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Gas Dryers

  • Thread starter Malcolm \Mal\ Reynolds
  • Start date
M

Malcolm \Mal\ Reynolds

Jan 1, 1970
0
I have a gas dryer that takes maybe 40 minutes to dry an average load. On hot
days I just run it on air...it's either taking hot air from the garage or
from inside the house. It takes a little longer than 90 minutes to dry a load
this way.

I'm wondering if someone can give me an idea of how efficient this is.
 
M

Malcolm \Mal\ Reynolds

Jan 1, 1970
0
I have a gas dryer that takes maybe 40 minutes to dry an average load. On hot
days I just run it on air...it's either taking hot air from the garage or
from inside the house. It takes a little longer than 90 minutes to dry a load
this way.

I'm wondering if someone can give me an idea of how efficient this is.

Your savings depends on how much extra work the air conditioner has to
do when the dryer pulls in hot outside air. To some extent you may be
trading electricity for gas.

[River: "Baaaad"]

The air conditioner isn't used when the clothes dryer is being used.
 
| [email protected]:
|
|> On Aug 28, 1:34?am, "Malcolm \"Mal\" Reynolds"
|>> I have a gas dryer that takes maybe 40 minutes to dry an average load. On
|> hot
|>> days I just run it on air...it's either taking hot air from the garage or
|>> from inside the house. It takes a little longer than 90 minutes to dry a
|> load
|>> this way.
|>>
|>> I'm wondering if someone can give me an idea of how efficient this is.
|>
|> Your savings depends on how much extra work the air conditioner has to
|> do when the dryer pulls in hot outside air. To some extent you may be
|> trading electricity for gas.
|>
|> [River: "Baaaad"]
|>
|
| The air conditioner isn't used when the clothes dryer is being used.

But if the running of the dryer heats up the house, whether now or later, it
can result in more work for the air conditioner. I assume you vent the dryer
to the outside, so there shouldn't be too much inside heating done by the
dryer.
 
M

Malcolm \Mal\ Reynolds

Jan 1, 1970
0
|
|> On Aug 28, 1:34?am, "Malcolm \"Mal\" Reynolds"
|>> I have a gas dryer that takes maybe 40 minutes to dry an average
|>> load. On
|> hot
|>> days I just run it on air...it's either taking hot air from the
|>> garage or from inside the house. It takes a little longer than 90
|>> minutes to dry a
|> load
|>> this way.
|>>
|>> I'm wondering if someone can give me an idea of how efficient this
|>> is.
|>
|> Your savings depends on how much extra work the air conditioner has to
|> do when the dryer pulls in hot outside air. To some extent you may be
|> trading electricity for gas.
|>
|> [River: "Baaaad"]
|>
|
| The air conditioner isn't used when the clothes dryer is being used.

But if the running of the dryer heats up the house, whether now or
later, it can result in more work for the air conditioner. I assume you
vent the dryer to the outside, so there shouldn't be too much inside
heating done by the dryer.

How does the dryer heat up the house when it's just on air dry. It still
vents as if the gas were being used
 
D

daestrom

Jan 1, 1970
0
Malcolm said:
I have a gas dryer that takes maybe 40 minutes to dry an average
load. On hot
days I just run it on air...it's either taking hot air from the
garage or from inside the house. It takes a little longer than 90
minutes to dry a load this way.

I'm wondering if someone can give me an idea of how efficient this
is.

Your savings depends on how much extra work the air conditioner has
to do when the dryer pulls in hot outside air. To some extent you
may be trading electricity for gas.

[River: "Baaaad"]

The air conditioner isn't used when the clothes dryer is being used.

And that's a smart thing :)

As far as 'efficiency', there's a couple of ways to look at it.

Running twice as long obviously means you're using twice as much
electricity. But you're not using any gas at all, so that's a plus. So the
question boils down to how much electricity your dryer uses in given time
period (say, watt-hours / minute) versus how much gas it uses over the same
period.

Even if the total *energy* used is the same in both cases, one case may
*cost* more than the other depending on the relative price of the two forms
of energy. Usually the cost per unit of *energy* is much lower for natural
gas than for electricity, so it costs less to use gas whereever possible.
YMMV.

But I should also think that depending on the weather, drying with no heat
may take a lot longer or shorter. Clotheslines of course use the least
energy, and actually work even in very cold weather. Just not in the
rain/snow though ;-)

daestrom
 
M

Malcolm \Mal\ Reynolds

Jan 1, 1970
0
Malcolm said:
On Aug 28, 1:34 am, "Malcolm \"Mal\" Reynolds"
I have a gas dryer that takes maybe 40 minutes to dry an average
load. On
hot
days I just run it on air...it's either taking hot air from the
garage or from inside the house. It takes a little longer than 90
minutes to dry a load this way.

I'm wondering if someone can give me an idea of how efficient this
is.

Your savings depends on how much extra work the air conditioner has
to do when the dryer pulls in hot outside air. To some extent you
may be trading electricity for gas.

[River: "Baaaad"]

The air conditioner isn't used when the clothes dryer is being used.

And that's a smart thing :)

As far as 'efficiency', there's a couple of ways to look at it.

Running twice as long obviously means you're using twice as much
electricity. But you're not using any gas at all, so that's a plus. So
the question boils down to how much electricity your dryer uses in given
time period (say, watt-hours / minute) versus how much gas it uses over
the same period.

Even if the total *energy* used is the same in both cases, one case may
*cost* more than the other depending on the relative price of the two
forms of energy. Usually the cost per unit of *energy* is much lower
for natural gas than for electricity, so it costs less to use gas
whereever possible. YMMV.

But I should also think that depending on the weather, drying with no
heat may take a lot longer or shorter. Clotheslines of course use the
least energy, and actually work even in very cold weather. Just not in
the rain/snow though ;-)

daestrom

I was just looking for a WAG about the energy use. The washer/dryer are in
a closed room.

I also like how the clothes turn out not using a fabric softener. Almost
like being on a clothes line. I'd use a clothes line, but at the moment
that's not going to happen. In fact the "Special One" demanded that the
clothes be dried in the dryer.
 
| [email protected] wrote in |
|> On Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:48:56 +0000 (UTC) "Malcolm \"Mal\" Reynolds"
|>| [email protected]:
|>|
|>|> On Aug 28, 1:34?am, "Malcolm \"Mal\" Reynolds"
|>|>> I have a gas dryer that takes maybe 40 minutes to dry an average
|>|>> load. On
|>|> hot
|>|>> days I just run it on air...it's either taking hot air from the
|>|>> garage or from inside the house. It takes a little longer than 90
|>|>> minutes to dry a
|>|> load
|>|>> this way.
|>|>>
|>|>> I'm wondering if someone can give me an idea of how efficient this
|>|>> is.
|>|>
|>|> Your savings depends on how much extra work the air conditioner has to
|>|> do when the dryer pulls in hot outside air. To some extent you may be
|>|> trading electricity for gas.
|>|>
|>|> [River: "Baaaad"]
|>|>
|>|
|>| The air conditioner isn't used when the clothes dryer is being used.
|>
|> But if the running of the dryer heats up the house, whether now or
|> later, it can result in more work for the air conditioner. I assume you
|> vent the dryer to the outside, so there shouldn't be too much inside
|> heating done by the dryer.
|>
|
| How does the dryer heat up the house when it's just on air dry. It still
| vents as if the gas were being used

Motor heat.
 
| You can dry clothes by hanging then in front of the air conditioner,

In front of the evaporator port or the precipitator port?
 
M

Malcolm \Mal\ Reynolds

Jan 1, 1970
0
On Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:54:17 +0000 (UTC) "Malcolm \"Mal\" Reynolds"
| [email protected] wrote in |
|> On Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:48:56 +0000 (UTC) "Malcolm \"Mal\" Reynolds"
|>| [email protected]:
|>|
|>|> On Aug 28, 1:34?am, "Malcolm \"Mal\" Reynolds"
|>|>> I have a gas dryer that takes maybe 40 minutes to dry an average
|>|>> load. On
|>|> hot
|>|>> days I just run it on air...it's either taking hot air from the
|>|>> garage or from inside the house. It takes a little longer than 90
|>|>> minutes to dry a
|>|> load
|>|>> this way.
|>|>>
|>|>> I'm wondering if someone can give me an idea of how efficient this
|>|>> is.
|>|>
|>|> Your savings depends on how much extra work the air conditioner has
|>|> to do when the dryer pulls in hot outside air. To some extent you
|>|> may be trading electricity for gas.
|>|>
|>|> [River: "Baaaad"]
|>|>
|>|
|>| The air conditioner isn't used when the clothes dryer is being used.
|>
|> But if the running of the dryer heats up the house, whether now or
|> later, it can result in more work for the air conditioner. I assume
|> you vent the dryer to the outside, so there shouldn't be too much
|> inside heating done by the dryer.
|>
|
| How does the dryer heat up the house when it's just on air dry. It
| still vents as if the gas were being used

Motor heat.

Wouldn't that heat be used in an energy star appliance like this to
"assist" the drying"?

In any event, that heat would be far less than the heat produced by the
gas.
 
M

Malcolm \Mal\ Reynolds

Jan 1, 1970
0
On Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:54:17 +0000 (UTC) "Malcolm \"Mal\" Reynolds"
| [email protected] wrote in |
|> On Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:48:56 +0000 (UTC) "Malcolm \"Mal\" Reynolds"
|>| [email protected]:
|>|
|>|> On Aug 28, 1:34?am, "Malcolm \"Mal\" Reynolds"
|>|>> I have a gas dryer that takes maybe 40 minutes to dry an average
|>|>> load. On
|>|> hot
|>|>> days I just run it on air...it's either taking hot air from the
|>|>> garage or from inside the house. It takes a little longer than 90
|>|>> minutes to dry a
|>|> load
|>|>> this way.
|>|>>
|>|>> I'm wondering if someone can give me an idea of how efficient this
|>|>> is.
|>|>
|>|> Your savings depends on how much extra work the air conditioner has
|>|> to do when the dryer pulls in hot outside air. To some extent you
|>|> may be trading electricity for gas.
|>|>
|>|> [River: "Baaaad"]
|>|>
|>|
|>| The air conditioner isn't used when the clothes dryer is being used.
|>
|> But if the running of the dryer heats up the house, whether now or
|> later, it can result in more work for the air conditioner. I assume
|> you vent the dryer to the outside, so there shouldn't be too much
|> inside heating done by the dryer.
|>
|
| How does the dryer heat up the house when it's just on air dry. It
| still vents as if the gas were being used

Motor heat.

Wouldn't that heat be used in an energy star appliance like this to
"assist" the drying"?

In any event, that heat would be far less than the heat produced by the
gas.
 
|>| How does the dryer heat up the house when it's just on air dry. It
|>| still vents as if the gas were being used
|>
|> Motor heat.
|>
|
| Wouldn't that heat be used in an energy star appliance like this to
| "assist" the drying"?

If the dryer had 100% perfect insulation, then 100% of that heat would be
used that way.

There can also be some heat leakage from the outside air to the house if
the air outside is warmer.


| In any event, that heat would be far less than the heat produced by the
| gas.

Agreed.
 
U

Ulysses

Jan 1, 1970
0
Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds said:
I was just looking for a WAG about the energy use. The washer/dryer are in
a closed room.

I also like how the clothes turn out not using a fabric softener. Almost
like being on a clothes line. I'd use a clothes line, but at the moment
that's not going to happen. In fact the "Special One" demanded that the
clothes be dried in the dryer.

Where have I heard that? I have been conditioned to believe that at least
*some* clothes absolutely have to be dried in the dryer as opposed to the
clothes line. I don't really expect anyone to hang up 50 pairs of panties
when, after all, they probably dry very quickly in the dryer. Stuff like
towels do come out softer and fluffier in the dryer BUT it is also possible
to dry them on the clothes line and then put them in the dryer on "air
only." Towels, unlike panties, take a long time to dry in the dryer. There
is also the "lint" issue. Apparently, according to Sears, the lint filter
for the washing machine is in the dryer. There really is more lint on the
clothes if hung out to dry. Some stuff like tee shirts and blue jeans it
really doesn't seem to matter if they get dried on the line.

As for your question, I can't do the bean counting without specific numbers
but I'd go along with daestrom's thinking that if you have to run the dryer
for 5-6 times as long on air only it might be cheaper to just use the gas,
at least where I live. If you can somehow get the dryer to extract some hot
air from, say, a storage shed or car out in the sun then you might be able
to get some air that's hot enough to do some good. I've read temps in my
shed well over 100 when it was below 70 outside. This, of course, puts
great limitations on when you can use the dryer.
 
M

Malcolm \Mal\ Reynolds

Jan 1, 1970
0
Where have I heard that? I have been conditioned to believe that at
least *some* clothes absolutely have to be dried in the dryer as opposed
to the clothes line. I don't really expect anyone to hang up 50 pairs
of panties when, after all, they probably dry very quickly in the dryer.
Stuff like towels do come out softer and fluffier in the dryer BUT it
is also possible to dry them on the clothes line and then put them in
the dryer on "air only." Towels, unlike panties, take a long time to
dry in the dryer. There is also the "lint" issue. Apparently,
according to Sears, the lint filter for the washing machine is in the
dryer. There really is more lint on the clothes if hung out to dry.
Some stuff like tee shirts and blue jeans it really doesn't seem to
matter if they get dried on the line.

As for your question, I can't do the bean counting without specific
numbers but I'd go along with daestrom's thinking that if you have to
run the dryer for 5-6 times as long on air only it might be cheaper to
just use the gas, at least where I live. If you can somehow get the
dryer to extract some hot air from, say, a storage shed or car out in
the sun then you might be able to get some air that's hot enough to do
some good. I've read temps in my shed well over 100 when it was below
70 outside. This, of course, puts great limitations on when you can use
the dryer.

At most I've run a load 3 times longer on air. The clothes dry perfectly
well, there is no more or less lint this way. I'd have no problem
imagining that the dry time would be significantly faster with warm/hot
outside air, but I am satisfied to use the dry this way whenever possible.
 
W

Winston

Jan 1, 1970
0
Malcolm said:
I have a gas dryer that takes maybe 40 minutes to dry an average load. On hot
days I just run it on air...it's either taking hot air from the garage or
from inside the house. It takes a little longer than 90 minutes to dry a load
this way.

I'm wondering if someone can give me an idea of how efficient this is.

I dunno but, (building on your idea) I'd be interested if anyone has used a
solar air heater to substitute for gas consumption.

http://www.solarsponge.com/

--Winston
 
W

Winston

Jan 1, 1970
0
Morris said:
Follow the link in my sig for a look at a pair of passive solar air
heaters used successfully to substitute for gas consumption - but for
space heating rather than drying clothes.

That is beautiful!

--Winston
 
W

Winston

Jan 1, 1970
0
Neon John wrote:

....
I think that I have better things to do with my time than try to save a buck
and a half a month. Even if you're paying some obscene power rate like in NYC
or CA, it still doesn't make sense. Especially since it STILL costs money to
run the motor.

John

I see what you mean.
Perhaps the biggest bang for the buck isn't in clothes drying.
Even at the U$0.12 per kwhr I'm paying, the total equivalent bill
would be under U$30.00 a year for me.

I hear that 56% of my energy dollar goes to space heating.
If I could cut that out of my energy bill, I could save ~U$628 a year.
That's more like it!

--Winston
 
V

Vaughn Simon

Jan 1, 1970
0
Winston said:
I see what you mean.
Perhaps the biggest bang for the buck isn't in clothes drying.
Even at the U$0.12 per kwhr I'm paying, the total equivalent bill
would be under U$30.00 a year for me.


Exactly! if you are casting around for a way to save power expense, look
first at things that are running most of the time; forget things that are rarely
used. In your kitchen, it would do you little good to have the world's most
efficient toaster, but your refrigerator may be the cause of a significant
portion of your electric bill. On which should you invest your time/money?


--
Vaughn

.........................................................
Nothing personal, but if you are posting through Google Groups I may not receive
your message. Google refuses to control the flood of spam messages originating
in their system, so on any given day I may or may not have Google blocked. Try
a real NNTP server & news reader program and you will never go back. All you
need is access to an NNTP server (AKA "news server") and a news reader program.
You probably already have a news reader program in your computer (Hint: Outlook
Express). Assuming that your Usenet needs are modest, use
http://news.aioe.org/ for free and/or http://www.teranews.com/ for a one-time
$3.95 setup fee.
..........................................................

Will poofread for food.
 
V

Vaughn Simon

Jan 1, 1970
0
Neon John said:
One method of zoning, even with a central unit, is to install a window unit or
mini-split in the bedroom or office or wherever you spend most of your time

We do much the same. We could never get away with it if we were not "empty
nesters" but we run our central air only about about 5 hours a day (in south
Florida), and then only in the evening hours. At night, we use a bedroom window
unit (soon to be a mini-split). In the heat of the day we retire to the study
and use our little window unit there. We only turn on the central air from
about 5 PM to a bit before bedtime. Our old central air system can make a warm
house comfortable in 10 to 15 minutes. Our last electric bill was slightly
over $100.00 and we stay comfortable 24/7.
The portable unit is on wheels and has
a hose that connects to a window opening to conduct the hot air and condensate
outside.

Portables do not make sense where I live; at least, not single hose
portables. The problem is that they drag too much humidity from outside in the
makeup air. We bought one and did extensive tests with a KAW before giving up
on the idea. Besides being inefficient compared to the old window unit that had
an inferior SEER rating, it did not properly dispose of the condisate, and would
shut itself off in the middle of the night when it filled with water. Further,
even when it finally got our room cool, the humidity was still noticibly higher,
so the comfort was reduced. They may work fine if you do not live in a humid
area. We will be taking ours to our daughter's house in the California bay
area, where I expect it will do better.


--
Vaughn

.........................................................
Nothing personal, but if you are posting through Google Groups I may not receive
your message. Google refuses to control the flood of spam messages originating
in their system, so on any given day I may or may not have Google blocked. Try
a real NNTP server & news reader program and you will never go back. All you
need is access to an NNTP server (AKA "news server") and a news reader program.
You probably already have a news reader program in your computer (Hint: Outlook
Express). Assuming that your Usenet needs are modest, use
http://news.aioe.org/ for free and/or http://www.teranews.com/ for a one-time
$3.95 setup fee.
..........................................................

Will poofread for food.
 
M

Malcolm \Mal\ Reynolds

Jan 1, 1970
0
I dunno, but this looks like turd polishing to me. Given the tiny cost
involved, there is no return on investment, at least not over a
reasonable time period.

I've measured my electric dryer. It draws 2.2kW and takes 45 minutes to
dry a large load. It's an old dryer, not one of the newer more
efficient ones. That 2.2kW * 0.75hr = 1.65kWh. At our current $0.08 per
kWh power rate, that costs 13.2 cents a load. I'm single and run from 2
to 4 loads a week. Let's call it 3. That's $0.132 * 4weeks * 3loads =
$1.58 a month.

I think that I have better things to do with my time than try to save a
buck and a half a month. Even if you're paying some obscene power rate
like in NYC or CA, it still doesn't make sense. Especially since it
STILL costs money to run the motor.


While mine is gas and what you write is true, I don't waste my time doing
this. I save a little on my bill, I reduce my carbon foot print and it
keeps me on track.
 
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