We got a gas dryer mistakenly thinking we had a gas line.. we think this is it.. is it???
We got a gas dryer mistakenly thinking we had a gas line.. we think this is it.. is it???
Put a tray under it and open and shut it real fast. If water comes out, it's a water line. If you hear hissing and smell rotten eggs, it's a gas line. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
(Chances are you're not gonna blow yourself up with a fraction of a second's worth of gas leaking out, but for legal reasons this comment is a joke.)
56Is it copper? Then it is water.
Is it cast iron? Then it is gas.
If it is plastic, what color is it? Blue, cold water. Red, hot water. Yellow, gas. Orange, not for you to play with. Clear, white, grey? Fuck that guy who did that.
46Wait, you are buying equipment before you even know if it's even able to work.
Then you post a photo of some faucet on the internet instead of asking your landlord or whoever put this thing on the wall.
And you are about to put that rusty piece of 100 year old with paint on it into operation? When was it last checked? Is it tight? Are the pipes all right? Where's the counter when it's gas/water/whatever? Who is the provider?
44Wait, you are buying equipment before you even know if it's even able to work.
What part of "mistakenly" did you misunderstand?
9i wouldntve posted if i knew literally anything. and i promise u internet strangers have more intelligent things to say than my landlord.
4They didn't post hoping to get lambasted, they already admitted to the mistake. Take it easy.
3
If it's in your laundry area and you already know which ones are the water lines, there's a good chance it's the gas line. I'd try following it back to the source to see if it connects to the gas line, if you can.
Also, you should know that there's a difference between natural gas and liquefied propane or LP. They burn differently, and there will be major issues if you hook an appliance configured for LP up to natural gas and vice versa.
You'll know you have LP if you have a tank nearby, and if so you will probably need to modify the dryer for it. The installers should be able to do this for you for an extra fee. Natural gas is usually delivered by pipes in the ground, and most dryers are set up for that from the factory.
20most dryers
All dryers.
For near enough to every single model not to matter the LP conversion kit is sold separately, also. For Whirlpool and their subsidiaries (Maytag) in particular, their LP kit lineup recently changed just to make matters more confusing, and probably not all retailers are up to date on which model requires which kit. So have fun with that.
TL;DR: Your life will be much easier if your house is served by natural gas rather than propane.
5did not know the difference between gas and LP, thanks for this!!
2
TIL gas dryers exist
20Very common in the U.S. we have been marketed to for almost 100 years about gas appliances being better than electric. The common phrase "now you're cooking with gas!" Started as an ad on radio shows like Maxwell Coffee Hour, Jack Benny, Chase and Sanborn, Johnson Wax, and Bob Hope around 1940. Now it just means you're working hard/well, especially suddenly.
26Now it just means you’re working hard/well, especially suddenly.
eh, the more we learn about gas appliances the more I think it's gonna mean 'you're fine risking your children's respiratory ability so you can have a fancy stove'.
I mean, how much benzene comes out of an electric stove? none.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-health-risks-of-gas-stoves-explained/
7
They are so much better at drying than electric dryers. The gas heater dries out the air better so dries the clothes quicker. Electric just seems to make the clothes hot, but more humid. Depending on time of year and other factors they swing from a lot cheaper to operate, to eat more expensive. Not sure about the environmental impact of them though.
7Oh I don't doubt it. Gas stoves are pretty common in the UK and much quicker at getting up to heat than most electric. However, the last 10 or so places I've lived around Eurooe haven't even had gas connections, so I'm not sure its that common over here.
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The NIBCO(R) bronze ball valve provides ease of operation with quarter-turn (90 degrees) open to close. The two-piece valve is ideal for commercial and light industrial process applications that may include HVAC, hot and cold domestic water, low pressure steam, compressed air, LP gas and natural gas.
https://www.nibco.com/nibco-products/valves/ball-valves/t-580-a/
18very interesting, thanks for digging this up!!
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It almost certainly is a gas line.
Also, if your dryer were electric, the vast majority of full size residential dryers in the US are 240 volt machines and require a dedicated 240 volt, 30 amp NEMA 10-30 or 14-30 outlet on its own circuit, which has a socket face on it about the size of a baseball and is pretty tough to miss. If you don't have one of those in your laundry area, you ain't installing an electric dryer regardless.
9Unless of course they join the rest of the (non American) world and get a heat pump dryer. They use 1/4 the amount of electricity in operate off of a standard 120 volt socket. I absolutely love mine, the only thing that takes longer is really thick towels and even then it's only like maybe an extra 15-20 minutes.
I went with the miele option but I believe that LG also has an all-in-one washer and heat pump dryer combo that is supposedly getting decent reviews
10
That does indeed look like a gas line with shutoff valve.
6You could probably save money in the long run by purchasing a combo washer/dryer that dehumidifies the laundry and uses a heat pump. Watch for possible rebates starting next year.
5I've yet to read a positive review of a combo washer/dryer, but I've admittedly only done a little bit of research. What model would you recommend?
Heat pump water tanks are amazing, especially in warm climates - its like air conditioning, but instead of moving heat from inside your house to outside, it puts that heat into your hot water tank.
I've never seen a heat pump dryer IRL. They must be new technology, and that makes me wonder if existing models are reliable?
6If you're worried about the combination which to be fair honestly I also would be I can at the very least recommend the Miele heat pump dryer. At this point I've had mine for several years and also convinced three other people to get it and all of us love it. The only thing that takes a little bit longer is particularly thick towels and even then it's only maybe an extra 15 to 20 minutes.
When you first get it I promise you that you will think your laundry is not fully dry when it's done, but it is. Humans are actually really really bad at sensing moisture our brain estimates it based on temperature and a heat pump dryer uses dry air and condensation from the cold side to not need anywhere near as much heat which is how they are able to use 1/4 the amount of power of a standard electric.
This is way better for your clothes it's a lot gentler on them it'll help them last longer especially shirts with designs on them they won't become a cracked and damaged anywhere near as quickly. But it takes getting used to because it's not going to be anywhere near as hot as your brain is used to dry laundry being so it'll feel like it's slightly damp but if you simply take it out of the dryer and allow it to cool fully then it'll feel dry again because it's back to what you're used to for cooled down dry laundry.
A trick that my grandmother taught me because she would air dry laundry a lot and it has that same problem is to touch the laundry to your lips as your lips are significantly more sensitive than your hands and they will give you a better feeling for if it's actually wet or not
5I can't speak to combo washer/dryers, but heat pump dryers have been around for several years. We got an LG one a few years ago because our old one vented into the garage and there was no practical way to extend the vent outside.
We're very happy with it. It does take slightly longer to dry clothes, and the capacity is slightly smaller than our old electric one, but they're also gentler on clothes. We haven't had a single issue with it yet over the years.
3I don't know what conditions they rate them at, but the 2 I have used (vacation rentals) took twice as long as the screen says.
Maybe they rate them with a single sports jersey in Montana, but on the Carolina coast you're looking at 3 hours for a load.
2I considered getting a washer that dries but was NOT the heat pump type when I moved to Japan (where most people do not have dedicated clothes driers except in the more inclimate places). The reviews all turned me off. I've heard good things about heat pump driers in general, so I'll maybe consider things again when my current washer dies (hopefully no time soon).
2I haven’t bought one yet, but I’m planning to next year. There’s an LG and GE that have gotten decent reviews on Costco and occasionally go on sale there. Some models include a longer warranty. Samsung has one that pops open the door a bit when it’s finished to prevent front loading washer odor and to let out the last bit of humidity — but I’ve had bad experiences with Samsung in the past.
The advantage is you’re not pumping out as much heat in your home during the summer and the front loader uses less water. The disadvantage is it takes much longer to wash and dry the clothes (similar to how modern dishwashers taking longer to clean and dry).
Some of these still require a 240v drop and some run on a regular household outlet so you have to check the specs. They’ve evidently had them for a while in Europe.
I suggested it because if the gas line doesn’t work out for the OP, it might be another option.
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Ehhh that looks like a copper line coming down to the shut-off valve. I highly doubt it's gas. Just crack the valve open a little for a second or two and find out. I promise you won't blow up.
Edit: looked again and now I'm pretty sure it's black pipe with corrosion running down it (that I saw as copper at first glance). If it's black pipe then it's almost definitely a gas line.
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