BY CHARLIE POPECK, LEED AP

Did you know that your clothes dryer takes the air that you pay to cool in your home and exhausts it to the outdoors at an average rate of 250 cubic feet per minute – which is roughly the amount of air contained in a 5-foot-by-6-foot room with an 8-foot ceiling height.  If you do the math, that equates to an average-sized clothes dryer completely emptying all of the conditioned air from a 2,000-square-foot home in about one hour!  This basic “air-in / air-out” principle could be a major reason why your utility bills are higher than they should be in the hottest summer and coldest winter months.

Most electric clothes dryers process air from within your home at a rate of 200 to 300 cubic feet per minute.  The more expensive dryers usually process air at a higher rate, making claims of being more energy-efficient – and they are.  The fact remains that these machines also suck conditioned air out of your home at a faster rate, adding to your home’s overall energy inefficiency.

Don’t worry, there are several key strategies that can be used to help you slay the mighty dryer beast, or at least get it under control.  You can reduce or eliminate this waste by applying a few simple strategies that won’t necessarily cost a lot of money.  Some are more practical than others, but all make good common sense.

Of course, the “shoulder months” of April, May, October and November are the easiest months to save energy.  Heating and cooling are normally not required here in Arizona during these months, so the dryer is not so much of a foe.  But during high energy-use months, the strategies mentioned will give you peace of mind that you are not frivolously wasting energy while doing your laundry.

Simple strategies to tame the mighty dryer beast.

Install your washer and dryer in the garage or other non-conditioned space.  At one point in time we’ve all probably lived in a home where the washer and dryer were located in the garage.  Although this strategy was usually implemented to provide more livable space within the house, it was unknowingly saving you money every month.  If you’re designing your new home, think about placing the air-guzzling clothes dryer in the garage or in a small, unconditioned space adjacent to the garage.  If it’s possible to relocate your laundry appliances to the garage within your existing home, do it!  It may only cost a few hundred dollars in plumbing work to save you thousands during the years you’ll live in the home.  You will also add more livable floor space that could be used for a small study, sewing or hobby room.  This strategy will also provide a quieter indoor environment.

Install a breather vent. A breather is nothing more than a vent (similar to the dryer’s exhaust vent) that permits the dryer to process outdoor air for clothes drying purposes.  The breather can be installed anywhere in the laundry room, but ideally it should be installed directly behind the dryer on an exterior wall.  If neither of these options are possible, the breather can be installed to intake air from an adjacent garage, or any other room that is not air conditioned or heated.  Just be careful not to store harmful chemicals in the garage or near the breather.

Do laundry at the proper time of day. “Time of use” plans, usually offered by the electric company, are easy ways to reduce the laundry portion of your utility bills.  Living within these plans takes only a little bit of thinking ahead in order to amount to big savings at the end of the month.

Invest in energy-efficient appliances. ENERGY STAR rated washers and dryers can provide big energy-saving benefits to homeowners.  These types of appliances are readily available, prices have dropped considerably over recent years, and if you aren’t in a hurry to purchase, you can find some real bargains with some legwork.

Charlie Popeck is the president of Green Ideas Sustainability Consultants and is a contributing editor to Green Living Magazine. Green Ideas specializes in helping design, construction and facility management teams understand and implement building science and sustainability into their projects. He can be reached at
Charlie@Egreenideas.com.