Another electric one!

[Sparkle900429]

Sorry to add to the already numerous threads about electric but here we go!

I live in a old rental property, it has an immersion heater for water (which I currently don’t use - at all),old storage heaters for heating, one of which is dented, these do not work particularly well!
Windows are old single glazed sash windows so any heat from the strange heaters doesn’t really make a difference!
I got rid of my condensor tumble dryer months ago.

So my questions are how do I heat and dry clothes without spending crazy amounts of money?

I have a dehumidifier but it seems to not be working great and still costs a fair amount as it needs to be on for ages! ( even in a small room with door closed, room is also cold!)
Do I accept I actually do need a tumble dryer and just deal with the cost? Some clothes are were shrinking so not sure if I was using it wrong (It was a Beko If that makes a difference)
Buy an oil filled radiator?
Moving also not really an option at the moment!.

How many kwh does your dehumidifier use?

you're not interested at looking at being a lodger?

I'll see if I can find the thread about heat pump dryers.

Are you on an Economy 7 tariff?
Do you know how to use the storage heaters effectively?
If you want to use the immersion you should put it on when you get your cheap electricity. If the hot water cylinder is insulated then it should stay warm for hours.

I think if it’s in any way affordable, I would try to get a plumber to do that and ask the landlord if I can take it off the rent. The landlord sounds like a lazy fucker but every tenant will want the same thing so they might as well let you do it.

and if not, then get a timer switch fitted so it comes on in E7 time and turns off before? Then you can at least have a bath in the morning if you want?

agree airer in bath with window open probably as good a solution as any.

Yes
i think the problem is the heaters and immersion are all visibly old and damaged, the immersion as well as heaters have large dents in, and the immersion actually has a small amount of water that trickles down the front of the tank.

I have no idea when they were last serviced.

No, not really interested in being a lodger, had a bad experience when I first moved out of home and would never ever do it again.

no idea on running costs for the dehumidifier.

Dehumidifiers run away with the electric. You might as well use a tumbler

We don’t have central heating. I dry the washing in front of the fire with a dehumidifier. It is a lot cheaper to run than the drier but takes longer (10 hours approx) You need a warmish room for a dehumidifier to work properly so I dry my washing overnight when the fire has been on. You could use the heat from your storage heaters and a dehumidifier to dry your clothes. A tumble drier is useful but in an unheated house will produce lots of condensation and you may need to run a dehumidifier anyway. Wet clothes put a lot of moisture into the air. In an older property I believe you would be best to get a good dehumidifier.

I had a condenser tumble dryer which broke and then bought a heat pump one. Initially I thought it was crap, takes 3 hours and the clothes were not bone dry like the condenser. But it is way cheaper to run!! My house is old and drying inside is not an option. I think long term get a heat pump dryer if you can afford the initial outlay. Also the heat pump one doesn't produce as much heat and condensation as the condenser ones so you shouldn't need to run the dehumidifier

Which? reviewed a Bosch heat pump dryer and estimate you can dry 3 cotton loads a week for £48.59 a year (based on 34p kwh). Thats excellent, but it is a £700 machine, so the upfront expense is considerable

That is not correct. My dehumidifier is 255 watts so 10 hours is 2.55 kw x 37 per kwh = 92p. The average drier is 4.5 kw per cycle so 4.5 x 37p is £1.67 approx. Also you get dry air and a more comfortable home with a dehumidifier.

Ah ok thanks for answering! I need mine for my shower. I'm on an economy 7 meters so it heats on the night rage charge which is 12p per kWh, BUT it's because of this that I use more energy at night than in the day! The storage heater works in night as well, but haven't turned it on yet and don't plan on using it much if at all this year but we'll have to see

If you open your windows regularly and whilst you are drying clothes then that will resolve the damp issue and you won't need to run the dehumidifier. Obviously the flat will be colder but only whilst the windows are open.

Towels shouldn't be that wet after spinning at 1200 rpm surely - ours aren't.

Could you buy a microfiber towel or two as they dry really quickly.?

Is there a launderette nearby where you could use a dryer for a while then finish airing at home?

According to my smart meter my dehumidifier used a lot of electricity when I used it overnight to help dry out a carpet I had cleaned. This is why I mentioned it. I am now going to investigate further as I only cleaned half the room (huge room) and now have started on the other half and am loathe to use it

I’ve had a look at the heat pump dryers and I think atm they may be a bit out of my price range!

clothes are coming out still really wet even with the extra spin but my washing machine has been making some odd noises so I’m not too sure if that might be on its way out!

I do have a small heater in the room I’ve been using the dehumidifier so I could see if that makes a difference with it being on, I may also look at a different dehumidifier as I think I have the type mentioned above that doesn’t work well at lower temps!

ultimately I’ve realised I need to be looking at somewhere else to live, hopefully something will come up in the future that isn’t crazy expensive 😣.

Sounds awful OP. Could you do your laundry at the laundrette instead?

We have a tumble drier, but this year I want to keep use to minumum. Dehumidifiers are good for keeping houses from getting damp, but if you're drying washing, I'd put it in a room where you can close doors. Then open doors when no washing drying.

Storage heaters are rubbish, but if you're using them, that's where your airer needs to be. I'd have dehumidifier on for three or four hours when the heaters aren't heating up or releasing heat.

Hamam towels are nicer than microfibre, don't clog rivers with microplastics and dry quickly. Can be used all year round.

Heat pump tumble. I’m in the north east of Scotland so it rains all the time. I do at least two loads a day and it’s really dented my bills from running my condenser

Your storage heaters probably work, even the dented one, they are pretty low maintenance but you need to understand how to use them.

Turn them on at the wall, they should be connected to your off peak electric supply and will only charge during off peak hours. This means that they won't get hot until the next day. You need the input dial turned up and the output down overnight so they charge up and store heat.

Leave the input alone other than to turn higher during colder weather and lower in milder weather. This controls how much you charge the heaters.

The output control is the one you change daily, keep it as low as it goes when you aren't using the room, the heater will leak some heat which will provide a tiny bit of background warmth, then turn the output up when you want more warmth, eg in the evening. Don't forget to turn it down before bed.

If they are still not working you may not have enough charging hours so switching from E7 to E10 might help.

Other common problems are drafts, storage heaters don't do well in drafty locations or undersized heaters for the size of the house or someone having the meter changed and accidentally disconnecting them.

As pp have said, your best bet is a heated airer with a cover, and use man made fibre clothing more frequently as it gets less wet. Just make sure you cross ventilate the house everyday for an hour or two, if possible. Keep an eye on any mouldy locations and treat them straightaway with antifungal spray, or bleach or whatever is best, and maybe redecorate with antifungal paint. I would do anything other than get a tumble dryer with the way they use electricity, and shrink clothes.

What about the big washing machines and dryers at petrol stations, revolution laundry i think its called? If you live alone you'd maybe only need to do it twice a week. Even just short term until you find somewhere else to live. Could wash at home and just use the dryers