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Clothes dryer

technology Maturity 7-9 Next article →

A clothes dryer is a helpful machine used in many homes. It removes moisture from things like clothing and bedding. Most people use them after washing clothes in a machine.

Wäscheschleuder
Wäscheschleuder

One common type is the tumble dryer. It uses a rotating drum called a tumbler. This drum turns to keep air moving between the items. The machine pulls in air from the room and heats it up. This hot air helps turn water into vapor. The machine then vents this humid air outside.

Clothes dryer flex hose kinked
Clothes dryer flex hose kinked

Some machines work without a vent to the outside. These are called condenser dryers. They use a part called a heat exchanger to cool the air. This turns the water vapor back into liquid. The liquid then goes into a drain pipe or a collection tank. Heat pump dryers are a very efficient version of this. They use a heat pump to recycle the heat. A heat pump dryer uses about 1 kW⋅h of energy per load. This is much less than the 2 kW⋅h used by a condenser dryer.

Clothes Dryer Vent Outlet Plastic Flaps
Clothes Dryer Vent Outlet Plastic Flaps

There are even more special ways to dry things. Spin dryers spin their drums very fast to pull water out. They can remove more water in two minutes than a heated dryer can in twenty. This saves a lot of time and energy. Scientists are also working on mechanical steam compression dryers. These machines use water from the clothes in the form of steam. They heat the clothes to 100 degrees Celsius. This process is very efficient and can be much faster than other types.

Wäscheschleuder
Wäscheschleuder

Using a dryer can change how your clothes feel. Some clothes might shrink or lose their softness. This happens when short soft fibers are lost. You might also feel static cling. This is a small nuisance caused by the triboelectric effect. People often use dryer sheets to help stop this. It is also important to keep the dryer vents clean. Lint can build up in the hoses and block the path. A blocked vent makes the dryer take longer to work.

Clothes dryer flex hose kinked
Clothes dryer flex hose kinked

Dryers can also do more than just dry clothes. Using heat for thirty minutes can kill many tiny pests. This includes house dust mites and bed bugs. It can also kill the eggs of these pests. Even a little more than ten minutes can kill ticks. This makes dryers a useful tool for keeping things clean.

Clothes Dryer Vent Outlet Plastic Flaps
Clothes Dryer Vent Outlet Plastic Flaps
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🖼️ Images & Media (4)
File:Wäscheschleuder.jpg
Wäscheschleuder.jpg
File:Clothes dryer flex hose kinked.jpg
Clothes dryer flex hose kinked.jpg
File:Clothes Dryer Vent Outlet Plastic Flaps.png
Clothes Dryer Vent Outlet Plastic Flaps.png
File:Clothes-dryer-damaged-by-fire.jpg
Clothes-dryer-damaged-by-fire.jpg
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