Drying Clothes (Project, Fairly Cheap)

One of the most energy intensive activities is drying clothes. The cheapest energy conserving alternative for clothes drying is obviously the clothes-line - it's free and the equipment costs just a few bucks. Unfortunately, it's not the most convenient if you live in an area with high humidity and a LOT of pollen like I do.

However, in doing some research, I found that the standard corrugated vent hose attached to the majority of clothes dryers can choke off some air-flow and make the dryer less efficient. Replacing this corrugated pipe with a periscope box vent lets the dryer sit closer to the wall, so it saves space. It also allowed the dryer to breathe better so it saves about 10 minutes per load. Since it cost around $20, that's a decent investment considering the amount of clothes we dry.

I found an article on This Old House about how to install one, so I won't go into the details. While you're going to be working on the dryer anyway, get a brush and clean out inside the exhaust hole and under the lint trap. Remove any excess lint you can find. Also, remember to clean the lint trap before every load.

You may want to take a look at your washing machine hoses, too. Make sure there are no holes, leaks, or bulges.

The dryer vent opening to the outside can also allow unconditioned air back into the home. If you have the standard dryer vent on the outside, lint can clog or trap the vent open, which removes its ability to stop backdrafts when the dryer is off. Make sure to regularly verify the vent is closing properly.