The most important things to consider when purchasing a dryer are the following:
Do I need a gas or electric clothes dryer?
What capacity will best suit my needs?
What is the dryer’s efficiency?
Do I want a model that can steam?
Where will I vent my unit?

Determine if you need a gas or electric dryer. The simplest way to tell is to look at the plug going into your current unit. If it is a standard plug like the one below, you have a gas dryer. You only use electricity to ignite the dryer and run the motor. The clothes are dried with the drum heated by natural gas.

Standard dryers are larger than they used to be thanks to front loading washing machines with a large capacity. Your dryer should be large enough to accommodate the load coming from your washer.  An average dryer can have a capacity of 7.0 cubic ft. or larger.

Most people over dry their clothes. Eliminate over-drying with an optional feature called sensor drying. It monitors the ambient moisture in the drum. When the dryer stops extracting moisture, the unit shuts off.

Steam is a popular option for dryers; it can assist in refreshing or getting rid of wrinkles in clothes. Either an additional waterline run at time of installation or a built-in water reservoir produces the steam. While steam dryers cost more than a standard dryer, they can be used in lieu dry cleaning when clothes need to be refreshed rather than cleaned. 

For the most part dryers vent outside of the home. For some apartment and condominium dwellers another option is necessary. Condensation drying is the best option for dryers that can’t vent outside. Extracted water (condensation) collects in a bucket connected to a tube on the outside of the dryer.

Some dryers add a feature that turns on the heat and tumble once the cycle has ended to keep the clothes inside from wrinkling.  Some machines have an optional feature that cools down while continuing to tumble the clothes, reducing wrinkles.

A dryer rack can be added for heavy or bulky items that should not tumble (i.e. sweaters or tennis shoes). For additional help contact Abt Electronics’, award winning sales staff at 888-228-5800.  

Lint filter: Higher-end models have sensors to warn users when the lint filter is blocked. Be sure to vent the dryer properly and clean the lint filter regularly to avoid a risk of fire.

Noise level: Choose a quiet machine if your dryer will be in or near a living area. Some newer models have additional insulation and reinforced frames to reduce operating noise.

Temperature settings: Different fabrics require different drying times and temperatures. When washed and dried according to manufacturer standards, clothes will look newer longer and have fewer wrinkles. Most machines offer cotton, permanent press settings, more dry and less dry options. Choose a dryer with settings that meet your needs.

AccuDry™: A redesigned circuit board and ceramic thermostat enhance the accuracy of dry cycle termination. AccuDry precisely measures moisture and temperature to turn off the dryer when clothes are dry, helping to prevent overdrying, shrinking and fabric damage.

Air Fluff Cycle: Room temperature air is used to fluff up items like pillows and comforters. No extra heat is added during this cycle.

Adjustable end-of-cycle signal volume: This signal can be adjusted for volume, or turned off.

Auto-dry: With automatic drying cycle the thermostat in the dryer controls both the heat source (heater coils or gas valve) and the timer advancement. Moisture in the clothes keeps the temperature down; therefore, the heat stays on, and the timer does not advance. As the clothes dry, the air temperature rises until the thermostat shuts off heat and the timer advances.

Axial-Air Flow: GE's drying system. Air is pulled into the cabinet from the rear and drawn up across the heaters located behind the drum. The hot air is pulled through the rear of the drum, across the clothes load, through the lint filter and down the trap directly into the blower. From the blower the air is pushed out the exhaust system.

Capacity: The size of the drum determines the amount of clothes you can dry at one time. The larger the drum capacity the more clothes that can be dried.

Clean Touch™ Controls: Smooth, easy-to-use touch pads offer simple temperature and option selections with a fast-cleaning design.

Compact Capacity: 5.9 cu. ft. capacity.

ColorLogic 2000: Match the color on the timer with the color above the fabric type. No guessing about the proper fabric care.

Control Type: Rotary controls are easier to use initially. But touchpad controls allow you to program settings by simply punching them in.

Damp Dry Cycle: Found on Maytag dryers. Designed to partially dry laundry. It provides 20 minutes of heated tumbling and 5 minutes of cool-down tumbling without heat.

Drum Light: Illuminates the inside of the dryer drum so you can easily see inside.

Dryel cycle: Preprogrammed 30-minute cycle to be used with the Dryel home dry-cleaning product.

Drying Rack: Can be used to dry tennis shoes without noise or wear. Delicate items that should not be tumbled can also be dried on the rack.

Dry-Miser®: Choose from less dry to very dry and the automatic cycle senses exhaust air temperature and shuts the dryer off when the selected dryness is reached.

Dryness Monitor: The moisture monitor lets you know how much moisture is left in the clothes. The monitor blinks whenever the moisture sensor in the dryer detects moisture in the clothes.

Dura Cushion Drum: The thick polyester powder-coated finish found on Maytag dryers.

DURAWHITE Interior: Found on Whirlpool dryers. The durable drum finish is smooth against your clothes and resists scratching and chipping. The bright, white color provides good visibility inside the dryer.

Electronic Dry: A sensor is located inside the dryer drum to "touch" the clothes as they pass by. When the sensor no longer detects moisture, the dryer completes a cool before shutting down.

End of Cycle Signal: A buzzer sounds when the dryer reaches the end of a cycle.

Extended Tumbling: If you don't remove the clothes after the cycle ends, the drum will continue to spin to prevent wrinkling.

Extra Care cycle: Found on GE dryers, this feature provides approximately 15 minutes of no-heat tumbling after the clothes are dry.

Extended Tumble: This feature keeps the drum tumbling without heat after the drying cycle has ended, to prevent wrinkles from setting in. It's useful if you can't remove the clothes right after the cycle ends.

Extra-Large Capacity: 5.9 cu. ft. capacity.

Four-Way Venting: The dryer vent can be installed out the back, sides or bottom of the dryer.

Front Serviceability: Front panel is removable for access to dryer components.

Gentle Heat System: Provides soft, gentle heat that will not damage clothing.

Lint Filter Location: Top-mounted filters are generally easier to reach and clean. Filters located inside the door are less convenient. Remember to check and clean the filter before every load.

Infinite Temperature Setting: This type of setting allows you to choose a high, medium or low temperature setting, or any temperature in between.

IntelliDry: The name for Maytag's drying system. Electronically senses the moisture in the laundry and shuts off when the selected dryness level is reached.

Interior Light: An interior light in the dryer tub helps you spot those hard-to-find items.

Low Temperature for Delicates: This feature offers a lower temperature inside the drum, and ideally remains below 140 degrees, to reduce damage to synthetic delicates.

Lint Filter: A fine mesh device that removes lint from the air stream before the air exits the dryer.

Moisture Monitor: A light that lets you know how much misture is left in the clothes.

Precision Dry (Frigidaire's drying system): The heated air is drawn through a series of openings at the back of the drum and passes through the tumbling clothes before exiting out the front. The heated, moist air and lint exit the drum through the holes in the inner door panel. The lint is deposited into the basket-shaped lint filter located in front of the drum. The filter prevents the lint from being forced into the exhaust system.

Press Care: Found on Maytag dryers, this feature helps prevent wrinkling by allowing the clothes to tumble in a stream of unheated air for a period of time following the Easy Care/Permanent Press cycle. A buzzer will sound every 5 minutes for 30 minutes to let you know the clothes are dry.

Press Saver: Found on Frigidaire dryers. After the permanent press cycle, this cycle helps prevent wrinkles by tumbling clothes for up to 40 minutes heat-free. A signal sounds every 5 minutes during cool-down as a reminder to remove the load.

Quiet by Design: GE dryers are designed to operate quietly.

Quiet Pack: Maytag's basic sound insulation package. It contains 36 square inches of sound dampening material.

Quiet Package I: Found on GE dryers. Extra sound-deadening material is added to the dryer door and top.

Quiet Package II: Found on GE dryers. Extra sound-deadening material is added around the motor, blower and sides of the dryer.

Quiet Plus: Found on Maytag dryers, extra insulation has been added around the dryer door. These models have 72 square inches of sound-deadening material.

Quiet Plus II: Maytag's quietest insulation package with a total of 292 square inches of sound-deadening material. Sound-deadening material has been added on the top, sides and front of the machine for quiet operation.

Reversible Door: The door can be mounted to open from either the left or the right side depending on your needs.

Selector Switch: A rotary or push button device used to select temperatures and other options to better customize the drying cycle.

Senseon Drying System: Dries clothes in the same time it takes to wash.

Sound Insulation: Provides for quieter operation. This is important if you have the laundry set on the main floor.

Stackable: You can save space by placing the dryer on top of a suitable washer. A special kit is sometimes required to mount the dryer on top of the washer. Also, please note that if you purchase a stackable washer and dryer, you will need a 220 volt line if the dryer is an electric model, along with a standard 110 volt line for the washer. If the dryer is a gas model, both the washer and dryer use a 110 volt line.

Stainless Steel Drum: A stainless steel drum is likely to resist damage better than plastic and porcelain versions.

Super Capacity: 6.5 cu. ft. capacity.

Super Capacity Plus: 7.0 cu. ft. capacity.

Temperature: Different temperatures are used to dry different types of clothes. You can choose the appropriate heat level.

• High - Fast, efficient drying for cotton, denims and towels.
  
• Medium - Optimal temperature for permanent press fabrics.
  
• Low - Safely and efficiently dries knits and other delicate fabrics.
  

Time dry: The simplest drying method, timed drying cycles count down like a timer to approximate accurate dryness for the fabric type selected. With this type of drying, the machine runs for exactly the amount of time for which it is set. It allows the user to determine the length of time they feel the dryer should run in order to dry the load.

Top-Mounted Lint Screen: Located on the top of the dryer for ease of removal and cleaning.

Tumble Press®: Provides 10 to 15 minutes of tumbling at a selected temperature followed by 10 to 15 minutes tumbling at room temperature to remove wrinkles from items left in a suitcase or laundry basket.

Type (Gas or Electric): We expect gas and electric models to perform similarly, based on previous tests. Please note that if you purchase an electric dryer, you will need a 220 volt line. Gas dryers use the standard 110 volt line found in most homes.

ULTIMATE CARE: Whirlpool ULTIMATE CARE dryers include features designed to extend the life of fabrics. Clothing has more room to tumble and spread out inside the 7.0 cubic foot dryer drum. Also has the electronic DRY-MISER which ends the cycle when the selected level of dryness is reached.

Wide-Opening Hamper Door: Wide-opening hamper doors allow easy access and drop down and lie flat to make a handy folding surface.

Wrinkle Rid: Found on White-Westinghouse dryers. This feature operates at the end of the permanent press cycle and helps prevent wrinkling by tumbling clothes for up to 40 minutes heat-free. A signal sounds every 5 minutes during this cool-down as a reminder to remove the load.

Wrinkle Release: Found on Maytag dryers. This feature allows clothes to tumble in a stream of heated or unheated air for the last 15 minutes of the time dry cycle to help remove wrinkles from clothes. Putting an article of clothing into the dryer on Wrinkle Release helps remove wrinkles.

Revised 05/21/10