See also:
|
Clothes Dryers
 A clothes dryer is essentially a large bin
that tumbles clothes in a stream of hot air.
Lately, designer dryers have appeared, but
they offer little new for the basic electric
or gas models:
- Electric clothes dryers use household current
to produce drying heat. Unlike other appliances,
though, a clothes dryer requires a special
outlet for 220/240 volt operation. If you
do not have such an outlet where you plan
to use your dryer, you are best advised to
have one installed by a professional electrician.
Note that most dryers do not now come with
a power cord, so there is often an extra
charge to supply one and connect it to the
dryer on delivery; if you are even moderately
handy, it is a simply matter to attach the
cord and plug the appliance into its outlet.
- Gas clothes dryers use propane or natural
gas to heat and typically cost about fifty
dollars more than electric dryers. They may
quickly make up the difference in cost through
lower energy bills. Installation is generally
better left to professionals because of the
hazards of gas leaks. Gas dryers also require
an 120V electrical connection to supply power
to the motor and controls.
When it comes to features, there are a few
that you should consider:
- A moisture sensor is a substantial improvement
over a simple timer for drying clothes because
it eliminates the guesswork of how long it
will take the clothes to dry. Moisture sensors
automatically adjust the drying time to handle
the differences between large and small loads,
between loads of thin cotton sheets and soaked
towels, etc.
- Dried clothes left in the machine will wrinkle.
A feature that tumbles the clothes every
few minutes after drying in the event you
do not immediately empty the dryer will greatly
reduce wrinkling.
- If you wash large items like king size sheets,
blankets, or comforters often, consider the
largest capacity dryer that you can find.
The additional size is just slightly more
expensive and readily pays for itself by
reducing trips to the cleaners.
Finally, consider electronic
controls as
they can be easier to use than
mechanical
dials; however, they may add
quite a bit
to the price because they tend
to appear
on the high end models.
|
|
|
