Dryer Buying Guide
Purchasing laundry appliances for your home can be a daunting task. Should you buy a gas dryer or electric dryer? How large of the capacity do you need? The dryers of today are bigger, bolder, more efficient, and offer more features than ever before. While all these incredible upgrades are time saving and convenient, they can also complicate your decision.
This buying guide is decided to help you select the best dryer to meet your laundry needs.
Selecting the Best Type of Dryer
Just as with any major appliance, there are several factors you need to consider before making your purchase, such as:
• your budget
• the dimensions of the allotted space your laundry area
• your utility bills
• the dryer features and settings that interest you
Gas VS. Electric
Your dryer uses the most amount of energy to operate efficiently, hands down, and this is true for both gas and electric dryers. However, there is a difference in how these appliances effect your energy bills.
Both gas and electric dryers use electricity to spin the drum, so you clothes stay in motion during the entire dry cycle. Electric dryers use electricity to power a fan that continuously blows hot air throughout the drum. Gas dryers use natural gas or propane to power the fan.
Gas dryers tend to heat up faster, and cost a little less to operate, however they do you cost you more when you make the initial purchase.
Capacity
If you are purchasing a matching washer and dryer set, this a no-brainer. You will simply choose the machines together so you know the two appliances will complement one another well.
If you are purchasing a standalone dryer, this is where things may become confusing. You need to make sure the dryer capacity is compatible with the size of your wash basket, so you not have to alter the size of your wash load each time you do laundry.
The standard full-size dryer capacity ranges from 5.8 cubic-feet to 8.4 cubic-feet. Compact dryers complement compact washers with a small capacity, usually around 3.4 cubic-feet to 3.6 cubic-feet.
When purchasing a dryer, you should use the 1:2 ratio. In other words, you dryer capacity should be twice as your wash basket capacity. This ratio ensures your wet clothes have plenty of room to dry thoroughly.
Controls and Features
For years and year drying have been good for one thing, drying your clothes. As consumers began demanding more from their home appliance to match their lifestyles. Today dryers meet the demands of busy consumers with a variety of features and functions.
Basic Features
Majority of dryers today still use a dial to select the dry cycle, plus a start and stop button so you can control the cycle with ease. That is not all, most dryers on the market today allow you select a precise dry time, along with the ideal heat setting for your load of laundry.
Most dryers offer a delay start function, so you can load the machine, and set a time to start the cycle when it is more convenient for your household. There is nothing better than pulling able to grab your clothes fresh out of the dryer before wrinkles can start to set in.
Steam
One of the most recent additions to home dryers is the innovative steam function. The steam cycles help remove odors from clothes, release wrinkles, sanitize pillows and stuffed animals without causing damage and more.
Drying Rack
Many modern dryers feature a handy drying rack. The drying rack is ideal for items that need a tumble free dry, such as sneakers, delicate fabrics, and stuffed animals.
Advanced Functions
Brand manufacturers did not forget the importance of enhancing your laundry appliances with modern technologies. Smart dryers feature intelligent features like:
• Sensor dry program
• Smart Diagnostic systems
• Touch-screen control panels
• Wrinkle-free fabric care
• Energy saving technologies
• And more
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