Heat Guns and Hair Drier – both look like a handgun and blow steam of hot air. That’s why many people have this confusion about using them in place of one another.
But, there’s a dangerous difference between the working temperatures. Even though they look similar, their functions are entirely different.
If you also have this confusion in mind, you have landed on the right page. This article will discuss different tasks you can perform with a heating gun and a hairdryer. And if you can use them interchangeably.
What is a Heat Gun?
Heat guns are handheld guns that release hot steam of air. Heat guns need safety precautions while using. These guns blow air at a much hotter temperature which can range anywhere between 200 °C to 500 °C. However, some heat guns produce heat of as much as 700 °C.
Heat guns are made as power tools and have a stronger fan and motor that can withstand blowing heated air continuously for a long time.
Most heat guns have more heat settings, fan speed, and airflow settings. They come with different types of nozzle that help blow the air towards a targeted area.
The majority of heat guns come in pistol shapes. However, there are also some inline variants available.
Because of their high-temperature settings and durable heat guns can perform tasks such as paint drying, shrink wrapping, and window tinting in a much shorter period.
What is the Purpose of a Heat Gun?
Different types of heat guns work at different temperatures and airflow, which can be used for performing several household and industrial tasks. It may include:
Removing paint, heat-shrinking tubes, films, wraps, and packaging. It can also be used for bending and welding plastic, drying damp wood, defrosting frozen pipes, and softening adhesives, etc.
Heat guns are also used in electronics to de-solder and rework components on surface-mounted circuit boards. To safely replicate an overheating condition, heat guns are also used to evaluate the functionality of overheat protection systems.
Household heating gun use is also quite common, such as removing wallpapers. DIY projects, soften wax, start a fire grill, melt hard candies, and searing meats. Heating guns are sometimes used for upholstery and repairing leather or vinyl items.
What is a Hair Dryer?
As the name suggests, hair dryers are made to dry hair at much lower temperatures. Their temperature ranges from 70 °F to 140 °F ( 21 °C to 60 °C).
This is because the primary application of a hair dryer is to dry and style your hair; anything above 140 °F can damage it. Hair dryers have a much larger nozzle to diffuse the air outwards, which provides a better way to dry the hair.
Unlike heat guns, hair dries only have 1-2 heat settings and sometimes a ‘cool shot’ button which keeps the hair cuticles sealed and results in a long-lasting blow dry.
What is the Purpose of a Hair Dryer?
The sole purpose of a hair drier is to dry and style your hair. But they can also be used for lighter heat projects like arts and crafts.
Hair dryers can remove wrinkles from fabrics, defrost frozen commodities, and dry wet fruits and vegetables. It melts the wax, which can remove crayon marks and other wax-based products from the furniture. It can even remove sticky labels and stickers and dry off paints. Hair dryers at their highest heat settings can help in shrink wrapping.
Differences Between the Heat Gun and Hair Dryer.
Both heat guns and hair drier are shaped like a handgun and run on electricity ( a few heating guns run on propane and butane). The two come with a trigger button that helps to start them by blowing hot air to a target area.
Well, their difference lies in the purpose. A hair dryer with a lesser temperature is meant for hair drying and styling, whereas heat guns with higher temperature settings are made for removing paint, shrink wrapping, bending plastic and softening glue, etc.
- The maximum temperature setting of a hair drier is 140 degrees F, whereas the maximum temperature of a heating gun is 700 degrees C.
- The purpose of a hair drier is dry damp hair and heat styling. The purpose of a heat gun is to remove paints, wallpapers, floor tiles, bending plastic, remove rusted bolts, shrink wrapping, etc.
- Hair dryers are not harsh on the scalp. Heat guns cause severe burns to the hair and scalp.
Can I Use a Hair Dryer Instead of a Heat Gun?
The lower-end temperature of a heating gun and the upper-end temperature of a hair dryer is roughly the same, which is 120 degrees. Because of this, you can use a hairdryer instead of a heat gun in a few applications.
For example, you can remove stickers, labels, crayons, candle wax, thaw frozen vegetables, and similar tasks using a hairdryer instead of a heating gun.
However, if you use a hairdryer to perform the tasks of a heating gun, it will take double or triple the amount of time, and besides, it will cause it to overheat quickly, and the motor will wear out much faster.
Heat guns are manufactured to offer a more concentrated airflow and are mainly used in hot air application tasks. Heat guns don’t scatter the air outwards like a hair dryer with a broad nozzle does.
Because of this, heat guns are much more efficient at providing more concentrated steam of air, which is ideal for performing tasks like paint drying, shrink wrapping, thawing frozen pipes, removing paint and modeling plastic, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I use a heat gun to dry hair?
Heat guns, designed for industrial tasks, can reach temperatures between 150°C to 1,200°C. Hair dryers operate at much lower temperatures, typically up to 150°C. The intense heat from a heat gun can severely burn the scalp and hair.
2. Is it OK to use a hair dryer as a heater?
Hair dryers are designed for short-term use, primarily for drying hair, and lack the capacity to heat large spaces effectively. Continuous operation can lead to overheating, increasing the risk of fire hazards. They also lack the safety features found in space heaters, such as thermostats and automatic shut-off mechanisms.
3. What are the disadvantages of a heat gun?
The high-temperature output of heat guns can cause burns if mishandled. Improper use may damage materials not designed to withstand intense heat.
4. Why do hair dryers use hot air instead of just air?
Hair dryers utilize hot air to accelerate the evaporation of water from hair. The warm air increases the energy of water molecules, causing them to evaporate faster than they would at room temperature.
5. Is a heat gun better than a hair dryer?
Determining whether a heat gun is better than a hair dryer depends on the intended use. Heat guns are suitable for tasks requiring high temperatures, such as paint removal, plastic bending, loosening bolts, or thawing frozen pipes. Hair dryers are designed for drying and styling hair, operating at safe temperatures for personal use. Using a heat gun on hair can cause severe burns and damage due to its high heat output.
Conclusion
If your question was, ‘Should I dry my hair with a heat gun? The straight answer to this is ‘No’. You should never dry your tresses using a heat gun.
Even though a heating gun and a hair dryer look very similar, they have distinct purposes. A heating gun is meant for industrial and household uses and should never be used for drying your hair. Otherwise, it can ultimately damage your hair or cause severe scalp burns.
