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A Wiser Dryer
Having yet to even consider purchasing my first clothes washer/dryer set, the only thing I can think of that drew me into the world of the Dryer Miser is the fact that it uses an environmentally friendly liquid to dry clothes. Call me a sucker for an oxymoron.
First introduced to the public at the 2008 International Builders’ Show, “the Dryer Miser system uses a specially-engineered fluid in the heat exchange process to reduce energy consumption by up to 50% and cut clothes-drying time by up to 41%,” writes Gizmag. This could be huge for an appliance industry that’s known for sucking down energy, producing CO2, and not having an Energy Star label in sight.
The Dryer Miser dries your clothes with hydronics, a process that uses water or other fluids to transfer heat from one location to another; steam and hot water radiators are one of the oldest forms of hydronic technology. Supposedly, the system reduces drying time, produces less CO2, and causes fewer wrinkles.
Keep in mind that the system is not a new dryer, but a tubular part that a technician attaches onto the back of your machine. Also, it’s not yet on the market. Produced by Hydromatic Technologies, the company has applied for a patent on their product, and is expecting to be on the market in Fall 2009. The Department of Energy has given the prototype a go-ahead, and Underwriters Laboratory, an independent safety certification company, is expected to give their nod of approval this month.
First introduced to the public at the 2008 International Builders’ Show, “the Dryer Miser system uses a specially-engineered fluid in the heat exchange process to reduce energy consumption by up to 50% and cut clothes-drying time by up to 41%,” writes Gizmag. This could be huge for an appliance industry that’s known for sucking down energy, producing CO2, and not having an Energy Star label in sight.
The Dryer Miser dries your clothes with hydronics, a process that uses water or other fluids to transfer heat from one location to another; steam and hot water radiators are one of the oldest forms of hydronic technology. Supposedly, the system reduces drying time, produces less CO2, and causes fewer wrinkles.
Keep in mind that the system is not a new dryer, but a tubular part that a technician attaches onto the back of your machine. Also, it’s not yet on the market. Produced by Hydromatic Technologies, the company has applied for a patent on their product, and is expecting to be on the market in Fall 2009. The Department of Energy has given the prototype a go-ahead, and Underwriters Laboratory, an independent safety certification company, is expected to give their nod of approval this month.
Molly Webster is the assistant editor at OnEarth magazine. She is also the science producer for The Takeaway, a radio production from Public Radio International, the New York Times, and the BBC that's causing a radio revolution. Works appear in Scien... READ MORE >
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Interesting post, Molly. I'm always trying to find ways to cut back on my energy use -- especially with a dryer. Whenever you feel the radiant heat coming off one, you know -- energy conservation is not their game.
And while I applaud the move to use less energy, wouldn’t it be better to use no energy at all? I’m talking about clotheslines.
Clotheslines offer a number of advantages beyond reducing your energy consumption. Consider:
- Your clothes last longer
- Sunlight both bleaches and disinfects
- Whereas indoor racks can actually humidify the room in dry, winter weather
- And some even argue they smell better
The biggest barrier to using clotheslines, it seems to me, is the stigma we associate with them. We’ve come to associate clotheslines with lower income neighborhoods – with those who can’t afford the luxury of a dryer.
But isn’t it time we reassess this association? Those who hang their clothes out choice aren’t dong so because they can’t afford the dryer, but because they understand the social and environmental cost of dryers. We should thank them, not criticize them.
After all, as Benjamin Franklin said, “We must all hang together, or most assuredly we will all hang separately.”
If you’re compelled, April 19 is National Hanging Out Day. That’s the day to hang ‘em high.
I had got a dream to make my own firm, nevertheless I didn't earn enough amount of cash to do this. Thank goodness my fellow said to use the loans. Hence I used the student loan and realized my dream.