How to Make Your Tumble Dryer More Energy Efficient

If you’ve been paying any attention to the news recently, the topic of rising energy costs has become increasingly hard to ignore. As a result, many homeowners are now looking for ways to avoid appliance usage in order to reduce their energy bills as much as possible. 

Tumble dryers are often assumed to be one of the worst culprits for a high energy bill and drying your clothes outside seems like an obvious solution. However, thanks to the temperamental British weather, this is often not possible or practical; that’s why the experts here at Pacifica have compiled this list of top tips to help make using your tumble dryer more energy efficient. 

Don’t overload or underload

This one can be a tricky balance to get right – overload your machine and you risk hot air not circulating properly, leading to a longer cycle; underload your machine and you’re wasting a whole cycle’s worth of energy on just a few items. The typical rule of thumb is that the drum should be filled to just over half way for maximum efficiency, but you should experiment with what works best for your machine. 

Regularly clean the lint filter

You might be wondering, what exactly do lint filters do? Well, the heat and agitation of your tumble dryer can cause some fabrics to shed their fibres. It’s the job of a lint filter to catch these fibres and prevent them from blocking the dryer vent hose and causing damage to the machine. When the lint filter is clogged, not only is this a dangerous fire risk, but it also reduces efficiency and forces your dryer to work harder.

Cleaning your filter is a small task that can make a big difference; simply remove the filter and wipe away the debris with a dry cloth. If your filter is particularly clogged, it might require a more intense clean in some hot, soapy water.

Dry similar fabrics together

Not all fabrics take the same amount of time to dry; for example, a pair of denim jeans will take much longer to dry than a thin polyester shirt. Therefore, you should always separate your loads into groups of similar fabrics; that way, all items will dry at a similar time and you won’t be using unnecessary energy to overdry more delicate fabrics.

Have a laundry day

If you’ve got a big pile of laundry that needs drying, try to do this all in one day. When you tumble dry multiple loads of laundry one right after the other, you can take advantage of the residual heat left behind by previous loads, which means you won’t need to use as much energy to heat up the machine each time.

Don’t add wet clothes mid-cycle

We’ve all been there; you’ve just put a fresh load into the tumble dryer and you notice a couple of wet clothes that were accidentally left behind. However, as tempting as it may be to just throw these items in mid-cycle, this can massively reduce the efficiency of your machine. The water from these wet clothes will be reabsorbed into the newly dry items, meaning the whole load takes longer than it should.

Run during off-peak hours

Most of us value our sleep too much to tackle the laundry in the middle of the night. Because of this, demand is at its lowest and many energy companies will offer cheaper rates. So, if you can’t sleep or you’re a bit of a night owl, running your tumble dryer during these off-peak hours could help to significantly cut your energy bill.

Use the correct settings

Nowadays, with energy efficiency becoming more of a priority, most modern tumble dryers are equipped with eco modes. This setting can choose the optimal cycle time and temperature based on the load size and materials detected, leading to improved efficiency.

Invest in regular repairs and maintenance

Over time, seemingly minor issues – your machine making strange noises or your drum not turning properly, for instance – can develop into significant damage that can not only reduce the energy efficiency of your machine but also stop it from running altogether. If you notice that your tumble dryer isn’t running as it should, don’t just ignore the problem! Instead, contact a trusted appliance repairs company, like Pacifica, to help. We can come and inspect your machine to perform any repairs and ensure it is working as efficiently as possible.

Have you noticed an issue with your tumble dryer that’s impacting its efficiency? Get in touch with the team at Pacifica today. Our experienced team works nationwide to perform repairs on tumble dryers from some of the world’s leading brands – contact us to schedule your repair.