Can You Use A Hair Dryer Instead Of A Heat Gun?
Shutterstock By Hope Ngo/Oct. 28, 2019 2:53 pm EST
They look the same, they sound the same, and they even work the same way. You could almost be forgiven if you thought that a hair dryer (the one that lives on or under your bathroom counter) might work the same way as a basic heat gun (the one that lives — or should live — in the garage or in a tool kit). After all, both have motor-driven fans that blow hot air over electronically heated filaments. Both are controlled by high/low settings.
But the doppelgangers have a significant difference — while hair dryers might be able to reach 140F at their higher settings, heat guns can get much much hotter. Tools First gives the temperature range of a heat gun between 100 to a whopping 1300F, so you can think of a heat gun as your hairdryer, but only if it was turbo-charged and able to inflict serious damage to your face and hair after just a few seconds of exposure.
You can use a hair dryer instead of a heat gun, but it won’t work very well
Shutterstock
Basic heat guns are mostly used for drying or removing paint, defrosting a refrigerator, or unfreezing locks and water pipes — all tasks which require between 350F to 1150F of heat (via Tools First). More powerful heat guns are seen as essential tools in a research laboratory, where Princeton University Environmental Health and Safety says they can be used instead of a blow torch. The site also warns that you cannot use a heat gun near flammable materials, and you should never touch the heat gun’s hot metal nozzle with clothing or skin and never direct the airflow toward a person’s body. Also, definitely do not look down the nozzle when the gun is turned on.
So its safe to say that while hairdryers can be used in place of a heat gun in a pinch (and don’t expect that idea to work too efficiently, but it could work to defrost frozen pipes or locks), it’s definitely not a good idea to reach into your toolbox to use your heat gun if your hair dryer is not an option.
Can You Use A Hair Dryer Instead Of A Heat Gun?
Shutterstock
By Hope Ngo/Oct. 28, 2019 2:53 pm EST
They look the same, they sound the same, and they even work the same way. You could almost be forgiven if you thought that a hair dryer (the one that lives on or under your bathroom counter) might work the same way as a basic heat gun (the one that lives — or should live — in the garage or in a tool kit). After all, both have motor-driven fans that blow hot air over electronically heated filaments. Both are controlled by high/low settings.
But the doppelgangers have a significant difference — while hair dryers might be able to reach 140F at their higher settings, heat guns can get much much hotter. Tools First gives the temperature range of a heat gun between 100 to a whopping 1300F, so you can think of a heat gun as your hairdryer, but only if it was turbo-charged and able to inflict serious damage to your face and hair after just a few seconds of exposure.
But the doppelgangers have a significant difference — while hair dryers might be able to reach 140F at their higher settings, heat guns can get much much hotter. Tools First gives the temperature range of a heat gun between 100 to a whopping 1300F, so you can think of a heat gun as your hairdryer, but only if it was turbo-charged and able to inflict serious damage to your face and hair after just a few seconds of exposure.
You can use a hair dryer instead of a heat gun, but it won’t work very well
Basic heat guns are mostly used for drying or removing paint, defrosting a refrigerator, or unfreezing locks and water pipes — all tasks which require between 350F to 1150F of heat (via Tools First). More powerful heat guns are seen as essential tools in a research laboratory, where Princeton University Environmental Health and Safety says they can be used instead of a blow torch. The site also warns that you cannot use a heat gun near flammable materials, and you should never touch the heat gun’s hot metal nozzle with clothing or skin and never direct the airflow toward a person’s body. Also, definitely do not look down the nozzle when the gun is turned on.
So its safe to say that while hairdryers can be used in place of a heat gun in a pinch (and don’t expect that idea to work too efficiently, but it could work to defrost frozen pipes or locks), it’s definitely not a good idea to reach into your toolbox to use your heat gun if your hair dryer is not an option.
So its safe to say that while hairdryers can be used in place of a heat gun in a pinch (and don’t expect that idea to work too efficiently, but it could work to defrost frozen pipes or locks), it’s definitely not a good idea to reach into your toolbox to use your heat gun if your hair dryer is not an option.
