One of the big negotiating points during the purchase process was whether or not the house would come with the high efficiency washer/dryer set. The current owners really did not want to part ways with theirs, so I set out to buy a set over the New Years holiday. HHGreg was running a special on Frigidaire – they came with the pedestals for free, which were worth $400 bucks for the pair. I ended up getting everything for right around a thousand dollars.
As I was finalizing the order the salesman said, “Electric dryer, right?”. I was midly flustered and was unaware that there was even an option. Without really thinking I said yes…
My delivery date came and they showed up with the washer and dryer. The delivery man went to the basement and asked if I was going to have an electrician come out and install an outlet for the dryer. Now I was really confused. Apparently, gas is the other option – and that is what my house was setup for!
I asked the delivery guy which was more efficient – he said electric without missing a beat. Emily (my girlfriend) and my parents did some massive googling on it while I called the store. As it turns out, GAS IS MORE EFFICIENT. At times, it can be up to 50% better. I don’t blame the delivery guy for misleading me – he simply didn’t want to drive back.
HHGreg returned the next day with a gas dryer, but apparently I didn’t have a shutoff-valve close enough to the hookup and they were not authorized to do the work. One quick stop at homedepot – I picked up a gas line sealant and a shut-off valve. The installation is simple enough:
- Shutoff the gas to the area of pipe you are working on
- Remove the cap
- Line the inside of the shut-off valve with the sealant
- Twist the valve into place – use a wrench to make sure it is tight
- Connect the dryer line to the shut-off valve
- Turn the gas back on – if you smell gas turn it off and make sure your connections are tight.
Lesson Learned:
- There is a difference between a electric and gas dryer.
- Installing a shut-off valve is not to hard.
