Appliances Discussions

Is your new machine Energy-Star rated?

I don't have any problem with recycling, living here in alaska we got limited land fills.

But  you people do realize money doesnt grow on trees this is all coming out of your pockets. just because the government says its ok to bail out everyone, doesnt mean it is.

the money for everything the goverment does comes out of all our pockets, why dont more people complain about other things we as a counrty **** money away on?

yes, it is.  

And I checked more on line; unfortunately for me, Massachusetts filed the paperwork and won't be putting this in place until February :(

I CANNOT GET MY TOP GAS BURNERS TO LIGHT.  I DO NOT HEAR TICKING OR SMELL GAS.  THE OVEN WORKS FINE.  IT IS A KENMORE ULTRA BAKE HEAVY DUTY

You do realize that spending within your capacity helps to stimulate a sluggish economy for all Americans!

hey go take that thinking logicly to canada we wont have any of that here

ROTF LMAO! .-1

JudyJPG said…

I just checked this on line and could not get a definitive answer but this is set to roll out very very soon and the article I read said that some states have this nearly in place...so I will be calling the State House tomorrow to see if refrigerator I bought today is eligible. 

---

Go to www.sears.com and type in "energy star rebate" then click on the energy star rebate finder. You will have an option to have Sears push specific information determined by your zipcode to your eMail as it becomes available.

Excellent way to make sure you don't miss out on a rebate - some utility companies offer Energy Star rebates already that are not even part of the "clunker" program.

-Barry

Thank you!

The funds availability is expected at the end of November, and will only be for Energy Star appliances.

Anyone hoping to trade in your old dryer, well, you're outta' luck...

Also special savings are already running for some energy star rated appliances. Check the link provided above for more information specific to your zip code.

Options include:

1. For dishwashers $20 rebates
2. Tier 3 Washers $75 rebates
3. Trade in your old fridge $30 rebates

Also Manufacturers have their own rebate programs based upon item or items purchased. It may be a good idea to visit their individual websites to learn more information!

Why is that; are dryers not energy star rated?

teir 3 washer?

it figures my water heater is probablt the least energy efficent thing in the house

Dryers are not energy star rated, JudyJPG.  I am sure there are a few members out there who can help to tell us why.  I only know because we did some research when we purchased our dryer about a year ago.

This is interesting to know, and I hope someone can explain way, since dryers use a large proportion of costs on an electric bill.

id assume its because the heating elements are a modfied short in an elctric and a flame in a gas (im sure bluecrewma will correct me if im wrong) which kinda makes it hard to make them energy star approved other then maybe making the motor that turns the drum more efficent

JudyJPG said…

This is interesting to know, and I hope someone can explain way, since dryers use a large proportion of costs on an electric bill.

---

Great question to ask.

"ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices."

Officially, ENERGY STAR does not label clothes dryers because "there is little difference in energy use among models." 

Here are some ways to reduce energy consumption when using your clothes dryer:  If you have it, use the moisture sensor "auto dry" function instead of timed dry; clean out the lint trap every time you use the dryer; scrub the lint trap filter if you use dryer sheets - dryer sheets can leave a film on the filter that reduces air flow and, over time, can affect the performance of the motor. Consider using a toothbrush to scrub it clean once a month.

There is, actually, some significant total energy use differences in dryers, but, sadly, because they are not rated by ENERGY STAR, people do not see the value.  One of the very best dryers is the Kenmore Elite Oasis Steam 68082.  Nearly all dryers have one motor that turns the drum and additionally have a belt from that one motor that turns the blower fan; the 68082 has a second DC MOTOR that turns the blower fan.  A DC fan motor is like a treadmill motor, it can be varied to any speed from full speed to off and anywhere in between.  The blower motor in the 68082 will vary, blowing out only the volume of air that is actually required to quickly dry the clothes.

One way to understand it is:  your car doesn't have any heat during winter until the engine is warm, it doesn't do any good to have the heater fan on full blast until the engine has warmed up.

Another way to think of it is:  your clothes dryer is forcing air from inside your home to the outside - all of that air is replaced with unheated or non-airconditioned air from outside.  It makes sense to limit that air to the minimum, efficient flow.

-Barry

Is that the only dryer with the 2nd fan motor?

To expound upon what Sage said, dryers have similar energy usage because heat always requires the same amount of energy to produce. This is the same reason there are not Energy Star-rated gas or electric ranges. There is no "efficient" way to produce heat (with the exception of induction cooking, though there is no significant difference in energy usage among induction systems).

Because heat is really the only thing being produced by these appliances, it's not likely for there to be Energy Star ratings for them. However, they are looking into creating standards for dryers, involving the efficiency of airflow versus energy used. Also, induction cooking systems are being considered for Energy Star status. Whether these standards will ever come to be remains to be seen.

checking out via internet to your specific states energy  or commerce dept is one way to keep up to date on your own>

You all can count on a very long wait for your rebate money that all states have now  as most states are "in the red" and on hard times also.

JudyJPG said…

Is that the only dryer with the 2nd fan motor?

---

Clarifying your question, one motor turns the drum and one variable speed DC motor, turns the fan - are there other dryers that have that feature?  Yes, very few.  There is also a type called a condensation dryer - a condensation dryer will not exhaust any air outside the home; the moisture condenses into a drain.

It is very hard for the manufacturers to make supportable claims on how much energy you would save with these features because the actual additional energy savings would mainly manifest in lower home heating or air conditioning bills - and that is too much a case by case basis.

However, we are seeing a new need for this type of dryer because of another factor:  laundry rooms are no longer relegated to the basement, outside wall.  When laundry is moved upward and centralized, we need dryers that can safely vent more than the typical max rated 75 feet - the 68082 manufacturer specs are 200 feet.

-Barry

Can you clarify please...when you say vent 75 feet..what does that refer to?  You can't  be meaning the length of the hose?  The length of the dryer vent hose for our former basement dryer was less than 12 feet and the one for our second floor laundry room is only 2 feet. And why is it longer for a dryer upstairs?

JudyJPG said…

Can you clarify please...when you say vent 75 feet..what does that refer to?  You can't  be meaning the length of the hose?  The length of the dryer vent hose for our former basement dryer was less than 12 feet and the one for our second floor laundry room is only 2 feet. And why is it longer for a dryer upstairs?

---

I see how that was confusing.  

Nearly every dryer has to vent the moisture it removes from the clothes outside; the dryer's fan has to blow the moist air through your vent tubing.  Dryer fans are rated in how far they can safely blow the moist air out.  A typical dryer is rated to be able to safely vent up to 75' away - minus 15' for each 90 degree bend.

Your said your second floor laundry room vent is only 2' out.  A typical dryer will be blowing the air through that 2' vent hard enough to actually go 75'! - this means your dryer is wasting a lot of air from your home.  The 68082 dryer would actually sense the back pressure, adapting, it would then exhaust much more efficiently.

I brought up something else that was confusing:  I was claiming that newer homes are having the laundry rooms located much more central in homes (needing longer vent tubes) and upstairs (upstairs is just an observation, nothing to do with vent tube length.)  Because of the new central locations, sometimes the vent length with bends, is hitting the limits of the standard dryer's maximum safe vent length.

-Barry