Switching to air drying can save hundreds
Switching to air drying can save hundreds
Researchers from the University of Michigan are hoping their new study will inspire some Americans to rethink their relationship with laundry. Because, no matter how you spin it, clothes dryers use a lot of comparatively costly energy when air works for free.
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Or if line drying is not practical for you for whatever reason, consider a heat pump dryer as a compromise. It dries by dehumidification instead of heat (it condenses the moisture away and continuously blows dry air at your clothes) and uses a fraction of the energy (to the point that they use the standard North American 120v 15A plug and not the giant 240v one). Most models also don't need to be vented so you won't have a tube full of lint that can catch fire. Technology Connections likened them to accelerated line drying.
But you use them for much longer... so it might be close to the same maybe?
I didnt do the calculation but someome should.
That's what I have and it's great! No exhaust to waste the hot air, just a water outlet/reservoir. It's maybe a tad slower than a conventions dryer but it still dries an entire load in an hour or less, for way cheaper.
The other factor that makes a massive difference is having a washer with a high speed spin cycle. Mine is 1200 rpm but I've seen up to 1800 rpm. Even 1200 rpm squeezes out way more water than your typically slow top-load machine.