Gas Dryers and Washing Machines [RE-wrenches]

Tue Aug 29 20:49:35 EDT 2000

I went to Sears for the kit to convert a dryer, they refused to sell me it
without my proving that I was licensed to do gas work.  Unfortunately no
such license is available in New York. I was welcome to bring it in to have
it done in their service department!

If you are looking for a new dryer, look for one with a moisture sensor, it
saves gas.

Just made me think about it,
Bob Ellison

-----Original Message-----
From:	Holt  Kelly [mailto:hkelly6 at ibm.net]
Sent:	Tuesday, August 29, 2000 9:16 AM
To:	RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject:	RE: Gas Dryers and Washing Machines [RE-wrenches]

Greetings,
Please Note that when converting LP to NG or vice versa that not only is the
main burner orifice changed, the regulator on the valve and the pilot
orifice must be changed (millivolt control valves). These components should
be in the conversion kit. One final note: some mfg's in the fireplace (gas)
industry will not sell you a conversion kit - you have to send the burner to
them($$$$$$)so be sure that a conversion kit is available from the mfg. of
the appliance you are buying.

-----Original Message-----
From: allan [mailto:allan at positivenergy.com]
Sent: Monday, August 28, 2000 7:50 PM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: Re: Gas Dryers and Washing Machines [RE-wrenches]

Travis,
ACEEE (202 429-8873; aceee.org) publishes a book called "Consumer Guide to
Home Energy Savings" that lists appliance federal efficiency ratings,
including washers.  Nobody has rated dryers.
    I tell customers to get a Staber washer and any gas dryer (if they won't
settle for a solar dryer--i.e. a clothesline).  The Staber does the job very
efficiently and is the only modern efficient unit that is still warranted if
the mfgr. finds out it's running on inverter power.  Really!  Plus the
Staber is set up for off-grid folks to service themselves, rather than being
a "consumer unit of the appliance repair industry".
    All the dryers I've seen are convertible from LP to NG; it's an orifice
change, available as a kit from the dealer.  Dryer energy use seems more
clothesly tied to how much water the washer removes on spin cycle than
anything connected to the dryer.  Some gas dryers have glow bars, but unlike
gas stoves, thet cycle on and off to light the burner.

Allan at Positive Energy
-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Willey, Backwoods Solar <steve at backwoodssolar.com>
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Date: Monday, August 28, 2000 11:24 AM
Subject: Re: Gas Dryers and Washing Machines [RE-wrenches]

>Thanks, Travis, for the watt hour figures on washers and Neptune. A table
of
>these contributed by various experiences of wrenches could be a valuable
>reference.
>
>Until more than one inch foam insulation is used on refrigerators, I would
>say manufacturers have NOT gone as far as they can. Those of you selling or
>using Conserv freezer proves the benefit of better insulation. In my
>experience you can cut power use in half by going from 1 to 2.5 or 3 inches
>all around a refrigerator.  Of course you cannot just add on outside a
>freezer as the wall skin is used as a heat radiator!!
>
>Vestfrost / Conserv could build a larger one with very little increase in
>power usage, because volume goes up with little surface area increase.  The
>factory rep is interested in pushing for this, so if you think there is a
>market for a 15 cu ft or so, he asks that you call him and also call
Kyocera
>and get them to request it.
>
>Here are some tips about the Conserv Chest freezer:
>It often comes with factory set inside temp range of -20 to - 5F.  This is
>too cold to make good energy sense and makes even the best ice cream to
hard
>to serve.  We have discovered a way to change the range of the control knob
>to -5 to +8 and that seems to work better, and cuts typical use from 1200
>watt hours a day to 850 on hottest days, as low as 500 watt hours in 70
>degree days. It takes a small hard to find torx driver which we loan
>customers... but not having it here I cannot recall if size is number 7 or
>8.
>
>The Vestfrost/conserv factory rep in US is Adrian Whitney Smith at
>850-647-3889, . admarint at digitalexp.com.
>very helpful with technical info that Kyocera people cannot seem to get.
By
>the way the rumor that the freezer is being discontinued is completely
>false, he says.
>
>Steve Willey   www.backwoodssolar.com
>Backwoods Solar Electric Systems
>> 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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 RE-wrenches-unsubscribe at topica.com

To check out the other RE-Wrench participants:
 www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/index.html

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 www.homepower.com

For info contact list moderator by email:
 michael.welch at homepower.com
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