clothes drying and dehumidifier ?

**nodmicks** · 01-19-2011, 08:13 AM

Our electric bill took a good hike again so Dh and I decided to build the pvc drying racks the other night to try to save a bit more on the electric usage.

The most convenient place for the racks is up on the landing of the second floor. Our second floor is unheated as it is an ancient old farm house. We have the old fashioned grates in the floor for the heat to rise. Obviously it is always colder up here.

We had new windows and door put in about 18 months ago. Every since then we get moisture build up on the second floor windows etc and even had a bit of mold. We were told it is because the house is air tight, unheated upstairs with very cold outside walls and the condensation builds up as a result from us breathing etc especially at night. We run a dehumidifier upstairs in the winter to prevent the issue.

With the drying rack up here I am just wondering if that will make the dehumidifier work twice as hard. I'm figuring if so It would cancel out any energy savings from not using the dryer.

So what do you think?

**Pemberleyan** · 01-19-2011, 10:31 AM

We run dehumidifiers in our house, but not in winter because our air is so dry because of electric heat and the wood stove. Actually, it's too dry.

I would be surprised if your laundry would have that great of an effect on the amount the dehumidifiers have to run. How often do you have clothes on the racks?

**nodmicks** · 01-19-2011, 06:20 PM

I have clothes daily and they hang right by the dehumidifier.

**mndtrp** · 01-19-2011, 06:28 PM

Even if the dehumidifier had to work a bit more, which wouldn't surprise me since the moisture from the clothes will simply go into the air, I have a hard time believing it would use as much energy as your dryer.