There are a variety of electric clothes dryers to choose from, depending on your preferences and home's electrical system.
Switching from a gas dryer to an electric model is an important way to reduce your home's carbon pollution. Here's a summary of different dryer types available for different types of electrical circuits in your laundry room.
240-volt, 30-amp
This is the standard electrical circuit for electric dryers and will accommodate a range of options. If you have at least 100 amps of service to your home and running a new circuit is possible in your home, this is the best option for accommodating a range of clothes dryers and providing flexibility for you and future occupants.- Electric Resistance dryers are commonly used and offer a huge range of sizes and brands. They dry at speeds similar to what you would get with a gas dryer. You can check online reviews for recommendations on equipment that will meet your needs
- Condensing or Ventless dryers can offer more flexibility for installation because they don't need to vent hot damp air to the outside, but instead condense the water from your clothes and send it down the drain. They have longer dry cycles than electric resistance vented dryers, and you may need to split washing machine loads into two dryer cycles. (Bosch)
- Heat Pump dryers operate similarly to ventless dryers, but they use an efficient heat pump to generate the drying heat, resulting in lower operating costs. They can have even longer drying cycles. However, they are more gentle and can prolong the life of your clothes due to lower temperatures. (Samsung, Blomberg, Maytag)
120-volt, 15-amp
If you have limited electrical service capacity (less than 100 amps) or complications in running a 240-volt circuit to your laundry area, there are some 120-volt options. Bear in mind that the dryer should generally not share the same circuit as another large appliance like a washing machine. Drying times will generally be slower with 120-volt models than their 240-volt counterparts.- Electric Resistance (GE)
- Heat Pump (Miele)
- Combination Washer / Dryer units are a newer innovation in the American market. With a single machine, you put your clothes in dirty, and they come out clean and dry! Cycle times can run 3-4 hours, but you don't need to move your laundry between units! They also work as just a washing machine. This can be a great solution if you are open to changing your laundry habits, or if your washing machine needs replacing and you want to try out something new alongside your current dryer. (GE, LG)
Recommendations for all Dryers
- All driers take less time when paired with a modern front-loading washing machine whose spin cycle leaves the clothes relatively dry.
- Larger dryers (e.g., at least 6 cu. ft.) accommodate larger loads and/or dry the same size load faster. If you are looking for performance or logistics most similar to a gas dryer, we'd recommend a large dryer.