Using one of these, for the first time, I have actually been able to check the cost of drying washing - using a lash up system I devised years ago for use in winter....
The 'lash up system' is just an alternative (cheaper) to using the dryer, in our condensing washer/dryer. Said lash up is installed in our utility room, where the washer/dryer is. It comprise six plastic covered, stainless steel wires, of around 3mm. Actually just one length of wire, run between a series of six hooks, at each end of the utility around 12 feet long each run. Hooks are robust ones, screwed into two lengths of timber, which in turn are fixed with a pair of 3/8th Rawlbolts to the end walls, 5" below the ceiling. The steel wire is pulled just as tight as I could manage, to avoid sagging under load.
Damp clothes, just hung up to dry, would take forever to dry and cause damp issues in the room, so I added a fan to move the air around the room and an dehumidifier, which has a built in humidity sensor setting to trigger it. There is a radiator in there, but it hardly makes that much difference to the temperature in the poorly insulated room, not really a problem, because part of it serves as a pantry and wine store.
As said, I was curious about the actual consumption of my lash up drying system, so I ran a test today of the combined fan and dehumidifier consumption. I loaded the lines with two machine loads of washing, then switched both on, closed the door and left it for 6 hours, rather longer than necessary to dry the clothes. Total consumption over those 6 hours was 1.25 Kwh, at a cost of around 20p. Quite pleased with that, I wonder what it might have cost to do both loads in the machine? Maybe check the cost of the actual wash next?
Normally the drying is done overnight, switch on last thing at night, switch off first thing in the morning with everything usually dry.
As it is quite cool in there, things can feel still damp, even when they are dry, so to check - I keep a damp meter in there too, to check the moisture content before calling heavier items dry.
The 'lash up system' is just an alternative (cheaper) to using the dryer, in our condensing washer/dryer. Said lash up is installed in our utility room, where the washer/dryer is. It comprise six plastic covered, stainless steel wires, of around 3mm. Actually just one length of wire, run between a series of six hooks, at each end of the utility around 12 feet long each run. Hooks are robust ones, screwed into two lengths of timber, which in turn are fixed with a pair of 3/8th Rawlbolts to the end walls, 5" below the ceiling. The steel wire is pulled just as tight as I could manage, to avoid sagging under load.
Damp clothes, just hung up to dry, would take forever to dry and cause damp issues in the room, so I added a fan to move the air around the room and an dehumidifier, which has a built in humidity sensor setting to trigger it. There is a radiator in there, but it hardly makes that much difference to the temperature in the poorly insulated room, not really a problem, because part of it serves as a pantry and wine store.
As said, I was curious about the actual consumption of my lash up drying system, so I ran a test today of the combined fan and dehumidifier consumption. I loaded the lines with two machine loads of washing, then switched both on, closed the door and left it for 6 hours, rather longer than necessary to dry the clothes. Total consumption over those 6 hours was 1.25 Kwh, at a cost of around 20p. Quite pleased with that, I wonder what it might have cost to do both loads in the machine? Maybe check the cost of the actual wash next?
Normally the drying is done overnight, switch on last thing at night, switch off first thing in the morning with everything usually dry.
As it is quite cool in there, things can feel still damp, even when they are dry, so to check - I keep a damp meter in there too, to check the moisture content before calling heavier items dry.
