Evening star., 1951-10-08
CLOTHES DRYERS.

plcdCIl, DuI 10 no aVall.
X X X
CLOTHES DRYERS.
Fron, Mrs. D. W. S., Washington.
Either gas or electric dryers
will dry clothes. The question is
which is best for you? We have
an electric dryer because we ex.
pect eventually to use it in a 10.
cation where gas will not be avail.
able.
In this area we use gas to heat
water and heat houses because II
is cheaper than electricity: there
fore, it is reasonably safe to as
sumo that gas is cheaper to use to
dry clothes. However, you can
get figures on how much electricity
and gas are required to operate
the dryer you have in mind and
the relative costs that can be cal
culated. We were already using
enough electricity so that the ad-
ditional current required by the
dryer is costing approximately five
and a half cents per hour. The
number of hours you will use the
dryer will depend on the size of
your washing and how dry you
are able to get your clothes be-
fore you put them IN the dryer. A
good automatic washer will get
them much dryer than a wringer.
The question Of whether to use
gas or electricity will also depend
in part on how convenient the
location of your dryer is to the
source Of supply. although the
difference in cost of installation
is not likely to be great enough
to be q factor.
In order to get maximum ef-
ficiency from an electric dryer one
built to use 220-volt current
should be selected. This is the
same current as is used in electric
ranges and requires special wir-
ing. Models using 10 volts, which
can be connected to the house
lighting circuits, are available but
they have a much slower driving
action.
As to the question Of using a
dryer in your kitchen, suggest
that you think the matter over
carefully. It isn't a question of
type Of dryer, but Of the amount
of heat and moisture resulting
from the drying process. Would
you care to hang your wash in
the kitchen to dry? Remember
that you want to get rid of quite
a lot Of water rather rapidly. Per-
haps it would be a good idea for
you to weigh your clothes as they
come from the water and each
pound difference will be equal to-
a pint of water which will have
to disposed Of. Would you want
to evaporate that much water
from an open kettle on your
stove? Could you dispose of that
much moisture and heat in the
summer and keep your kitchen
from getting too hot, and can
you dispose Of that much mois-
ture in the winter without having
the kitchen get too cold? In manyl
Kitchens that much moisture inl
the air would cause condensation
on the walls. My suggestion is
If you possibly can locate YOUR
dryer where you can blow thel
moist. hot air outdoors, you will
find it more satisfactory. In that
case. too. you will not have to
bother with lint clogging the OUT
let. Dryers are built so that al
4-inch galvanized iron pipe cam
be attached to carry of the hot
moist air.
Another suggestion is to get a.
dryer with an ultra violet light
which has some disinfectins and
freshening action, although this
may add somewhat to the cost
Of installation. One thing is Ger
tain, II you can locate your dryer
where it will not cause you trouble
from the moisture and heat given
of. 1t will give you great deal
Of Satisfacti0n.