Do you use electric clothes dryers?

Bendy_House

lisyloo said:

I use a dehumidifier in a spare room. Might take 2 days to dry all clothes (some dry more quickly) but it stops the room and contents getting damp and costs pennies to run.

Could you instead try just opening the windows in that room to full, and not using the dehumidifier?

Your room will not become damp, and I think you'll find it'll dry the clothes very effectively. When they are near-full dry, move them to the main 'warm' house for final airing.

You only need a dehumidifier when there's a lack of ventilation (or a disaster has occurred to your home - but even then it'll be largely ineffective if the doors and windows are also open - you'll be dehumidifying the outside atmosphere...). Opening a couple of windows will give you lots of ventilation, usually all you need to get the job done.

At no cost - keep the radiator off. 

Bendy_House

Ditto with these drying racks. I think the ones with a cover will focus the air flow more, and that should help. BUT, get one with a 'fan-only' setting, and place it in a spare room with the windows open and the radiator off.

Jobbie almost certainly jobbed.

You might wish to turn on the heating part at the very end - that's your call. But for 99% of the drying, it'll simply be a waste.

Just (a) get an airflow going over your clothes, and (b) ventilate the resulting moisture away. Opening windows do both.

simonmcl

I use a JML dry buddy. You put clothes on hangers and put it in the unit, zip up the outer cover and turn in the low wattage fan heater and within a couple of hours the stuff is dry. Don’t seem to have any problem with condensation and it also helps keep the chill off the air in the room.

A cheaper alternative is a std airer, a 200 watt heater and an old sheet.  Load the airer as usual, put the sheet over the top to create a tent cover then put the heater at the bottom. 

Bendy_House

simonmcl said:

I use a JML dry buddy. You put clothes on hangers and put it in the unit, zip up the outer cover and turn in the low wattage fan heater and within a couple of hours the stuff is dry. Don’t seem to have any problem with condensation and it also helps keep the chill off the air in the room.

A cheaper alternative is a std airer, a 200 watt heater and an old sheet.  Load the airer as usual, put the sheet over the top to create a tent cover then put the heater at the bottom. 

Can you turn off the heater on that drier?

In an unheated but ventilated room, it should work. Perhaps not as quickly, but certainly more cheaply!

getmore4less

lisyloo said:

I use a dehumidifier in a spare room. Might take 2 days to dry all clothes (some dry more quickly) but it stops the room and contents getting damp and costs pennies to run.

We use a dehumidifier in a smaller box, 

Its called a heat pump tumble dryer.

Stuck a meter on it, uses around 650wh to do a load of sheets(over 3 samples)  the specs say 1kwh-1.9kwh for 1/2 to full load
just under 1.95kw .

What does the dehumidifier use over 24hr to dry a room full of sheets?


Washer used around 750wh each of 3  for 60c eco wash.

YoungBlueEyes

This'll sound like a troll question, but can I ask - Bendy I've heard you say a few times about leaving windows wide open for the breeze to dry washing indoors. But what I don't understand is how it would dry clothes if/when the outside air is damp. Wouldn't it just be letting damp air into a damp(ening) room?  So how would the washing dry...?

grumbler

YoungBlueEyes said:

This'll sound like a troll question, but can I ask - Bendy I've heard you say a few times about leaving windows wide open for the breeze to dry washing indoors. But what I don't understand is how it would dry clothes if/when the outside air is damp. Wouldn't it just be letting damp air into a damp(ening) room?  So how would the washing dry...?

Relative humidity of the outside 'damp' air is almost never 100% (and it drops when this air gets warmer indoors). As long as the humidity is below 100%, washing dries, just more slowly. 

grandadgolfer

On clothes horse in spare bedroom door closed window open 

YoungBlueEyes

But if the air coming in the window is damper than the washing…. 

How damp are clothes after a good spin? If clothes are 50% damp and the incoming air is 80% humid, wouldn’t the clothes just absorb the humidity from the air til it all evened out? 

I don’t get it 🤨

Bendy_House

YoungBlueEyes said:

This'll sound like a troll question, but can I ask - Bendy I've heard you say a few times about leaving windows wide open for the breeze to dry washing indoors. But what I don't understand is how it would dry clothes if/when the outside air is damp. Wouldn't it just be letting damp air into a damp(ening) room?  So how would the washing dry...?

As Grumb says. And a perfectly reasonable question, as it does initially seem counter-intuitive.

Wet clothes can be said to be - what? - at 100% humidity?! The air outside is at nowhere close to this. 

Yes, in wet weather, drying will be more slow, and ditto if there's little air flow. And ditto ditto when it's cold. But you can witness it yourself if you look at covered areas outside when it's raining - they'll be bone dry. I don't just mean the ground, but all the surfaces - they will NOT be damp, even tho' it's piddling down around it. Ditto your wet car - park it in your garage and shut the door, and it'll still be wet the next day. Leave the door open, and it'll likely dry in a few hours - while it's still raining. 

Even leaving out the drying-clothes part, if you have a room that isn't being used over winter, then turn off the heating (tho' leave it on 'frost'), open the windows to vent setting, and close the door to the rest of the house. It'll be COLD in there, yes, but NOT mouldy or damp or musty. Why? Because the outside air will ventilate it, and keep its humidity down.

All folk have to do is try it! If it doesn't work for them, then fair do's!

Yes, adding heat will increase evaporation, BUT that means the surrounding air will also be containing more moisture, so if that ISN'T ventilated away, then it'll both slow down further drying, and risk causing condensation in the coldest corners it can find. If it IS ventilated away, then you are losing heat.