Energy Efficiency Considerations for Clothes Dryers

Since clothes dryers are not strictly regulated by the U.S. government, there is no list of specific requirements that would lead to the development and subsequent participation of clothes dryers in the ENERGY STAR program. A dryer will typically operate for 12  to 15 years and it would not be cost-effective to replace a well-functioning dryer before that amount of time has passed. This is particularly true given the existence of higher spin-speeds in clothes washers that extract more water mechanically after the rinse cycle and thereby reduce drying times.

Improving the Energy Efficiency of Clothes Dryers

Consumers should consider the following factors in using clothes dryers in the they are seeking to improve their overall energy efficiency:

• Automatic Shut-off: In terms of design, the extent to which a dryer can sense dryness and turn-off automatically is the key feature that differentiates clothes dryers with respect to energy efficiency. The optimum configuration or approach involves the placement of moisture sensors in the drum (for sensing dryness). Less expensive and less effective clothes dryers typically measure dryness by sensing the exhaust air temperature. The least expensive and least efficient clothes dryers of this design are controlled by a thermostat. Any of these three types of design are preferable to the traditional timed-dry machines.
• Load Size: As with selecting and using clothes washers, care should be taken to avoid under loading or overloading clothes dryers for optimal resource use.
• Auto-Dry Setting: Use of an auto-dry setting (if available) avoids unnecessary waste of energy and over drying, which causes shrinkage and generally shortens the life of one’s clothes as well as improves energy efficiency.
• Drying Time: Where possible, dry similar fabrics together and/or dry multiple loads in quick succession to capture the advantages of residual heat.

For information on energy efficient clothes washers click here.