efficiency gains in electric dryers?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Chimney Smoke said:
Unless you can separate the moisture out that's a bad idea. Moist air = mold.
Click to expand...

Which is what it sounds like the condensing unit semipro mentioned is doing. Unless I misread, its not just venting the moist dryer exhaust inside - it runs through a heat exchanger which condenses out the water vapor. The heated air from the other side of the exchanger is what would vent inside, kind of like an HRV.
 
Dune said:
Steel ducting would work though not as well.
Clothing would catch fire long before PVC just so you know.
Click to expand...

Not wet clothing. The failure of PVC at the 120 temperature will be a collapse and not necessarily ignition. The collapsed outlet would act like a plug to limit air flow through the drier which could overheat the elements and cause the dryer itself to overheat.
 
Chimney Smoke said:
Unless you can separate the moisture out that's a bad idea. Moist air = mold.
Click to expand...
Condensing dryers do not add or remove moisture from the room they are in.

They do change the temp which affects relative humidity though.
 
Last edited:
jharkin said:
Which is what it sounds like the condensing unit semipro mentioned is doing. Unless I misread, its not just venting the moist dryer exhaust inside - it runs through a heat exchanger which condenses out the water vapor. The heated air from the other side of the exchanger is what would vent inside, kind of like an HRV.
Click to expand...
Exactly
Here's a link that explains. http://knowhow.com/article.dhtml?articleReference=3345
 
I like the idea of a condensing tumbling dryer. A friend of mine once tried venting a basic dryer into his basement instead of outside. COndensation was dripping down the windows and it felt like the amazon. That was the end of his "indoor" venting idea. :)

Andrew
 
Chimney Smoke said:
Unless you can separate the moisture out that's a bad idea. Moist air = mold.
Click to expand...

Well if you hang your clothes to air dry by your stove the same moisture is getting in the air. Personally I do that plus still use a humidifier and our humidity level in the house is still drier than comfort range. Basement is another issue though.

Chimney Smoke said:
That being said, I have replaced a 30 year old dryer with a new cheap one and my electric bill dropped around $25/month.
Click to expand...

You must be drying a ton of clothes to save that much just by switching the type (or your electric rates are sky high)... I don't think I spend that much period. Heck running an electric space heater 24x7 for a whole month only cost me around that!
 
OhioBurner© said:
You must be drying a ton of clothes to save that much just by switching the type (or your electric rates are sky high)... I don't think I spend that much period. Heck running an electric space heater 24x7 for a whole month only cost me around that!
Click to expand...

Or the replaced dryer had a problem such as a bad bearing or plugged up discharge.
 
Swedishchef said:
I agree with the engineered air flow improvement. Other than that and the moisture sensor, that's about it. I am not gonna pay $1200 for a dryer that can steam my clothes. When the warranty is up and it break, it is easier to pay for the $600 dryer to be replaced than some motherboard in the $1200. A friend of mine who is a technician said it best: "fancy washing machines: a drum holding up to 40 lbs of clothing, with water, spinning at 1000 RPM while controlled with electronic circuit boards, what can go wrong after 12 months?" I do understand that they have come a long way but I still find them pricey.

Andrew
Click to expand...


What can go wrong after 12 months?.......bearing and pulley let go when it's in the high speed spin. Awful noise, but not as bad when my wife opened the front door of the washing machine. All her whites had grease splattered on them from the bearing letting go. I just went to the garage for a couple of hours. I know my place.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Swedishchef
I asked my wife to help on this. She is going to weigh a couple loads of clothes before they go into the HE washer, and then weigh the loads when they come out. Purpose is to determine the actual amount of water in the clothes after the high speed spin. At 8.34 lbs/gal, or 2.1 lbs/quart, if the water is low enough it may make sense to vent the electric dryer right back into the house during heating season, with of course a better lint catcher. Might as well use that heat that gets blown outside. I haven't wanted to do this in the past with old non-HE washer due to the high water content after a spin cycle.
 
I had, for years in another house, vented the dryer into the house during the winter. I had no problems with excess moisture, but I never did find a really good lint trap. I'd love to do the same here, but the washer and dryer are next to the kitchen, and I don't relish the idea of lint floating around there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: flyingcow
Yeah lungs full of short fibers is not worth the heat ya get.
 
At work, we had training about asbestos fibers destroying lung tissue. While lint doesn't contain asbestos, it has synthetic fibers in it - I wonder what they do to lung tissue. I doubt they dissolve readily, and would they be ejected from the lungs as fast as they accumulate?

I think I've just talked myself out of venting into the house...
 
  • Like
Reactions: flyingcow
Chimney Smoke said:
Unless you can separate the moisture out that's a bad idea. Moist air = mold.
Click to expand...

I direct mine inside, air inside the house and basement is still extremely dry (though less so) after doing so. Probably depends on the house and amount of clothes.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

webfish
  • Locked
General SHOULD OPEN FIREPLACES BE ILLEGAL
Replies
0
Views
10K
Articles
webfish
webfish
webfish
  • Locked
General GLOSSARY OF COMMON HEARTH AND HEATING TERMS
Replies
0
Views
7K
Articles
webfish
webfish
Top Bottom
Back