Quick Tip: Save Money Using Your Tumble Dryer

Tumble dryers are very energy intensive appliances since significant amounts of energy are required to heat clothes in order to dry them. As a result, tumble dryers can be one of the major users of energy in households and consumers should carefully consider the energy use of a tumble dryer before making a decision to purchase, as the lifetime cost of using a tumble dryer is often very high.

Clean the lint filter on the dryer after each operation to maintain full air flow and to maximise the drying efficiency.
Dryers equipped with an electronic humidity control are the most efficient because they automatically shut off the drying cycle when the clothes are dry. Other models are equipped with electric timers which, allow you to select the length of the drying cycle. Here it is important not to overestimate the length of the drying cycle.
A permanent press cycle with a “cool-down” period saves energy and dries efficiently.
Compact dryers are economical provided that you only have small amounts of clothes to dry. Never overload a tumble dryer but avoid under-loading as well.
Use correct temperature settings to minimise the amount of electricity consumed.
Over-dried clothes feel harsh and waste energy. Experiment to find the right setting. Some natural materials such as cotton and wool should retain some moisture to avoid wrinkling.
Clothes should never be placed in the tumble dryer dripping with water. They should have as much moisture removed beforehand and they should never be folded before being placed in the dryer.
Dry clothes in consecutive loads where possible. The dryer will be warm already and will save on initial energy consumption.
On sunny days take advantage of good weather and dry your clothes outside.

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To protect consumers from purchasing inefficient tumble dryers, Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) have been set for tumble dryers. Currently, only tumble dryers with an Energy Efficiency Rating of Class D or better can be sold.

A key consideration for consumers considering buying a tumble dryer is the annual cost of running a tumble dryer.

Samsung Heat Pump Tumble Dryer — A Heat Pump Tumble Dryer like this Samsung can set you back around R13 000.00

It was Frenchman Pochons, who in 1799 created the ventilator – and it was this initial design that became the early antecedent of the tumble dryer. Essentially a metal drum with holes, clothing was placed inside the drum and dried over an open fire with a hand cranking system.

It was a design that worked, but it did suffer the major disadvantage of leaving clothes smelling of smoke and occasionally dusted in soot. Its basic design, however – a ventilator system comprising of a metal drum with holes – remains the foundation of all tumble dryers.

American George Sampson, patented the first name ‘clothes dryer’ in 1892. It took the basics of Pochon’s original design and dramatically improved on them – he came up with the idea of a metal drum with a rack that dried clothes but away from the main source of heat. Replacing the original open fire concept with a stove, it made the dryer not only more efficacious, but also safer.

Even as early as 1915, it was possible for consumers to purchase early design tumble dryers for their home. As with any new technology, however, it came at a price, and the luxury of being able to dry your clothes so quickly and conveniently came with a hefty price tag.

It wasn’t until 1938 that another inventor, J. Ross Moore, further refined the tumble dryer’s design that made it possible for the general public to purchase the dryer at a more cost-effective and pocket-friendly price. Called ‘June Day’, it came in gas and electric models.

The 1940s saw tumble dryer sales go stratospheric, and it wasn’t long before a battle commenced amongst various manufacturers and brands keen to capitalise on the dryer’s success. For the consumer, this had the advantage of driving the price down even more.

The end of World War II saw the baby boomer generation take advantage of even further advances in tumble dryer technology. The mid-to-late 40s saw the addition of temperature controls, timers, exhaust mechanisms and a cool cycle.

In the 1950s a dryness sensor was invented, meaning that the dryer would automatically switch off when the clothes were dry – an innovation that saved time and money for consumers.

1965 saw the release of the permanent press cycle. In the mid-70s a microelectronic controller facility was added to tumble dryers – a feature that improved on the dryness sensor that effectively controlled all aspects of the drying cycle, including the length of time and levels of dryness.

1983 saw the additional feature of delayed start timers in tumble dryers, meaning people could set their dryers to start at specific times of the day.

Saving energy is the 21st century mantra, but in the mid-80s this was a revolutionary way of allowing people to monitor and conserve their energy usage.

Further advances have been made to cater for the green culture and modern obsession of energy efficiency, and these developmental leaps mean money and natural resources continue to be saved.

The Hydronic Dryer was created by Hydromate Technologies, and uses hydronic power to dry clothes. And LCD touch screens – similar to the control functions of many modern appliances – are a common feature of contemporary tumble dryers that allow you to, for example, pre-set buttons and functions of the drying cycle, including start and stop times.

Even one of the most common complaints about previous dryers – the noise – has partially been remedied by new models which have noise reduction features, as well as specially designed suspension systems that reduce the levels of shaking of the machines.