Yes, the same principle as that for hanging the washing - except my version is in my back garden, supported and raised at the house eves by a heavy counter -weight, pulled down by a hand winch.
Where is the electric going?
- Thread starter ericmark
- Start date
Yes, the same principle as that for hanging the washing - except my version is in my back garden, supported and raised at the house eves by a heavy counter -weight, pulled down by a hand winch.
Sponsored Links
So a fairly large heat-pump drier then
When we moved we decided to invest in a heat pump model since the old drier was rather noisy and had a bit of a leak. It was OK out in the shed at our old place, but not in the kitchen here. The heat pump model is a lot quieter, and doesn't put out much heat - what it does put out contributes to the heating, which in the kitchen is via a totally inadequate "designer" radiator
No, it is just a normal domestic dehumidifier, the type on castor wheels. I mounted in on the wall on an unused CRT TV bracket. The fan is just a desktop fan, I adapted to mount on a wall just to stir the air in the room.
I think you missed the subtlety there.
What you've described is exactly how a heat-pump drier works. The "active gubbins" is basically a dehumidifier, but instead of sucking in air from the room, it's sucking in air that's circulating round the drum full of clothes. So you have in effect created a room sized heat-pump clothes drier
I'm toying with something similar myself when I build the garage extention, but using a heat-recovery ventilation system - the room will also be a wet-room shower, downstairs for when we get a bit older and more decrepit than we already are
Oh, I understand now.
Thanks. It is a very effective system and a very economic way to dry clothes indoors, but obviously it has to be done in a sealed room. Our now old washer /drier is a condensing type. It uses electric to rotate the drum and provide heat, then cold water to chill the condenser. So a double saving to be had, because we are on a water meter.Sponsored Links
- Joined
- 27 Jan 2008
- Messages
- 23,630
- Reaction score
- 2,662
- Location
- Llanfair Caereinion, Nr Welshpool
- Country
When working as a tunnel boring machine electrician in Hong Kong I took a 40 foot container and fitted a curtain down the centre and a air conditioning unit and a wall mounted fan heater, the fan circulated the hot air which at end of circle when past the AC which removed the moisture it had gathered, the was a continuous stream of water from the AC and it would dry 20 pairs soaking overalls in 4 hours. Likely would have dried more but at time only 20 workers on sight. Until I set that up it was impossible to dry them in 8 hours hanging under cover but in open air.
The problem was humidity, you can hang your washing out protected from rain but still getting wind in a carport, and with even 75% humidity they will dry, but in 95% humidity not a chance. Oddly they will also not dry in nearly zero humidity, once air is before freezing moisture drops out so it is very dry, but once garment is frozen the water stays there. So in the winter the carport will not work for drying.
So using a tumble dryer is likely using far less energy than my drying room, and one only needs one deposit of bird lime and they need washing all over again, same with neighbours BBQ.
However I am still uncertain as to if there is some item switched on using power? The plug in power meter is great, I can see what my TV set up uses,
I can see the SkyQ, TV, and Blueray box use 26 watt on standby and 87 watt while watching, as to why it reduced to 9 watt then at 6 am returned to using 26 watt unknown.
But each plug in item can be monitored,
chest freezer shows how often the motor cuts in and how much power is used, however a meter on the whole supply does show me in living room when tumble drier and washer complete down below, but under 0.5 kW it is hard to work out what has started to run, central heating pump is 100W so hard to see when it has started and stopped when so many other items also use around the 100 watt.
The chance I would realise if a bathroom fan was left on, or loft light left on is slim.
The problem was humidity, you can hang your washing out protected from rain but still getting wind in a carport, and with even 75% humidity they will dry, but in 95% humidity not a chance. Oddly they will also not dry in nearly zero humidity, once air is before freezing moisture drops out so it is very dry, but once garment is frozen the water stays there. So in the winter the carport will not work for drying.
So using a tumble dryer is likely using far less energy than my drying room, and one only needs one deposit of bird lime and they need washing all over again, same with neighbours BBQ.
However I am still uncertain as to if there is some item switched on using power? The plug in power meter is great, I can see what my TV set up uses,
But each plug in item can be monitored,
The chance I would realise if a bathroom fan was left on, or loft light left on is slim.
You have too much spare time .
I think you meant zero temperature there, rather than humidity? The warmer my 'drying room' is, the more quickly I find things dry in it, but air circulation and below 50% humidity seems to be important. My weather station logs and reports the internal humidity in the house generally, as around 42 to 50%.
I have the dehumidifier mounted high on the wall with a clear wall plastic pipe providing condensate drain to the back of the washers drain. I formed a bubble in the pipe, so it would retain some water, to be able to check the dehumidifier is working.
- Joined
- 27 Jan 2008
- Messages
- 23,630
- Reaction score
- 2,662
- Location
- Llanfair Caereinion, Nr Welshpool
- Country
Below zero degrees C water is turned into ice, so if the air temperature is below zero then also the humidity approaches zero.
I am well aware of that, but you appeared to be suggesting zero percent humidity in your post above.
DIYnot Local
Staff member
If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.
Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.
Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local
Sponsored Links
