer.
It's going to be my new outside dryer.
My old electric scrap yard find outside dryer has served me well and will be given to a needy good home.

The natural gas dryer is using a consistent 650 volt amps. Remember generators and power inverters only care about volt amps.
So your electrical power consumption is 650 volt amps times how ever long the dryer is ran for. So after 1 hour it will use about 0.65kwh.
That's nearly 1/10 the electrical power you would expect an electrical dryer to use.

From a cost stand point running this dryer will cost about 5 to 10 cents worth of power. An electrical dryer uses up to $1 each cycle. Gas use, if it runs 25,000btus of gas for an hour that's only about 12 cents worth of natural gas, if gas is sold by the 1,000,000btu and 1Mbtu costs $5.
With propane your gas dryer will use between 0.5 and 1 pounds of propane per hour if my assumptions are correct.

From an over all efficiency stand point burning the natural gas for heating at the point of use is up to 3 times the efficiency of turning the gas into electrical power, transmitting it to the point of use for heat.

pinballlooking · 04-29-17, 08:51 AM

Keep in mind it will not use gas the whole time. It heats turns the gas off cools off some then heats back up.

oil pan 4 · 04-29-17, 10:48 AM

Based in the size of the burner I'm guessing it burns gas at a rate of 30,000 to 35,000 btu per hour.
25,000 was my average guess based on what I could find on gas dryers.

oil pan 4 · 05-21-17, 02:08 PM

On startup when the burner ignition coil is going it draws about 1kVA. For only for about 30 seconds. Then drops back to 660VA and 280 watts or so.
The power factor is .44 so I'm thinking this could be a good candidate for power factor correction since it's just motors and solenoids.

Remember go by Volt Amps that's all generators and inverters care about.
Volt Amps are the load applied to the power generator, watts are what actually gets the work done.

Big James · 08-02-17, 12:21 AM

Very interesting topic. I have a question related to this.
How do you fix a gas dryer that has no heat? Because i am facing this kind of problem with my existing gas dryer. Can anyone suggest?
R/ Big James

jeff5may · 08-02-17, 11:16 PM

Top 5 reasons:

1. Blown thermal fuse or high-limit switch
2. Defective gas valve solenoid
3. Bad igniter
4. Faulty flame sensor
5. Inoperative cycling thermostat

All of these components can be found for less than $20 each, the most common (thermal fuse) for less than $5. Nearly all home appliances come with a "tech sheet" hidden inside the cover somewhere. It is indeed a treasure map for servicemen: secret menus and diagnostic procedures are described within, as well as part numbers for high failure parts. Makes a repair job much easier.

oil pan 4 · 08-06-17, 05:41 AM

Mine quit working shortly after my last post. Only took an hour or so to isolate the problem.
Mine had a bad gas solenoid. A $3.50 part.
They are actually very simple and almost all use a gas system made the same way.

cjacob · 09-20-17, 04:49 AM

A gas dryer typically uses between 20,000 and 25,000 BTU (or .2 to .25 therms) per hour, while an electric dryer typically uses between five and seven kilowatts per hour (kWh).

oil pan 4 · 10-13-17, 03:02 PM

I am moving and when I take my dryer with me I am going to convert it over to LPG, because I do not want to hook up natural gas. Because of the local coop surcharge, not because I think hydraulic fracturingis bad or anything like that.
I will probably hook this dryer up to its own 40lb LPG tank and use it only during the warmer months.
Since dryers are inefficient I will help this one by:
1 putting it out in the garage, so it's not sucking up air conditioned air, just to heat it up, blow it out side then draw in hot outside air into the house.
2 LPG is expensive so I will likely help my dryer by drawing hot air from the top of the inside of garage's roof.

I have scales to know how much LPG each load uses. I would like to to a before and after comparison of the hot air intake. And a winter versus summer comparison.

The electric dryer will be used in the winter and just vented into the house.

NiHaoMike · 10-13-17, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

I am moving and when I take my dryer with me I am going to convert it over to LPG, because I do not want to hook up natural gas. Because of the local coop surcharge, not because I think hydraulic fracturingis bad or anything like that.
I will probably hook this dryer up to its own 40lb LPG tank and use it only during the warmer months.
Since dryers are inefficient I will help this one by:
1 putting it out in the garage, so it's not sucking up air conditioned air, just to heat it up, blow it out side then draw in hot outside air into the house.
2 LPG is expensive so I will likely help my dryer by drawing hot air from the top of the inside of garage's roof.

I have scales to know how much LPG each load uses. I would like to to a before and after comparison of the hot air intake. And a winter versus summer comparison.

The electric dryer will be used in the winter and just vented into the house.

Sounds like a heat pump dryer would be a better fit for you.

04-28-17, 07:03 PM	#1
oil pan 4 Land owner Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NM Posts: 1,026 Thanks: 12 Thanked 127 Times in 107 Posts	How much power does a gas dryer use. I finally picked up a natural gas dryer. It's going to be my new outside dryer. My old electric scrap yard find outside dryer has served me well and will be given to a needy good home. The natural gas dryer is using a consistent 650 volt amps. Remember generators and power inverters only care about volt amps. So your electrical power consumption is 650 volt amps times how ever long the dryer is ran for. So after 1 hour it will use about 0.65kwh. That's nearly 1/10 the electrical power you would expect an electrical dryer to use. From a cost stand point running this dryer will cost about 5 to 10 cents worth of power. An electrical dryer uses up to $1 each cycle. Gas use, if it runs 25,000btus of gas for an hour that's only about 12 cents worth of natural gas, if gas is sold by the 1,000,000btu and 1Mbtu costs $5. With propane your gas dryer will use between 0.5 and 1 pounds of propane per hour if my assumptions are correct. From an over all efficiency stand point burning the natural gas for heating at the point of use is up to 3 times the efficiency of turning the gas into electrical power, transmitting it to the point of use for heat. Last edited by oil pan 4; 05-21-17 at 02:11 PM..

04-29-17, 08:51 AM	#2
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	Keep in mind it will not use gas the whole time. It heats turns the gas off cools off some then heats back up. __________________ Current project Aquaponics system , Passive Solar Greenhouse build To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Solar Install 12.5 Kwh- To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Mini Split installs - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. EV Chevy Volt - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

04-29-17, 10:48 AM	#3
oil pan 4 Land owner Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NM Posts: 1,026 Thanks: 12 Thanked 127 Times in 107 Posts	Based in the size of the burner I'm guessing it burns gas at a rate of 30,000 to 35,000 btu per hour. 25,000 was my average guess based on what I could find on gas dryers.

05-21-17, 02:08 PM	#4
oil pan 4 Land owner Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NM Posts: 1,026 Thanks: 12 Thanked 127 Times in 107 Posts	On startup when the burner ignition coil is going it draws about 1kVA. For only for about 30 seconds. Then drops back to 660VA and 280 watts or so. The power factor is .44 so I'm thinking this could be a good candidate for power factor correction since it's just motors and solenoids. Remember go by Volt Amps that's all generators and inverters care about. Volt Amps are the load applied to the power generator, watts are what actually gets the work done.

08-02-17, 12:21 AM	#5
Big James Lurking Renovator Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: USA Posts: 5 Thanks: 4 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Very interesting topic. I have a question related to this. How do you fix a gas dryer that has no heat? Because i am facing this kind of problem with my existing gas dryer. Can anyone suggest? R/ Big James

08-02-17, 11:16 PM	#6
jeff5may Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: elizabethtown, ky, USA Posts: 2,431 Thanks: 431 Thanked 619 Times in 517 Posts	Top 5 reasons: 1. Blown thermal fuse or high-limit switch 2. Defective gas valve solenoid 3. Bad igniter 4. Faulty flame sensor 5. Inoperative cycling thermostat All of these components can be found for less than $20 each, the most common (thermal fuse) for less than $5. Nearly all home appliances come with a "tech sheet" hidden inside the cover somewhere. It is indeed a treasure map for servicemen: secret menus and diagnostic procedures are described within, as well as part numbers for high failure parts. Makes a repair job much easier.

08-06-17, 05:41 AM	#7
oil pan 4 Land owner Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NM Posts: 1,026 Thanks: 12 Thanked 127 Times in 107 Posts	Mine quit working shortly after my last post. Only took an hour or so to isolate the problem. Mine had a bad gas solenoid. A $3.50 part. They are actually very simple and almost all use a gas system made the same way.

09-20-17, 04:49 AM	#8
cjacob Lurking Renovator Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Noida Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	A gas dryer typically uses between 20,000 and 25,000 BTU (or .2 to .25 therms) per hour, while an electric dryer typically uses between five and seven kilowatts per hour (kWh).

10-13-17, 03:02 PM	#9
oil pan 4 Land owner Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NM Posts: 1,026 Thanks: 12 Thanked 127 Times in 107 Posts	I am moving and when I take my dryer with me I am going to convert it over to LPG, because I do not want to hook up natural gas. Because of the local coop surcharge, not because I think hydraulic fracturingis bad or anything like that. I will probably hook this dryer up to its own 40lb LPG tank and use it only during the warmer months. Since dryers are inefficient I will help this one by: 1 putting it out in the garage, so it's not sucking up air conditioned air, just to heat it up, blow it out side then draw in hot outside air into the house. 2 LPG is expensive so I will likely help my dryer by drawing hot air from the top of the inside of garage's roof. I have scales to know how much LPG each load uses. I would like to to a before and after comparison of the hot air intake. And a winter versus summer comparison. The electric dryer will be used in the winter and just vented into the house.