Pro tip: Picking between a gas dryer and an electric one back in 2019

I had to decide between a $450 gas dryer and a $380 electric one for my apartment in Denver, and I went with gas because the hookup was already there. It dried clothes in 30 minutes flat at first, but now the igniter keeps failing and I've already spent $200 on repairs over 4 years. Anyone else find that the cheaper upfront option actually ended up costing you less in the long run?

3 comments

3 Comments

nathan10011d ago

Disagree with the way you're framing this. The gas hookup was already there so you saved on installation costs right off the bat. My buddy went electric in a new build and paid $600 extra to have a 240V outlet put in. Plus gas dries way faster even with the occasional igniter issue. A couple hundred bucks in repairs over four years still beats paying higher utility bills every single month with electric.

taraross9d ago

Fair point. Never considered the install cost difference, that changes things.

blakestone10d ago

Hate to be the guy who disagrees but electric wins here long term. You paid $380 upfront and now you're down $200 in repairs on a gas unit that's only four years old. That's $580 total and the igniter is probably gonna fail again. My neighbor had a gas dryer for six years and spent almost $400 on replacement parts alone. Electric dryers just sit there and spin with a heating element that rarely breaks. Plus Denver's gas rates aren't exactly cheap these days with all the pipeline stuff going on. You're paying for speed upfront but bleeding money on maintenance later.