Gas Tumble Dryers
With our long wet winters, autumn rains and wet springs we are relying much more on tumble dryers to dry our laundry.
The average tumble dryer is rated at 2.5 Kilowatts, that's more than most portable electric heaters, so it makes sense to save money by looking at cheaper options.
Gas Powered Eco 86AB logic tumble dryer
A gas tumble dryer is cheaper to run and more energy efficient than an electric one and will cost you at least 25% less to run than a standard electric model.
A gas tumble dryer also has the added bonus of reducing the build-up of static in the fabric.
They are greener too, with a 40% smaller CO2 footprint than a comparable electric tumble dryer.
A Calor Gas powered tumble dryer looks just like an electric one
How Do Gas tumble dryers work?
Like a gas oven or water heater a Gas tumble dryer has a pilot light which stays on, once you turn the dryer on the drum starts rotating and after about 30 seconds the pilot light ignites the gas burner.
As the clothes tumble around in the rotating drum hot air is sucked through the drum heating the clothes and the steam and waste air are vented out through a hose, exactly like in an electrically operated tumble dryer.
What about costs?
A gas tumble dryer will cost £50 - £100 more than a comparable electric model to buy, this will be offset by the reduced running costs.
An electric tumble dryer can use as much as 4 Kilowatts per hour while the more energy efficient gas tumble dryer uses only 300 to 400 watts per hour, it will also dry your clothes quicker and produce less static while doing so.
Does a gas tumble dryer need electricity to work?
Yes: Like an electric dryer, a gas tumble dryer uses an electric motor to rotate the drum.
The motor also drives a fan which draws hot air through the clothes and vents the waste air and steam, the timers and sensors are also electrically operated.
The electricity needed for this is minimal, most energy used in electric dryers is used to power the heating element.
Installing a gas tumble dryer:
If you are connected to the gas mains you can attach a natural gas-powered dryer to it
If you have an LPG system supplying your heating and/or cooker or you can connect a Calor Gas powered tumble dryer to your existing system.
You don't have to have either as a Calor gas powered tumble dryer can run off Calor gas bottles.
Like any other fixed gas powered appliance The Home Heating Shop advises using a gas safe registered engineer or engineer with LPG accreditation to fit your dryer, they will check if where you want to put it is suitable and has adequate ventilation.
Shoe drying Racks
How do I get a Gas Tumble Dryer?
Our recommended product pages have information on a range of natural gas and LPG tumble dryers available.
The models have a 7kg capability and come with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty. The LPG ones can be fueled by Calor gas bottles, or from storage tanks.