Using attic heat to dry clothes and help cool the house - Page 3

oil pan 4 · 08-20-14, 10:37 AM

I picked up a second clothes dryer for free. I keep it out side in the shed, the shed has 220 volt power already for air compressor, plasma cutter and welding machines.
During the summer I use the clothes line and out side clothes dryer.
The boss says she wants her clothes ran through the dryer. She works in a hospital and we have a dog that never stops sheading. Other wise I would not own a clothes dryer, as I did for 6 years when I lived in virginia.

I didn't realize how much energy it was saving. The house stays a lot cooler during the summer not using a clothes dryer thats for sure.

Then during the winter we use the inside clothes dryer, vented inside the house. If it uses 2.2KwH per cycle thats over 12,000 BTUs of reused heat.

oil pan 4 · 08-20-14, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exeric

That's sounds like a great idea. One thing that might be a problem is trying to use that method in winter.

Dont worry about winter, clothes will still dry.
In maine we used the clothes line out side in the middle of winter.
Hang clothes up, they freeze solid but will still dry but will take a day or 2. We also had a lot of wind blowing.

ICanHas · 08-27-14, 08:14 AM

It is hot because of lack of ventilation. Drying clothes in unventilated space and humidifying it up there on a regular basis might encourage pests, mold and odor.

Any expert here who can weigh in on this?

jeff5may · 09-01-14, 06:19 AM

Not an expert in building science, but I can tell you this: if your attic becomes unbearably hot on a sunny afternoon year-round, it isn't ventilated properly and is costing you comfort and/or money. Likewise, if a damp load of laundry is enough to mold up the attic, something is awry. By design, attic spaces should be able to breathe.

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08-20-14, 10:37 AM	#21
oil pan 4 Land owner Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NM Posts: 1,026 Thanks: 12 Thanked 127 Times in 107 Posts	I picked up a second clothes dryer for free. I keep it out side in the shed, the shed has 220 volt power already for air compressor, plasma cutter and welding machines. During the summer I use the clothes line and out side clothes dryer. The boss says she wants her clothes ran through the dryer. She works in a hospital and we have a dog that never stops sheading. Other wise I would not own a clothes dryer, as I did for 6 years when I lived in virginia. I didn't realize how much energy it was saving. The house stays a lot cooler during the summer not using a clothes dryer thats for sure. Then during the winter we use the inside clothes dryer, vented inside the house. If it uses 2.2KwH per cycle thats over 12,000 BTUs of reused heat.

08-27-14, 08:14 AM	#23
ICanHas Banned Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: US Posts: 150 Thanks: 7 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	It is hot because of lack of ventilation. Drying clothes in unventilated space and humidifying it up there on a regular basis might encourage pests, mold and odor. Any expert here who can weigh in on this?

09-01-14, 06:19 AM	#24
jeff5may Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: elizabethtown, ky, USA Posts: 2,427 Thanks: 430 Thanked 618 Times in 516 Posts	Not an expert in building science, but I can tell you this: if your attic becomes unbearably hot on a sunny afternoon year-round, it isn't ventilated properly and is costing you comfort and/or money. Likewise, if a damp load of laundry is enough to mold up the attic, something is awry. By design, attic spaces should be able to breathe.