Saving money on Clothes Dryer run times

Xringer · 09-23-13, 06:38 PM

I'm not sure how the 'dry' sensor works on our Clothes Dryer,
but when I was installing a weather sensor for another project,
http://ecorenovator.org/forum/31718-post325.html
I noticed the clothes dryer vent was only about 5 feet away
from my outdoor sensor. (Temperature & RH).

I realized it was too close to dryer vent. It would interfere with it's readings.
Temperature and RH would be effected. Both readings would increase.

Anyway, I've programed the CAI controller to use the RH
to control my basement ventilation fan.
(To avoid pulling moist air into the basement).

I also realized that our dryer would be pumping many CF of air
out of the basement. So if there was interference, that might be okay,
since the dryer would give the fresh air fan a little break.

So, this afternoon, the RH readout on my Iphone shot up..
I heard the X10 module shut off the basement fresh air ventilation fan..

Ah Ha, my wife is drying come clothes.. So, I watched the RH for a while..
It was up in the 80% range, then slowly drifted down to normal. (less then 65%).

I asked my wife, 'do you think those clothes are dry? (They were)!
On the second load, when I heard the ventilation fan turn back on,
I told my wife, 'your clothes are dry'.. (Right again)!!

In both cases, the dryer was still running. Overheating the laundry..

So, if you have a remote displaying humidity sensor near your vent output,
you can tell when your laundry is dry.. and shut off the dryer!

where2 · 09-23-13, 07:02 PM

My drier has so many 5 options, if it was overdrying the clothes, I'd set it to a "less dry" option.

When is the last time you disassembled the undercarriage ducts in your drier and vacuumed the accumulated lint out? Although my drier is not that old, and simply vents through two 90° bends and straight out a concrete block wall (total of 24" of vent hose, tops), I still get accumulations of lint and pet hair stuck in the tubing and hung up on the sensors.

I also vacuum off the snail shaped coils on my refrigerator every 6-12 months. I had to add a sort of "lint & fur" trap to the front of the coil after the fan, because it tended to cake heavily with pet fur. (the difference between an engineering lab testing, and a real house = pet fur)

Xringer · 09-23-13, 09:21 PM

We don't have any pets..

Once in a while, I'll vacuum out the lint.. Just did it at my kid's house this summer.
We have 'less dry' and it actually means 'wet' in our case.

Just cleaned out the refrigerator last month. I should figure out a dust trap of it.

I installed a sort of "dust bunny" trap in one of my larger PCs.
It had too many exhaust fans and it sucked in all kinds of crap.
I removed two unused drive panels and placed a rectangle of air *filter in the hole.
(*cut from a central heating system filter). It works nice!

NeilBlanchard · 09-24-13, 06:18 PM

My new-ish gas dryer has the moisture sensor inside the drum. Works really well; especially since the front loading washer spins them quite well. An entire load can dry in about 20 minutes.

When it takes too long, that usually means the vent is getting clogged.

Xringer · 09-24-13, 07:18 PM

Our old model dryer still works pretty well. I've repaired it 2 or 3 times over the years.
One of these days, it's going to cost too much to repair and we'll get a new one..
I don't think it's got much of a moisture sensor (if any), so sometimes we end up
with some really HOT and very dry laundry.. That's a waste of watts!

Before I cleaned up my daughter's dryer, I started it up and went out and felt
the air coming out of the exhaust port. After vacuuming, much more air was flowing.

09-23-13, 06:38 PM	#1
Xringer Lex Parsimoniae Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Woburn, MA Posts: 4,918 Thanks: 114 Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts	Saving money on Clothes Dryer run times I'm not sure how the 'dry' sensor works on our Clothes Dryer, but when I was installing a weather sensor for another project, http://ecorenovator.org/forum/31718-post325.html I noticed the clothes dryer vent was only about 5 feet away from my outdoor sensor. (Temperature & RH). I realized it was too close to dryer vent. It would interfere with it's readings. Temperature and RH would be effected. Both readings would increase. Anyway, I've programed the CAI controller to use the RH to control my basement ventilation fan. (To avoid pulling moist air into the basement). I also realized that our dryer would be pumping many CF of air out of the basement. So if there was interference, that might be okay, since the dryer would give the fresh air fan a little break. So, this afternoon, the RH readout on my Iphone shot up.. I heard the X10 module shut off the basement fresh air ventilation fan.. Ah Ha, my wife is drying come clothes.. So, I watched the RH for a while.. It was up in the 80% range, then slowly drifted down to normal. (less then 65%). I asked my wife, 'do you think those clothes are dry? (They were)! On the second load, when I heard the ventilation fan turn back on, I told my wife, 'your clothes are dry'.. (Right again)!! In both cases, the dryer was still running. Overheating the laundry.. So, if you have a remote displaying humidity sensor near your vent output, you can tell when your laundry is dry.. and shut off the dryer! Attached Thumbnails __________________ My hobby is installing & trying to repair mini-splits EPA 608 Type 1 Technician Certification ~ 5 lbs or less.. Last edited by Xringer; 09-23-13 at 06:55 PM..

09-23-13, 09:21 PM	#3
Xringer Lex Parsimoniae Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Woburn, MA Posts: 4,918 Thanks: 114 Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts	We don't have any pets.. Once in a while, I'll vacuum out the lint.. Just did it at my kid's house this summer. We have 'less dry' and it actually means 'wet' in our case. Just cleaned out the refrigerator last month. I should figure out a dust trap of it. I installed a sort of "dust bunny" trap in one of my larger PCs. It had too many exhaust fans and it sucked in all kinds of crap. I removed two unused drive panels and placed a rectangle of air filter in the hole. (cut from a central heating system filter). It works nice! __________________ My hobby is installing & trying to repair mini-splits EPA 608 Type 1 Technician Certification ~ 5 lbs or less..

09-24-13, 07:18 PM	#5
Xringer Lex Parsimoniae Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Woburn, MA Posts: 4,918 Thanks: 114 Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts	Our old model dryer still works pretty well. I've repaired it 2 or 3 times over the years. One of these days, it's going to cost too much to repair and we'll get a new one.. I don't think it's got much of a moisture sensor (if any), so sometimes we end up with some really HOT and very dry laundry.. That's a waste of watts! Before I cleaned up my daughter's dryer, I started it up and went out and felt the air coming out of the exhaust port. After vacuuming, much more air was flowing. __________________ My hobby is installing & trying to repair mini-splits EPA 608 Type 1 Technician Certification ~ 5 lbs or less..

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09-23-13, 07:02 PM	#2
where2 DIY Geek Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Sunny Florida Posts: 401 Thanks: 74 Thanked 83 Times in 73 Posts	My drier has so many 5 options, if it was overdrying the clothes, I'd set it to a "less dry" option. When is the last time you disassembled the undercarriage ducts in your drier and vacuumed the accumulated lint out? Although my drier is not that old, and simply vents through two 90° bends and straight out a concrete block wall (total of 24" of vent hose, tops), I still get accumulations of lint and pet hair stuck in the tubing and hung up on the sensors. I also vacuum off the snail shaped coils on my refrigerator every 6-12 months. I had to add a sort of "lint & fur" trap to the front of the coil after the fan, because it tended to cake heavily with pet fur. (the difference between an engineering lab testing, and a real house = pet fur)

09-24-13, 06:18 PM	#4
NeilBlanchard Journeyman EcoRenovator Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Maynard, MA Eaarth Posts: 383 Thanks: 78 Thanked 39 Times in 32 Posts	My new-ish gas dryer has the moisture sensor inside the drum. Works really well; especially since the front loading washer spins them quite well. An entire load can dry in about 20 minutes. When it takes too long, that usually means the vent is getting clogged.