Time To Dry Those Clothes!

Kamusta ka~

How was everyone's weekends? I am sure everyone is having a very bad day, especially in Malacca, Malaysia. I know because I was there during the Friday flood. It was terrible and lucky for me, I did not stay in the area that was affected. One of my partners stayed in Renainsance Hotel and she complained about how high the water level. When I saw the picture in the social media, then only I understood her frustration.

I can't imagine the massive traffic congestion caused by this flash flood. We were supposed to have a technical discussion with one of the local industry at here but were postponed due to the flood. As we were travelling back to Singapore, I saw most of the clothes were hanging outside of the houses. The laundry shops were also packed with people. Maybe there should be a new technology device that can help these locals to dry their clothes from inside the house.

What Makes It Ticks?

A clothes dryer can be found a lot in the western countries but you don't often see them here in the Asia Pacific. If you understand a little bit of the science behind drying your clothes, you'll find you can do your laundry a whole lot more quickly and economically. So what exactly is involved in turning wet clothes back into dry ones? In a word, evaporation: turning the liquid water in your clothes into a vapor (gas)—and then getting rid of it.

The diagram below is what we call a phase diagram: it's a simple way of showing how a particular substance will be either a solid, liquid, or gas depending on the temperature and pressure. At high temperatures, you can see that water is going to be gas (steam) unless the pressure is high too; at low temperatures, water is generally going to be ice, unless the pressure is low. The diagram also shows us that you can heat solid ice or liquid water to make water vapor (gas) and squeeze (increase the pressure on) liquid water or water vapor to make ice.

How To Dry Efficiently?

If you tend to use your clothes dryer more often than not, it’s important to choose the most energy efficient model that’s suitable for your household. If you’re looking to purchase an electric clothes dryer, choose a model with at least a 2 star energy rating. The star rating is shown in the red band at the top of the label and can range from 1 to 6 stars. The more stars, the more energy efficient the clothes dryer will be and the lower its running costs. 

The following tips can help you to use your dryer more efficiently.

• Clean the filter before each use.
• Keep the surrounding area ventilated to minimise humidity.
• Don't mix heavy and lightweight clothing together.
• Dry several loads one after the other to make use of the heat in the machine from the previous load.
• Don’t overload the dryer.
• Dry all of your washing on an outside line whenever the weather is dry.
• Consider a heat pump or a gas dryer, especially if you use your clothes dryer frequently.
• Look for models with auto sensors that can help you to avoid over-drying.
• Leave a window open when drying, or even install a venting kit, as this will expel moist air directly outside.

Types of Dryers

Combined Washer - Dryers : As their name indicates, these machines are a clothes washer and dryer in one. Be sure to look out for the two energy rating labels on combined washer dryers, as these labels detail the efficiency of the product as both a washing machine and clothes dryer. Note that their load capacity for drying clothes is only about half of the load capacity for washing clothes. These machines are an ideal option for households that are short on space.

Heat Pump Clothes Dryer : These clothes dryers use a heat pump to produce hot air, and operate similarly to reverse-cycle air conditioners when heating. These machines are highly efficient, as they condense moisture from being expelled and recover heat to dry the load. Heat pump dryers use less than half the energy of conventional electric clothes dryers, and are worth considering if you use an electric dryer frequently.

Gas Clothes Dryer : These clothes dryers use gas to heat air, and therefore need to be connected to a gas supply. Although they are more expensive to purchase upfront, their running costs are much cheaper as they operate using natural gas. Gas clothes dryers are a good option for households that use their dryer frequently.

How Much Does It Cost?

Moisture sensors have been used in dryers for years and are more accurate than thermostats in determining when laundry is dry. Advanced moisture sensors are one way a dryer can earn the Energy Star, and heat pump technology is another. Unlike washers, dryer manufacturers have fewer variables to manipulate to improve energy efficiency. So it’s low heat and longer drying times or higher heat and shorter drying times.

Energy efficient dryers have EcoBoost mode that uses about 40 percent less electricity, but take 112 minutes to dry out 12-pound load. That’s 38 minutes longer than the regular mode. Your energy savings will vary by the size of the load and what you’re drying. 

Energy Star says that you can save about S$20 a year in electricity compared to the dryers you’ll see in stores that meet the minimum efficiency standard. But the longer drying times mean that more air is moving from your home through the vent to outside—air that you may be heating or cooling at a cost. So depending on where you live, the location of the dryer in your home, and the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems, your savings could be quite a bit less.

Upsides & Downsides?

There are a few pros and cons of using an energy efficient dryers. But I'll list down the best and the worst for you to make your judgement when making a purchasing decision.

PROS

• Convenience - Energy Star Labeled appliances are very convenient, because they perform better than other standard models. For instance, a washing machine can wash more clothes while using less water proportionally.
• Impact on the environment - Actually, the energy performances is the main reason why some appliances are awarded with the Energy Star label: their impact on the environment is a lot less than the Energy Star appliances are not as bad for the environment. They have a smaller water consumption and electricity usage.
• Energy costs - Studies demonstrate that Energy Star appliances can reduce energy usage (and thus utility bills) by as much as 50% and as low as 25%. That’s a lot more money in your pocket at the end of the year.

CONS

• Selection - If you’re opting for eco-friendly, energy-cautious appliances, your selection is bound to be smaller, which can be annoying to some people.
• Initial price - Energy Star appliances are more expensive to purchase than their non-labelled counterparts, though they will save you money in the long run.
• Repairing cost - Because they make use of a smarter technology, Energy Star appliances can be trickier to repair than standard appliances, which means that a technician will spend more time repairing them.

Summary

Energy efficient dryers will generate a good return on investment in the long run, because they will definitely save you money as months go by. The money you will save on utility bills will eventually pay out the initial cost. Energy efficient dryers are easy to find – you probably have one, you just don’t know how to use it.