What temperature does an electric clothes dryer run at?
I’m sure this isn’t an original idea, but I don’t see why I couldn’t modify a dryer to use heat from the hot water generated by my outside wood stove to dry clothes, effectively replacing the electric heat elements. Pump 160-180 degree F. water through a small water-to-air heat exchanger, and blow air across this radiator into the air intake of the dryer. Put the dryer on the “fluff” setting, where it just turns the drum but doesn’t heat.
I’m guessing that a dryer runs hotter than 160 degrees, but I don’t know. But if it does, that would mean it’d take longer for the clothes to dry–that’d be OK.
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From what the last GE repair guy told me, for an electric dryer......
3 different temps (like a 3 way bulb)
two heating elements, 1 small, 1 large
low heat = small element only
med heat = large element only
high heat = both elements.
He never di give actual degrees, but maybe you can check it w/ a stove thermometer? or one of those "turkey probe" types w/ a wire to the gauge outside?
well I stuck my IR thermometer in the vent and read 153 Fand its -1F outside
Too long a drying time would wear your clothes out faster. I believe its not the temperature you have to worry about so much as the btu input. If you had a good enough heat exchanger you might be able to rig the thermostats to control the temperature via a pump or fan cutout.
Just run a clothes line through the house as granny did it in the winter. 5 bucks and no extra energy bill.
168°F
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annnnnnd we know this how?
FWIW by father built a clothes dryer, back in the 40's.Cut two disk out of plywood and used dowel rods to make a drum. Mounted in the sheet metal box and connected it to the furnace. It was did not work. And we had an electric dryer as long as I can remember, but the remains where in the basement.I forgot the reason, I think that my mother said that the furnace did not run long enough to dry the clothes.
Brand new unit for customer this summer - I had to return three times to get one that dryed clothes. Since I don't like egg onmy face, I studied all their literature online and otherwise forward and back.
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OK, I thought you were Hartmanns dad for a minute there..
My clothes dryer cycles between about 125F (element turn on) and 145F (element turn off) on the high heat setting. medium heat is alittle lower than this. I found this out by way of researching the thermo-disc temp switch and actually testing it at work.