Clothes Dryer Temperatures

Clothes Dryer Temperatures

Clothes Dryer Location / ConditionNormal Clothes Dryer Temperature Abnormal / Unsafe Clothes Dryer TemperatureComments / Source Air inlet to the clothes dryer & into dryer heating element

18 °C (64 °F) to 24 °C (75 °F)

Building indoor ambient temperature, conditioned space, comfortable temperatures for sedentary adults3Air temperature at an electric clothes dryer heater element120-200°C (250-400 °F) Varies by dryer heat source such as electric vs gas. (Marks, 2012) cited in (Bonaccorso 2012)1Air temperature entering the clothes dryer tumbler / drum80 °C (175 °F) (Marks, 2012) cited in (Bonaccorso 2012)Air temperature inside the clothes dryer drum / tumbler50-57 °C (125-135 °F)> 200 °C (392 °F)Some sources claim 65 °C (150 °F) - informal search 2017/07/17Air temperatures in the clothes dryer exhaust vent at the dryer50-57 °C (125-135 °F)> 200 °C (392 °F)(Marks, 2012) cited in (Bonaccorso 2012) 1Estimated clothes dryer exhaust vent surface temperature at interior surface of exterior wall45-55 °C (113-130 °F)> 200 °C (392 °F)Author's IR temperature measurements 1,2Estimated clothes dryer exhaust vent interior surface temperature at exterior wall vent outlet37-62°C (100-145 °F)> 200 °C (392 °F)

Author's IR temperature measurements 1,2

Dryer vents that pass through hot roof cavities may reach the elevated temperature at the high end of this range.

Pyrolysis temperature range 90 - 150 °C (200-300 °F)PYROLYSIS EXPLAINED (Kim 1994) in (Bonaccorso 2012) warns of pyrolysis hazards at clothes dryers. Maximum safe temperature inside a clothes dryer<= 200 °C (392 °F)> 200 °C (392 °F)232°C (450 °F) is the combustion point of paper - in a clothes dryer could initiate a lint or other fire "... no location inside the cabinet can achieve this temperature throughout the seven hours of performance testing" - (Bonaccorso 2012).