low cost space heater?

[DracoFelis]

Originally Posted by theholycow

No. That heat was already in the air, you're just separating the water from the air and heat. It's not waste heat at all, it's just heat that was already there.

Yes and no.

From one standpoint, the heat energy you get out was already present in the air (and water vapor) in the room. But what you are failing to take into account, is that much of that stored energy (before the dehumidifier) was not actually in usable "heat" form, but was instead tied up in the energy used to "state change" water between a liquid and a gas (and this is a very noticeable amount of energy, if you work the numbers). Also, you are failing to take into consideration that if/when the water (from the catch area of the dehumidifier) happens (as if often the case) to be cooler than the surrounding air, then dumping that water "down the drain" effectively removes colder water from the house (leaving just the waste heat you produced to cool that water behind).

In both cases (the heat released from condensing water vapor, and the cold water down the drain) you are left with usable "waste heat" in the room (above and beyond the watts used to power the dehumidifier).

Originally Posted by theholycow

When it's all said and done, I would say your best bet is to just control your humidity to your liking, and heat as necessary.

In this we agree. After all, the whole point of this discussion is to figure out how we can be comfortable for less energy used. And if/when your humidity level is way off (either too low, or too high), you will generally feel less comfortable!

However, if/when your humidity level is higher than you would otherwise like it to be (as if often the case in our house during the winter), you really do gain a bonus (in heating) by running a dehumidifier.

So by all means go for the humidity level you are comfortable with in the winter. And if/when (as is often the case in our place) the humidity would otherwise be "too high", there is no need to suffer, as your dehumidifier will also be a good "space heater" as a side-effect of its operation.

Originally Posted by theholycow

You don't have to sell me on silicone. Silicone is the best! My dad used silicone the way most dads use duct tape. I was just saying that it's not cheap. You posted accurate prices; the difference is in how each of us defines "cheap".
- $1/tube (crappy latex caulk) is cheap for me.
- $3/tube (WalMart brand silicone -- easier than finding a bargain at a lumberyard and seems to be the same stuff) is kinda expensive.

Maybe it's because I'm stingy, or maybe it's because I use a lot of it when I use it...

To each his own.

For me, I try to avoid the "penny wise and pound foolish" approach. The way I look at it, the extra cost for silicone (especially over the long term) is more than made up for by the fact that it works better and lasts longer (then the cheap caulk). So by going with the silicone I save more in heating now (due to it working better), plus I save the cost (and my time) to redo the job in later years. To me, both of those facts mean that the silicone is actually cheaper (at least when looked at from a "total cost of ownership" standpoint).

[ma4t]

We have a very simple way of doing it. We put up thick curtains around the windows that cover the whole window. We keep them closed at night and we open them for free heat and light in the daytime, depending on where the sun is. We also hang out in rooms where the sun is hitting.

For us it's behavior more than anything. We rent so we aren't going to spend a ton of money improving somebody else's property and risk losing our deposit for making unauthorized mods.

Anything that creates heat, like a clothes dryer, is used at night.

We switched to curly lights. Our electric bill is down a little.

I unscrewed 2 of the 4 lights above the vanity in each bathroom. How much light do you need to do your business? And at 5 am who needs bright lights anyway?

But to get to the point of the thread, we got 2 space heaters. A more expensive one with a remote control for the bedroom and a nice hot one from Costco for the living room. We use those when it gets cold, and we leave the heater at 62 degrees F. That's the lowest the apartment complex will let you put it because they are afraid of pipes bursting.

Anyway, we are on the second floor and we don't get as much heat as I expected from the neighbors below. But last winter our highest oil bill for heating was about $100. When we started using the small space heaters, we are not only warmer but we have heat right where we need it, not heating rooms we aren't using. Our electricity bill probably went up a few bucks, but our oil bill is now down to about $40 a month, even thought it's been really cold.

Sorry, I don't keep track of exact numbers, and I can't tell you how much each appliance uses. I am just too busy. I wanted to do mods that would not mean complete renovation or getting in trouble with the landlord, but also make them lifestyle adjustments.

MA4T

[GasSavers_Erik]

There are two energy saving practices involving electric clothes driers.

1. Make a crude lint trap and exhaust the hot moist air into the house (can really fog up the windows)

2. Leave it hooked up normally, but dry clothes during the warmest part of the day because for every cubic foot of air your dryer spits out of your house, a cubic foot of outside air has to enter to replace it. If you do this during the coldest part of the night, more of the super cold air is entering your house.

This might be more less important in a big apartment building, because you might be sucking in warm air from your neighbors when you run your drier.

[Jay2TheRescue]

An old pair of nylons pulled over the vent hose does well. You can also buy diverters in the hardware store that will flip between in the house, and outside. I think they run $10 or $20. In the winter dad always pulled the vent hose off, taped over the exposed pipe with duct tape, and pulled an old nylon stocking over the hose to catch the lint.

-Jay

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

In the winter dad always pulled the vent hose off, taped over the exposed pipe with duct tape, and pulled an old nylon stocking over the hose to catch the lint.

Sounds like a fire hazard. I'm majorly afraid of fires caused by driers. My parents had drier fires TWICE.

Once when I was little, mom tried to tumble dry a foam pillow. It caught fire and I never saw any flames but I waited outside in the cold while the firemen destroyed all my Christmas toys. My punching bag was either smoke-damaged or destroyed collaterally.

More recently, I was working for them and my sister was either living with them or visiting. I was at the computer crunching some numbers or something when my sister ran into the office, made some noises like Taz, and then ran out. Later I found out that she was trying to tell me that there was a drier fire. I have no idea what it was about or what ever happened. All I can remember is her sounding exactly like Taz and me just ignoring her.

Originally Posted by theclencher

I use a halogen worklamp without the glass front- they REALLY kick out the heat! I put screen in there to replace the glass and give some small measure of protection but this is one of those things that you just have to decide what your comfort level for risk is (there's a sticker on it that says "not for indoor use").

That sticker is no lie. Those things are NUTS! I've scorched nearby tools, melted loads of electric cords, and burned myself on those things repeatedly. Definitely beyond my comfort level unless I rig up something really good.

[palemelanesian]

Dryer fires - gas or electric?

[theholycow]

Electric.

[palemelanesian]

Thanks. I was considering just such a mod, but now I'm rethinking it.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by PaleMelanesian

Dryer fires - gas or electric?

Could be either, but in most of the cases the dryer catches on fire because the user was not cleaning the lint screen after each load.

A clogged lint screen also puts a damper on efficiency. Long duct runs, and if there is lint buildup in your vent duct will also reduce efficiency and increase drying times. From an efficiency standpoint running with a 4 foot hose and a nylon on the end is probably the most efficient setup.

-Jay