Why Buy a Gas Dryer When I Can Blow Up My House For Free?

By Bob Deakin

A gas-powered clothes dryer is a thing? How did I miss that? An electric dryer is scary enough with its heating element, moving parts, sketchy ventilation, and whatever a person throws in. So let’s power it with gas. It’s the 21st Century, right?

I looked up the price of dynamite to A/B the dryer versus explosives. Online information is scarce and it’s not a good look for my IP address. ATF agents haven’t shown up yet but if I get busted, back me up.

I'm not concerned about green energy, it's the suspense of pumping gas into a clothes dryer that fascinates me.

There Are 20 Million of Them

I stand corrected. Gas dryers are a thing. According to the American Gas Association and TraQline, roughly 20 percent of dryers purchased in the U.S. are natural gas or propane. 

Home Depot’s current best-seller is the LG Model DLGX4001B (7.4 Cu. Ft. Vented SMART Stackable Gas Dryer) for $948. Looks like any dryer except for the ticking time bomb on the back (gas intake lower right).

HD’s best-rated is the Maytag Model MYGD4500MW (7.0 cu. ft. Vented Gas Dryer) for $899. Whirlpool’s website features the Model WGD6720RR (7.4 cu. ft. Smart Front-Load ENERGY STAR® Gas Dryer with Steam Capabilities) for $998. Get one delivered today and hook it up yourself.

You’ll Pay Me to Use One?

In 2022, the California Energy Commission approved a building code to banning the use of gas-powered appliances by 2030. It is to “establish clean energy, clean air, and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals.” Gas dryers are already banned in new construction in L.A. and San Francisco.

What if you’re in California and you want a gas dryer? 

Move to Florida. 

The Florida Public Utilities offers a $200 rebate to switch from an electric to a natural gas dryer. 

“The average natural gas home emits 46 percent less carbon than its non-gas counterpart,” reads the FPU website. The ocean breezes provide stellar ventilation too.

Gas Dryer Health Hazards

According to Canary Media the health risks of gas appliances center on the chemical composition of the fuel, particularly methane in natural gas, “a powerful heat-trapping gas that’s partly responsible for climate change.”

Gas can become highly volatile through leaks or incomplete combustion, particularly if the dryer vent is clogged. The CDC states more than 400 people in the U.S. die each year of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning in their homes.

There’s also the explosion thing. According to a report from NBC’s Spotlight on America, 2023 was the deadliest year for gas-related home and building explosions since 2004, resulting in 23 fatalities. 

The blame often goes to old and corroded gas lines. Other causes include pipes damaged during construction, human error, and malfunctioning equipment.

What I Learned Today

Gas dryers exist and it isn’t the 1970s. I can buy one. Dynamite pricing is for experts. California prefers I avoid a gas dryer while Florida and Dateline NBC are quietly rooting for me. 

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Gas Dryer Market by Region:

1. North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico)

2. Europe (UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Austria, and the Rest of Europe)

3. Asia Pacific (China, South Korea, Japan, India, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Rest of APAC)

4. Middle East and Africa (South Africa, GCC, Egypt, Nigeria, and the Rest of ME&A)

5. South America (Brazil, Argentina Rest of South America)

Gas Dryer Market Key Players:

1. Whirlpool Corporation - United States

2. Maytag - United States

3. Frigidaire - United States

4. Transform SR Brands LLC (Kenmore) - United States

5. Speed Queen - United States

Courtesy Gas Dryer Market: Global Derivatives Categories Analysis and Forecast (2024 -2030)