Gas dryers are way better than electric dryers in the sense that they are comparatively affordable over the long run.
Also, gas dryers prevent the clothes from getting wrinkled. People usually prefer gas dryers over the electric one.
With that said, before purchasing one people want to know if there is a pilot light in it or not. If it has, how can someone light it up?
You will find the answer to this question and many more in this article.
Stay with me to the end to get more insight on gas dryers.
Do Gas Dryers have a Pilot Light?
Dryers with manual pilot lights are not common. It was a long time ago when gas dryers used to come with pilot light. Now they have electric ignition which lights the burner.
There is no pilot light in your dryer if you are using a new model. You will only find the electric ignition system.
However, if you found some really old model of a gas dryer, then there is a possibility of having a pilot light in it.
In order to locate the pilot, you need to follow the main gas line from the base of your dryer. You will find the gas valve right where the gas line was.
To locate the pilot light, remove the front panel and have a look on the inside.
How to Light the Gas Pilot Light on a Gas Dryer?
You will see a sort of large red knob on the front of the gas valve, this is the gas control. The knob contains three positions, along with that you will see a marker.
Whichever position the marker points, indicates that position. You will need to begin with turning the knob to the ‘off’ position. This step is necessary as it will clear out the residual gas in the pilot tube and the gas burner.
After that, you are going to begin the lightning process. Make sure to have a lighter or a match sticks prepared by your side.
With one hand you need to turn the knob to ‘pilot’ position and then press it. Keep holding it while you are going to light up the pilot orifice.
Remove the heat once the pilot is light. Make sure you are still holding the knob. This basically gives it the time to heat up.
After 30 seconds release the knob and set it to ‘ON’ position. The dryer is ready, and now you can use it.
Why Can’t I Light my Pilot?
Before lighting up the pilot, make sure that you have turned on the main gas supply. If in case it is not ON, the pilot will not light up.
Another reason could be the blockage of the pilot tube. You can get rid of it by cleaning the tube after disassembling it. It can usually be cleansed by using compressed air.
Sometimes, it happens that you release the knob right after lighting the pilot. As a result, the flame won’t stay lit. Therefore, you need to hold the knob for at least 30 seconds.
In other cases, no matter how long you hold the knob, it never gets lit. This might occur due to a problem in the thermocouple.
Sometimes the problem is small, and can be overcome by just repositioning the thermocouple. If this doesn’t work, then you have to change the thermocouple.
How Long Does the Flame Stay On in a Gas Dryer?
How long does the flame stay on depends upon the gas dryer you are using. As we have discussed it earlier that dryers with manual pilot light are not common these days.
In fact, these gas dryers are not being manufactured. Nowadays gas dryers with electric ignition are very in.
While talking about those old-style manual pilot light gas dryers, they burn continuously even if the dryer is not in use.
However, the modern-day electric ignition dryer does not burn continuously. The flame gets off after a while. It continues to produce heat and consume energy when you are not using the dryer.
We all know that the burner bar is used by the gas dryer, which is exactly like the one used in the stove. Basically, this burner is made of two rows of holes.
Through these holes, the flame passes. How long the flame will continue to pass through these holes depends upon the type of your gas dryer.
This burner burns throughout the process of drying. It continues to cycle on and off in order to balance the preset temperature.
This flow of flame is actually controlled by a solenoid valve which is in turn controlled by a thermostat.
Why Should I have a Gas Dryer?
Gas dryers are cheaper when compared to an electric dryer in the long run. Also, gas appliances don’t get to wear out quickly. They are also great in the sense that gas dryers are hotter and dry the clothes efficiently.
They absorb the moisture from the clothes quite well and doesn’t leave any wrinkle behind.
However, there are also some downsides of it. The major one includes safety hazards. Gas dryers should be used more carefully.
You should always be mindful about the gas pipes. Look for gas leakages if there is any it might cause fire or even poisoning.
Also, while running, these gas dryers produces carbon monoxide. Proper installation of gas dryer and a carbon monoxide detector can reduce the hazards to a really good extent.
Conclusion
For the question, do gas dryers have a pilot light? The answer is simple.
Modern-day gas dryers do not have a pilot light, they can be turned ‘ON’ by electric ignition. The pilot light was found in those old-fashioned gas dryers.
If you seem to interact with a pilot light gas dryer, you do not need to panic. It is really easy to turn the flame ON. You just need to follow some simple steps, which are usually mentioned on the gas dryers as well.
I hope this article answered the questions you were looking for. Thank you for sticking with me.
