February 20th, 2008 · No Comments

By John DeFore

At last week’s International Builders’ Show in Orlando, a company called Hydromatic Technologies introduced what it described as “the world’s first green clothes dryer” — which isn’t a standalone dryer at all but may well represent a leap forward in efficiency.

The Dryer Miser is a conversion kit that can be fitted onto conventional machines (by a trained tech) in thirty minutes. The company boasts that it can cut energy use in half and dry a load of clothes 41% faster than existing dryers, with a host of additional safety and aesthetic benefits.

The device changes the way machines produce hot air. Where conventional appliances use a gas flame or electrical element to heat air, Hydromatic says its tech “works by heating up a specially formulated, non-toxic and non-corrosive heat transfer fluid with an immersion element (similar to a water heater). The fluid is transferred to a heat exchanger where it is mixed with air.”

By eliminating the use of the flame, the device reportedly “greatly reduces the risk of fire” from built-up lint and insufficient maintenance. The company also claims that emissions are cleaner, eliminating ultra-fine CO2 particles, according to the Hydromatic webite.

The unit is expected to cost around $300 when it hits the marketplace; the company says that the Department of Energy has declared it market-ready and Underwriters Laboratories will give it the stamp of approval in April, leading to public availability this fall.

Copyright © 2008 | Distributed by Noofangle Media