Filter - can I safely operate my dryer without one

No. Can cause tearing of clothes. Replace a filter immediately if it has a hole. Any clothing that gets past the filter can cause expensive damage. A temporary solution is an old nylon stocking. Wrap around the broken filter so the nylon stocking does the filtering. Replace filter before the next usage.

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Lint on clothes

Clean lint filter after every one or two loads. If not cleaned, lint can re-deposit onto the clothes. Lint can also build up on parts such as the door and door gasket which will be picked up by later loads.

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Electrical consumption

To lower electrical consumption consider drying clothes outdoors during warm weather. When dry bring back inside and tumble in dryer on the no-heat setting. This will fluff them. Works especially well for bath towels.

Experiment to find best setting for your typical loads. Don't use same setting of heat or time for all loads.

Use automatic cycle. It uses less electricity because it regulates drying time to match load size  and type.

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Venting - do I need to clean

To lower electrical consumption clean your dryer venting every year. A buildup of lint in the venting can cause the air flow to slow, and force the dryer to work longer to compensate.

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Timer setting - Auto dry or Timed dry

To lower electrical consumption try switching from timed dry to the auto dry cycle. The auto dry cycle is more efficient. Auto dry will compensate for the size of load and shorten or lengthen the cycle accordingly.

Auto-dry cycles have a maximum and minimum setting. This indicates the type of material being dried, not the size of load. A maximum material might be cotton towels, while a minimum material might be permanent press or a lighter material.

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Timer setting - Minimum or Maximum

Experiment with the minimum/maximum setting. The closer to minimum you can set this cycle and still have your average clothing load come out dry, the less electricity you will consume.

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Electrical consumption - heat recycler

To fully use your electrical consumption consider investing in a heat recycler for your electric dryer (about $15) It will bring the heat back into the house during the winter and warm the basement for free.

Your dryer element (5000 watts) is equivalent to two baseboard heaters, so why not use that free heat. The heat recycler is easily installed by cutting into the venting and adding with the clamps provided in most kits.

A heat recycler is compatible with an electric dryer only. Not compatible with a gas dryer.

For further information see, 'Save Energy - Recycle the Dryer Heat', in our Consumer Articles Section.  

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Venting - length can cause problems

Length of venting can effort the dryer operation. Most manufacturers (check your owners manual) consider 14 feet and 2 elbows to be a maximum. Modern house design can exceed this limit and result in lint buildup within the vent pipes. Venting should also be removed and cleaned yearly to help the dryer to perform efficiently.

For further information see, 'Fire Hazard Alert - Is your Dryer Ready to Ignite', in our Consumer Articles Section. 

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Venting - metal or plastic

Metal venting is now required by most manufacturers to maintain your warranty. Using plastic venting my void your warranty. The plastic can block with lint and effect dryer operation and safety. Straight section metal venting is still the best, but corrugated metal venting is acceptable to most manufactures.

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Venting - can I vent the dryer indoors

There are after-market devices available that allow this. They usually contain water that captures the lint. Their disadvantage is that a  water reservoir must be topped up every few loads. Also, the moisture that is normally discharged to the outdoors will enter the house. This can result in excessive moisture buildup in the laundry room area, resulting in sweating of the windows and walls.

There are now available dryers that absorb the moisture from the clothes. Their disadvantage is that they expensive and complex. Also their drying times can be very long. Some will require up to 2 hours to dry a small load.

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Anti static sheets

Anti static sheets can be used more than once. Some people reuse them multiple times. Others simply cut the sheets into sections and only use one section per load.

The sheets themselves don't stop static, rather it's the chemicals within the sheets. They coat the dryers interior surface with a film that helps stop the static buildup. Static buildup  that is caused by the friction action between the drum and the clothes.

Be wary of over using anti static sheets. Too many anti static sheets in the dryer at one time can block the filter. This will result in the air flow being restricted and give a poor drying.

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