So my dryer has broken, and having made various repairs to it over the years time has come to look at a new one. Now I have solar I’m looking for something that I can enable remotely, or can be started remotely when there is spare solar as just setting a delay timer is a bit hit-and-miss. I realise when the sun is shining clothes should just go out on the washing line!
Home Connect seems to offer some possibilities - is anyone aware of any features in for appliances in the UK which could help?
So when are you actually going to use your dryer with spare solar power? Or is there a smiley of some kind missing?
The problem with all devices that have minimum power requirements is what happens if you start them and then the sun goes behind a cloud? It makes choosing an automatic start time very difficult since the system can’t see the sky or the forecast.
Just use the delay start on the device, in sunny Leicestershire we normally start things about 11am.
Our car charger is smart and will vary the rate of charge, to use every W of spare electric.
I would never ever allow a tumble dryer to start on its own, or leave one unattended whilst I was not at home. No matter what brand of tumble dryer you have, the risk of fire is too great in my mind. Saving a few pennies on leccy isn’t worth losing the house! I have a tumble, but only use it when my nose and smoke alarm are in range of detecting an issue!
A heating element + accumulaton of fluff & lint from the clothes and a fan sucking air through = perfect conditions for a fire if a large enough ball of fluff / lint ever hits the element. Especially if the said dryer is a Whirlpool one (Hotpoint / Indesit / Creda / Swan / Proline branded ones if I recall).
Currently I schedule the washing machine and dishwasher if they are going to run when I’m at work - but as mentioned timers are a bit hit-and-miss, especially as the delays are fixed (eg 3 hour) and if the solar isn’t generating I just end up pulling from the grid.
I take the point about dryers running un-attended, this is in the garage not in the house but as I need to replace it I was curious as to whether the market really has anything of use for domestic appliances - you can’t really stop and start a washing machine easily as the sun goes behind a cloud.
Our hot water heater soaks up excess charge, but until battery storage becomes a bit more cost effective I’m sending more energy than I’d like to back to the grid.