Posted by nope on June 23, 2003, 2:51 pm
BrianEWilliams wrote:
> I think I will drive my builder crazy and switch back to the gas
> option.
New construction? Bring _BOTH_ gas and electricity for the dryer into
the laundry room. Same near the stove. It's cheap and easy now, it's
expensive and difficult later.
- bryan
Posted by Christopher Green on June 23, 2003, 3:26 pm
sorry_no_email@yahoo.com (BrianEWilliams) wrote in message
> We are buying a new construction townhouse. Installing a gas line to
> the laundry area will be $100. A gas dryer cost $53 more than the
> same model in electric. I have seen headlines saying gas prices are
> going up. My question is this. Does anyone have a opinion on how
> long it will take me to save back my extra $153 in upfront costs for
> the gas dryer? Obviously this depends on the relative price of gas
> vs. electricity in the future which no one can predict, but opinions
> are welcome.
>
> Also, are there any maintenance issues with gas vs. electric dryers?
> This is the gas model we are thinking of getting:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/f0wi
Depends on how much use you are going to make of the dryer and what
utility rates are like in your area.
If you are in California, which has outrageous electric rates but
reasonably-priced natural gas, and you use your dryer a lot, the
payback may be a small number of months. If you have relatively cheap
electricity (for example, you are on public power in Washington), and
don't run your dryer that often, the balance may favor the electric.
Gas dryers are more finicky about how you plumb the exhaust and keep
it clean.
--
Chris Green
Posted by jeff on June 23, 2003, 3:32 pm
sorry_no_email@yahoo.com (BrianEWilliams) wrote in message
> We are buying a new construction townhouse. Installing a gas line to
> the laundry area will be $100. A gas dryer cost $53 more than the
> same model in electric. I have seen headlines saying gas prices are
> going up. My question is this. Does anyone have a opinion on how
> long it will take me to save back my extra $153 in upfront costs for
> the gas dryer? Obviously this depends on the relative price of gas
> vs. electricity in the future which no one can predict, but opinions
> are welcome.
>
> Also, are there any maintenance issues with gas vs. electric dryers?
> This is the gas model we are thinking of getting:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/f0wi
Hi,
Some gas dryer purchase tips...
http://www.appliance411.com/links/jump.cgi?IDB5
Some consumer opinions...
http://www.epinions.com/hmgd-Large_Appliances-All-Dryers-Gas
> Also, are there any maintenance issues with gas vs. electric dryers?
Not really, same as electric...clean venting every year, clean our
dryer every 3-5 years. Venting shoudl be metal for a gas dryer as
well.
jeff.
Appliance Repair Aid
http://www.applianceaid.com/
Posted by DaveG on June 23, 2003, 6:49 pm
Interesting that your builder is charging extra for the gas line. Is he
including a circuit for an electric dryer in for free? I've been offered
one or the other at no charge with the 2 houses I've had built. The person
who suggested putting in both had a pretty good suggestion. Relatively
inexpensive, when you consider the price of your townhouse, the monthly
payment you make will change by only pennies, probably.
Keep in mind that if gas prices go up, electric rates may rise right along
with them. Many utilities burn natural gas to generate electricity. Some
may switch to another fuel if they can, but that fuel would likely rise as
well.
That said, when we switched from an electric dryer to natural gas a decade
ago, we noticed a several dollar per month drop in our electric bill. Maybe
$75 per year. We did not notice much of an increase at all in our gas bill.
So call it maybe $65 per year, so total payback in less than 3 years. Your
results will vary based on the utility rates in your area. In this area,
electricity is relatively inexpensive $0.07 per kwh. and gas is about 77
per therm.
I've had to replace one timer on my electric dryer in the 5 years I've owned
it (Kenmore)
In the 12 years I've owned 2 gas dryers, both Maytags, no repairs needed.
Hardly representative, I know, but that's my experience.
HTH
Dave
> We are buying a new construction townhouse. Installing a gas line to
> the laundry area will be $100. A gas dryer cost $53 more than the
> same model in electric. I have seen headlines saying gas prices are
> going up. My question is this. Does anyone have a opinion on how
> long it will take me to save back my extra $153 in upfront costs for
> the gas dryer? Obviously this depends on the relative price of gas
> vs. electricity in the future which no one can predict, but opinions
> are welcome.
> Also, are there any maintenance issues with gas vs. electric dryers?
> This is the gas model we are thinking of getting:
Posted by Eastward Bound on June 24, 2003, 2:02 am
The Advantage of a house with all electric appliances instead of gas
is that you don't have to run natural gas lines through the home.
For those of you who are safety oriented this can be important if you
are concerned about gas building up inside the house and a huge
explosion leveling the whole property afterwards. Some apartments and
condos don't have any gas at all in the for that very same reason
because the risk is greater.
If not in explosion then the residents can get gassed out and killed
while they are sleeping. There was a time long ago when lighting
fixtures were not electric but has gas coming through them and burned
gas to create light. I don't think it's even documented how many
people died from being gassed out from the gas itself or from the
buildup or carbon dioxide or from being burned.
For those of you who live in earthquake country your better off not
having gas if you want to be safe. This is why it is mandatory to
know exactly where is the main gas shut off valve for your house so
that you can immediately secure your residence by getting a wrench and
turning the valve closed so that your house won't explode.
There is one other thing, I don't know if Gas lines can freeze up the
way water lines do. You can't know everything and I wish somebody
would pitch in on the matter.
Scour the Internet for the situation where a gas main exploded and
burned a whole community somewhere in California. There was a
situation once where a train derailed at a bedroom community. Two
houses were leveled I believe because they were by the tracks that was
a sharp turn. (stupid place to build a house in my opinion) Silently
underground there was a serious problem being a fracture in the main
gas line. Days later after the train derailment the line burst and
gas was shot up hundreds of feet into the air. Minutes later the
worst imaginable had happened once all of that fuel ignited. It was
such a great tragedy indeed and I still remember watching it on a
documentary as if it were only yesterday. Some of those poor people
who were still alive to talk about it, it was tragic.
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> option.