Dryer efficiency hasn’t changed too much over the years. While a few improvements have been made, they are nothing compared to the efficiency of washers, for example. Still, there are number of things that you can do at home that will make your dryer more efficient, and don’t worry, none of them void the warranty.
Before You Dry
You can do a lot to to reduce the amount of time needed by your dryer. The lower the dry time (and the heat), the more energy and money you will save. So the goal here is to get the clothing as dry as you can before it hits your dryer.
If your washing machine has an extra spin setting, use it all of the time, but at the very least when you are washing bulky or thirsty items such as comforters or towels. The extra spin will remove extra moisture from your laundry. No automatic extra spin, make it a habit to do it manually.
Trim the Hose
Your dryer hose, believe it or not has a lot to do with your dryer’s performance. A shirt, unobstructed exhaust line will help your dryer run at its peak. So, if your hose bends and stretches out then you’ll need to trim it. A short hose that stretches just a few feet away from the wall could save you $25 or more off of your energy bill in a year.
Don’t Overfill
The dryer will have to work harder if there is no room for the laundry to tumble and air to circulate. It is much better to divide large or bulky loads and dry them separately. While this can be time consuming, I’ve found that having to rerun a drying cycle because the laundry didn’t dry the first time is just as time consuming.
When you do fill your dryer, try to keep like weight items together, such as jeans and towels.