Gas Dryers and Washing Machines [RE-wrenches]

[Travis Creswell, Ozark Solar]

I typically leave the washer and dryers off my sizing calculations and just
accept that they will only be operated when the generator is running so I
really haven't paid much attention to their energy ratings.  I just make
sure the inverter(s) can start them.

Does anyone have any recommendations for gas dryers for off grid houses? 
Many cook stoves are easily field convertible from nat. gas to propane and
back.  Is this true for the typical gas dryer?

Has anyone used a power meter to find out how many watt hours the "typical"
dryer takes to dry the "typical" load?  My 10 year old washing machine takes
250 watt hours to do a full load of clothes and I have measured a customers
Neptune washer and found it to take right at 100 watt hours for a load. 

My newer (1 yr old) Amana 21 cu. ft bottom freezer fridge is using just over
1.8 kWh's per day @ 80f.   It's yellow tag rated it at 576 kwh's  per year.
I found it to be using something like 1.2 when the kitchen was under 70f.  I
subscribe to several energy trade journals and they are talking about the
next generation of motor driven appliances are going to be using much more
advanced motors within a few years.  It seems that manufacturers have gone
about as far as they can with non-motor efficiency improvements.  It sounds
promising that within several years we should be able to appliances locally
that are ideal for RE systems.

Travis Creswell
Ozark Solar

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