Heat Pump Dryers

[Dockhead]

I just bought new laundry equipment for one of my land homes, and the dryer is one of those newfangled heat pump ones.


Wow!!! I had no idea there had been such a revolution in dryer technology.



9kg capacity, and it draws only 850 watts!! Does not make heat, does not emit water vapor, does not wear out or wrinkle the clothes by superheating them. Just sucks the water out by blowing dehumidified cool air over the clothes. Dress shirts come out looking like they've been laundered!



Damn, wouldn't that be a perfect thing to have on the boat. Will they ever, ever, ever make a really compact one, combined with a washing machine?


The same heat pump could make the hot water for the washing machine at a fraction of the power draw.


Why, oh why doesn't someone make one of those?

[a64pilot]

How about this, the other end of a heat pump is of course the cold end.
Your clothes drier could also be your freezer . Probably be a really good freezer too, so one compressor two necessary things covered.
I have always thought it comical that we cool things and throw the heat into the house for the house HVAC to battle, and then make heat and throw away the cold too.

I’ve never heard of such a thing myself, I almost bought a GE heat pump water heater because I knew it of course would blow out cold air, which would have been nice in the bedroom of my house.

However I believe it was discontinued as people don’t care anymore about energy efficiency, they won’t pay extra for something that is way more efficient anymore, I guess that was a 70’s thing?

[Pizzazz]

They take too much space. May be you can think of just feeding hot dry air from either an air conditioning system or a diesel forced air heater into an enclosed space (the head, shower, etc.). They even have these enclosures for sale on Amazon. Then you can vent the air outside.

[a64pilot]

If you have ever taken apart a washing machine, you’ll notice that the majority of it, even a compact one is empty space.
There should be enough room to fit a compressor and have a combo washer / drier.
Being a man and not knowing any better I have always wondered why they were in two separate boxes, seems wasteful to me, why can’t a machine wash, then dry?

Even compact apt sized ones and ones in RV’s are one box sitting on top of another, drier on top of course.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I just bought new laundry equipment for one of my land homes, and the dryer is one of those newfangled heat pump ones.


Wow!!! I had no idea there had been such a revolution in dryer technology.



9kg capacity, and it draws only 850 watts!! Does not make heat, does not emit water vapor, does not wear out or wrinkle the clothes by superheating them. Just sucks the water out by blowing dehumidified cool air over the clothes. Dress shirts come out looking like they've been laundered!



Damn, wouldn't that be a perfect thing to have on the boat. Will they ever, ever, ever make a really compact one, combined with a washing machine?


The same heat pump could make the hot water for the washing machine at a fraction of the power draw.


Why, oh why doesn't someone make one of those?

They do... Your CruisAir system is a heat pump. Just turn it on and hang up your clothes to dry in your saloon.

It’s the same thing.

[cj88]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Being a man and not knowing any better I have always wondered why they were in two separate boxes, seems wasteful to me, why can’t a machine wash, then dry?

They can, plenty of models around that both wash and dry.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by cj88

They can, plenty of models around that both wash and dry.

Well, and I already have this. An Austrian machine, Eumenia AKA Eudoria. Included in the original build of most Halberg Rasseys, Oysters, and Moodys of this era (around the year 2000). Washes and dries in the same drum. It's fine for what it is, but the capacity is very tiny, and it needs huge quantities of power and water to do its thing. It also blows the water-laden exhaust right into the passenger volume.

[dkenny64]

with separate machines..
one can wash another load
while the first load dries...
at least in a house that might be important..maybe no so much in a boat


-dkenny64

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by dkenny64

with separate machines..
one can wash another load
while the first load dries...
at least in a house that might be important..maybe no so much in a boat


-dkenny64

Sure, but you need twice the volume. Finding the volume for even one can be difficult even in fairly large cruising boats.

[Kenomac]

I believe the Spendide washer/dryer installed in our 2009 Oyster works by the method you described. Doesn’t seem to use a tremendous amount of power and dries the clothes fine.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I believe the Spendide washer/dryer installed in our 2009 Oyster works by the method you described. Doesn’t seem to use a tremendous amount of power and dries the clothes fine.

The Splendide 7100XC Washer-Dryer Combo has a Ventless Condenser Drier, but I don't believe it's of the Compressor type. I could be wrong, though.

About Condenser Drying
This appliance dries laundry by heating the laundry inside the drum to create steam and then cooling the outer drum. As the steam hits the cooled surface, it’s condensed back into water and is pumped out through the drain system. This process repeats until the clothes are dry.
NOTE: This drying process does not require any outside venting, however, it does require approx. 5 gallons of COLD water per your of dry time. Splendide’s ventless models DO NOT add moisture or humidity to the surrounding area. All humidity stays within the unit and is drained as water.
➥ http://www.splendide.com/WDC7100XC_IOM3.pdf

[a64pilot]

It doesn't require .5 gl of cold water but apparently condenses .5 gls of water per load.
Interesting, so it doesn't waste the cold side

Nope, reading about it, it requires 2.5 gls of water for each drying cycle to condense the water from drying. doubt its a heat pump drier

maybe min 8 to 10 gls of water per load then?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I believe the Spendide washer/dryer installed in our 2009 Oyster works by the method you described. Doesn’t seem to use a tremendous amount of power and dries the clothes fine.

Heat pump dryers didn't exist in 2009. The Splendides are condensor dryers (there are also ordinary vented versions).


A condensor dryer has the drawback of using up water, but that would be ok for me -- the water is cold, so the process would be effective, and we rarely lack for fresh water. Unfortunately the Splendides are not sold in Europe and are not made in 230v/50hz.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

How about this, the other end of a heat pump is of course the cold end.
Your clothes drier could also be your freezer . Probably be a really good freezer too, so one compressor two necessary things covered.
I have always thought it comical that we cool things and throw the heat into the house for the house HVAC to battle, and then make heat and throw away the cold too.

I’ve never heard of such a thing myself, I almost bought a GE heat pump water heater because I knew it of course would blow out cold air, which would have been nice in the bedroom of my house.

However I believe it was discontinued as people don’t care anymore about energy efficiency, they won’t pay extra for something that is way more efficient anymore, I guess that was a 70’s thing?

About a year ago we purchased a Rheem heat pump hot water tank for our house.

It replaced our original one from 1986, and I couldn't believe how much it cut our electrical bill !

The best part was the rebate from our power company. $800 back on a $1100 purchase !

The thing paid for itself in about 8 months.


Maybe some day a combo system as described will be manufactured, but the marine market is tiny compared to the "land" market. We wait...

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

About a year ago we purchased a Rheem heat pump hot water tank for our house.

It replaced our original one from 1986, and I couldn't believe how much it cut our electrical bill !

The best part was the rebate from our power company. $800 back on a $1100 purchase !

The thing paid for itself in about 8 months.


Maybe some day a combo system as described will be manufactured, but the marine market is tiny compared to the "land" market. We wait...

I'm glad to see someone is making one, it bothered me when GE pulled out, but they just didn't sell