Korean Job Discussion Forums

[b0101]

Hello,

I am considering buying a used American dryer. It uses 220 voltage but has a three prong American plug. What kind of adapter do I need to safely use this?

Thanks.

[PRagic]

biggest problem will be venting it. fire hazard waiting to happen. no set up here for that. plus, it'll send your electricity bill through the roof. there's a reason that not too many koreans use them.

[radcon]

Get a gas dryer.Cheap to run. Best thing I ever bought in Korea.

[b0101]

[radcon]

Your best bet would to go to the appliance stores in Itaewon. You can buy lightly used gas dryers there. You need to have the gas company come out and hook it up but I believe ventilation is the same for gas and electric driers.

[EricB]

"biggest problem will be venting it. fire hazard waiting to happen. no set up here for that. plus, it'll send your electricity bill through the roof. there's a reason that not too many koreans use them."

I had a lot of Korean people tell me this as well, but I bought a dryer anyway. The increase in my electricity bill was hardly noticeable, and my clothes no longer smell sour from inadequate drying. People here seem to have all sorts of excuses for not getting a dryer (electricity bill, wear and tear on clothing), but everyone who actually gets one could never think of going back. I think the reason that not too may Koreans use dryers is that they are largely ignorant of them - no disrespect intended.

[b0101]

EricB did you go with a gas dryer or electric dryer? What are the pros and cons of each?

[EricB]

"EricB did you go with a gas dryer or electric dryer? What are the pros and cons of each?"

Electric. Can't really compare to gas because I've never owned gas before. My brother-in-law works in appliances at a department store, so he hooked us up with a deal. I was actually pretty surprised with how great having a dryer was. Even though I had one my entire life before coming to Korea, I let myself fall into the belief that somehow having one in Korea would be different. It wasn't, and I am glad I took the plunge. The one we have has a removable filter in the door and doesn't have a vent going outside. We just need to open the veranda windows or turn on the dehumidifier whenever we run the dryer. We've been running it several times a week for the better part of 5 years and haven't run into any problems or significant hikes in utility bills. I'll take a look at the make and model tomorrow to give you an idea of what to look for.

As for the used one you are thinking about, a simple plug adapter should be fine if it is indeed 220 volt. However since it is an American model, it might require more venting than a Korean model like the one I have.


Edit:
Looked it up; turns out we have a Whirlpool. Model is AWD60A. It goes for a little under 600k on Gmarket. Seems to get terrible reviews, but it has worked well for us. Lucky I guess.

[b0101]

Thanks for the info EricB. I'll check into it.

[Weigookin74]

Koreans usually have the Euro combined washer and dryer in one machine. But you open it on the front side and not the top. You put it through the wash cycle and then the dry cycle. Most apartments have those here. Villas just have a washing machine.

These are more energy efficient but they take forever maybe 3 to 4 hours to put through a load of laundry and are usually small inside in terms of space. A large North American dryer would need a special setup with a vent. You could probably get an electrician or shop to change the plug outlet, but check with the manufacturer to see if it will take 220 V and 60 Hz cycle. It probably will. But check to make sure.

[Aine1979]

After a couple of years of using the laundrette beside my apartment for drying clothes, I discovered my machine was actually a washer-dryer. I used it a few times, but the extra cost in my electricity bill wasn't worth it. I can dry 3 loads of washing in one go for 5,000 in the laundrette, and it takes half an hour. Using the dryer 4 times (single loads) took nearly 50 minutes each time and added over 30,000 to my bill.

How much extra you'll be charged depends if you pay your full electricity bill yourself, or if it's split across all the apartments on your floor. If it's the first, you'll see much bigger increase than if it's the second.

[Lazio]