# New clothes dryer could save billions



## deaconjim (Oct 31, 2005)

I wonder how compatable such a dryer would be on an off grid system?



> *New clothes dryer could save billions*
> By Hank Green Posted Fri Feb 15, 2008 10:20am PST
> 
> Generally when people offer up miracle devices from backyard and basement tinkering, we're pretty skeptical. But it's hard to argue with Michael Brown. Especially when he hooks his "Dryer Miser" up to a Whirlpool dryer, turns it on, and pulls out dry clothes using half as much energy as the exact same dryer without his device.
> ...


read more at: http://green.yahoo.com/blog/ecogeek/298/new-clothes-dryer-could-save-billions.html


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

Yep,efficiency is THE way to go,first and foremost.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

I have a plan to run a copper coil in the back of my drier suppling hot water from my wood fired boiler to dry clothes on "fluff" I just need to find finned copper tubing in a roll. I can find big stuff 1/2 inch or so but I want 1/4 inch.


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## artificer (Feb 26, 2007)

This reminds me of the "more efficient" electric heater that uses lights. Not IR on the item used, just lights in a box with a fan. I have to laugh, because its still rated in watts of heating.

I guess I don't get where the "efficiency" comes in. The basic principle is you heat air, blow it across/through the clothes, and vent it. Heat is heat. Decreace the air temp, and you use less energy. Oil filled heater? Why is that more efficient than the coils? Do they get more uniform air heating, so less energy is used?

"The device is so much more efficient that it can be plugged into a regular 110 V plug " How much do you want to bet that the drying times are doubled, as well? I guess that might be where the efficiency comes from.

Color me confused.

(I like the solar powered drying, however)

Michael


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Since it gives no power consumption ratings there is no way of knowing if this would be usable with an off grid system. But if it cuts in half like the article says I don't think that is enough to make solar or wind affordable to power it. All off grid clothes dryers that I now of are propane or the line type.

By this site http://www.psnh.com/Residential/ReduceBill/Applianceusage.asp typical dryer uses 5000w and hour. Cutting that in half and figuring in system ineffencies it would still cost about $6000 to $8000 in solar system to run one for a hour a day.

It would be nice for the on grid user that wants to cut energy usage.


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## bbbuddy (Jul 29, 2002)

wy_white_wolf said:


> All off grid clothes dryers that I now of are propane or the line type.


We are off grid and mostly use a clothsline, BUT when windy or too cold, we have a 110v dryer that works well when we have the gennie running. It is small, RV dryer, but can dry several pairs of jeans plus a couple of shirts at a time, so not THAT small.

I also use it to fluff up towels once in a while, our hard water tends to make them feel harse when only dried on the clothsline.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

bbbuddy said:


> We are off grid and mostly use a clothsline, BUT when windy or too cold, we have a 110v dryer that works well when we have the gennie running. It is small, RV dryer, but can dry several pairs of jeans plus a couple of shirts at a time, so not THAT small.
> 
> I also use it to fluff up towels once in a while, our hard water tends to make them feel harse when only dried on the clothsline.


Well yours is the option that I didn't state. Running it only when you run the genny. Being 110v I would guess that yours uses about the same as this modification does.


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## Highground (Jan 22, 2003)

Ross said:


> I have a plan to run a copper coil in the back of my drier suppling hot water from my wood fired boiler to dry clothes on "fluff" I just need to find finned copper tubing in a roll. I can find big stuff 1/2 inch or so but I want 1/4 inch.


It seems the radiator from a small window air conditioner would do the trick.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

I had been looking at truck heaters..... window AC unit is a good idea, thanks! Flare on some fittings T into the line and add a solinoid zone valve....... I wonder if I need that or if the unit would just cycle the water through without too much heat gain in the room. 
The room could use some heat though.


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## krondor2 (May 28, 2007)

artificer said:


> This reminds me of the "more efficient" electric heater that uses lights. Not IR on the item used, just lights in a box with a fan. I have to laugh, because its still rated in watts of heating.
> 
> I guess I don't get where the "efficiency" comes in. The basic principle is you heat air, blow it across/through the clothes, and vent it. Heat is heat. Decreace the air temp, and you use less energy. Oil filled heater? Why is that more efficient than the coils? Do they get more uniform air heating, so less energy is used?
> 
> ...


air is a bad "holder" of heat. if you have a lot of washing and drying, you would have to reheat the air. the oil dryer sound like it would be great for many loads.


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## michiganfarmer (Oct 15, 2005)

Ross said:


> I have a plan to run a copper coil in the back of my drier suppling hot water from my wood fired boiler to dry clothes on "fluff" I just need to find finned copper tubing in a roll. I can find big stuff 1/2 inch or so but I want 1/4 inch.


there are small radiators made just for that.


...and/or you could build a clothes line in your house.


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

Something like this.If we had continued Rv'ing full time I was going to go this route.
http://www.solarhaven.org/HPArticle.htm


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

A clothes line in the house??? 4 cats and the border collie would make short work of that. I suspect my wife would make short work of me if I tried it. 

I've heard about the rads for driers suggested before but never found one.


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## artificer (Feb 26, 2007)

krondor2 said:


> air is a bad "holder" of heat. if you have a lot of washing and drying, you would have to reheat the air. the oil dryer sound like it would be great for many loads.


The way most dryers work is that they heat the air, which lowers it relative humidity. You then pass it through the clothes, and vent the hot humid air. If you decrease the air flow, it takes less energy to heat the lower mass of air. You don't "hold" the heat, since the hot air picks up moisture, and you loose your drying power. If you want the quickest drying time, you pump the hot air through fast.

The most efficient "dryer" would be an oven. You heat a minimum of air and cook the water out of the clothes. Probably bad for the clothes, however. You have to have some air flow, so the moisture it picks up is removed from the oven.

I was on the web site, and I can't figure out the breakthrough. Half the drying time and half the power?

For hot water powered dryer: you could use either a car auxiliary heater, a radiator from a small car, or one of these oil coolers.
http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=2008042914382028&item=9-5357&catname=hydraulic

Michael


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## happysmyly (Mar 18, 2008)

Reading this got me thinking--thank you!! I am planning on putting a solar air heater on our garage/workshop (once it's built this summer) and one on the house. Would it work to have an extra one in the garage that, instead of the heated air coming into the open space, goes into a box first that would have space to hang or racks for the clothes that needed to be dried? I know I've seen some newer dryers that have a cabinet as part of the dryer to dry more delicate things using the heat from the dryer... this would be a similar concept but using the solar air heater.
Thanks again for getting me thinking of more ways to use what's free for the using


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