dan_bo
How much does it cost to Oldham?
Washing line.
Dehumidifier or heat source tumble drier ?
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
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ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Correct. I just haven't checked either on either!
I know that the tumble dryer is much quicker but uses lots more power. If it uses (say) 4 times the power but takes 1/6 of the time then it wins, 5 times the power for 1/4 of the time then it loses.
The other factor though...
... is that the dehumidifier is used in a part of the house where its heat output is useful, whereas the tumble dryer heat is wasted in my cold cellar (much of that heat probably warming up the foundations of the building rather than coming up into the house).
Yes - when we don't have perma-drizzle!
That's what we do, we have a dehumidifier from when we lived in the old house with no DG so was useful for removing condensation. Now we put it in the back bedroom with a heated airer and the door closed. Can dry 2 or more full washing loads a day comfortably and it doesn't hit the electricity too hard. Cost is about 25p per hour for the dehumidifier and 11-12p for the airer, so under 40p per hour. You've got to remember to turn them off though so they don't run longer than necessary.
An A++ rated tumble drier will cost between 75p and £1 per hour to run.
AlanW
Guru
- Location
- Not to sure?
After our car was stolen last September, I had to have a rethink about what was kept in the garage. Pre the car theft, the car was on the drive and the bench/bikes/tools etc were in the garage. I was fortunate to have a large wooden workshop in the garden so after a lot of sorting out, the steel bench the bikes and tools were subsequently relocated into the workshop and the new car is now safety tucked up in the garage every night.
However, what become apparent very quickly was the issue of damp and condensation in the workshop, which was confirmed when I put a digital humidity/thermometer in there for a few days and the shocking results it revealed.
After much research, and it turned out to be a right rabbit hole. but there are two different types of dehumidifiers, refrigerant (compressor) or desiccant and it all depends on the temperature of the location that you intend to use your unit as to which is the best for your application.
For my application which was primary always going to be at low temperatures, the desiccant type would be the most suitable. So, I ended up with one of these in the end - https://www.meaco.com/products/meaco-dd8l-zambezi-dehumidifier
To be honest, it is quite astonishing how much water is draws from the air in just a couple of hours! I have it set on the built-in timer to come on for a couple of hours first thing in the morning, but if you set a level humidity level on the unit that you want the room (or in my case the workshop) to be at and once that level is reached, the unit will cut out.
That said, on occasions we have moved the unit indoors to help dry the washing, as it does have a separate "dry washing" mode. Hang the washing up on a clothes drier, switch the unit on and shut the door. Return a couple of hours later, all done
However, what become apparent very quickly was the issue of damp and condensation in the workshop, which was confirmed when I put a digital humidity/thermometer in there for a few days and the shocking results it revealed.
After much research, and it turned out to be a right rabbit hole. but there are two different types of dehumidifiers, refrigerant (compressor) or desiccant and it all depends on the temperature of the location that you intend to use your unit as to which is the best for your application.
For my application which was primary always going to be at low temperatures, the desiccant type would be the most suitable. So, I ended up with one of these in the end - https://www.meaco.com/products/meaco-dd8l-zambezi-dehumidifier
To be honest, it is quite astonishing how much water is draws from the air in just a couple of hours! I have it set on the built-in timer to come on for a couple of hours first thing in the morning, but if you set a level humidity level on the unit that you want the room (or in my case the workshop) to be at and once that level is reached, the unit will cut out.
That said, on occasions we have moved the unit indoors to help dry the washing, as it does have a separate "dry washing" mode. Hang the washing up on a clothes drier, switch the unit on and shut the door. Return a couple of hours later, all done
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Our de-humidifier runs at 200w-300w depending upon fan speed. Dryer is 3000w. Yes a dehumidifier takes longer but you'll have a bigger quantity of dry clothes !
Drying clothes, heat loss and humidity are all issues which can be alleviated with MVHR system.
They're into the 90s% range for heat recovery.
So the energy used in creating heat is not lost, but redistributed throughout the building. Moisture is removed to keep humidity levels in check.
Very few buildings have MVHR, but it should be standard on all newbuilds.
I fitted it to a newbuild, it worked extremely well, keeping all rooms throughout the house within 1 °C and humidity spot.
They're into the 90s% range for heat recovery.
So the energy used in creating heat is not lost, but redistributed throughout the building. Moisture is removed to keep humidity levels in check.
Very few buildings have MVHR, but it should be standard on all newbuilds.
I fitted it to a newbuild, it worked extremely well, keeping all rooms throughout the house within 1 °C and humidity spot.
OP
OP
gbb
Legendary Member
- Location
- Peterborough
Having done some homework and taken in what you all suggest....we're back where we started 
Talked to people with heated air driers, dehumidifiers and heat pump driers and you get such a range of views, for and against, you can't unpick which way to go.
Friends wife has a heated clothes horse, she manages fine but my wife's colleagues have suggested from their experiences they're just not very good.
Same with heat pump driers.
Same with dehumidifiers.
I think based on purchase and running cost...a heat pump drier is falling from our preference. Wife seems dead set against a heated clothes horse....I dunno, I'm just going to let her mull it over, but a dehumidifier seems most likely.
Getting fed up of clothes hanging round over the house, gotta do something but it seems my wife's preferences should probably, and rightly be favoured.
Thanks all.
Talked to people with heated air driers, dehumidifiers and heat pump driers and you get such a range of views, for and against, you can't unpick which way to go.
Friends wife has a heated clothes horse, she manages fine but my wife's colleagues have suggested from their experiences they're just not very good.
Same with heat pump driers.
Same with dehumidifiers.
I think based on purchase and running cost...a heat pump drier is falling from our preference. Wife seems dead set against a heated clothes horse....I dunno, I'm just going to let her mull it over, but a dehumidifier seems most likely.
Getting fed up of clothes hanging round over the house, gotta do something but it seems my wife's preferences should probably, and rightly be favoured.
Thanks all.
Interesting thread , currently got two clothes horses up. 5 of us so washing is on all the time. The issue is I’ve restricted the heating , drying clothes was not an issue in the past but it is now. Tumble dryer has been banned from use. Dehumidifier might work ?
winjim
Smash the cistern
We've got MVHR but I think the problem with it is that the downstairs loo doesn't have a radiator, which means in winter it's extracting freezing cold air so there's no heat for the heat exchanger to exchange. So it's just blowing cold air into every room.
AlanW
Guru
- Location
- Not to sure?
Providing you get the correct type of dehumidifier, it would definitely work. If you go for a high capacity one, trust me, you will be gob smacked how much water it draws out of the air in a relatively short amount of time!
MontyVeda
a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
- Location
- Lancaster... the little city.
Single bloke in a first floor flat. I get by just hanging everything off the radiators and it dries eventually. Not ideal but is the cheap option.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
A heated clothes horse will only do so much. Blooming great for drying shoes, but it can't dry lots of items quickly.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
It will. Its how we are drying 4 adults stuff.
It will be drying sons duvet today. Manages that well with duvet over clothes horse and dehumidifier below.
link to one for example ?
