Doing Laundry Off-Grid

inthejungle
inthejungle Solar Expert Posts: 91 ✭✭
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
Currently we are using something like this to dry things out

http://www.laundry-alternative.com/index.php/products/drying/spindryer.html

It is a bit small, and I would like to find something bigger.

Anyone used a larger spin dryer that is 12vdc or could run 110 off the generator before?

Recommendations?


ITJ
In Niger, trying to keep a LG FMA 102NAMA fridge(This has the inverter compressor) backed up with solar using a Victron Multi-Plus Inverter/Charger Compact 12v 1600w with a 70a charger built in.I want to back it up for 4-8 hours. I am also running a few O2 cool fans and a few Thin Lite LED's of my batteries for when the grid is down so my kids can sleep.
· Share on Twitter

Comments

  • Endurance
    Endurance Solar Expert Posts: 40 ✭
    #2
    Re: Doing Laundry Off-Grid

    Yes. Here is a thread about Chris' approach.
    http://forum.solar-electric.com/showthread.php?17785-Using-an-electric-clothes-dryer-off-grid&highlight=120v+dryer
    · Share on Twitter
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Doing Laundry Off-Grid

    Clothesline. Uses zero power, costs far less than a dryer or an extractor & enough off-grid equipment to run either, and works any day the PV could generate electric capable of running one or the other.
    · Share on Twitter
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #4
    Re: Doing Laundry Off-Grid

    An extractor is going to be the best (most efficient) way to remove water for clothes. The few home sized units I have read about all seem to be on the small side. But since they only run for 2-3 minutes--That you have to do several loads is probably the more cost effective solution.

    Some newer washers are supposed to spin faster and remove water better than a standard washer (you will have to review specifications). Remember that centrifugal force is proportional to the square of the RPM and linear with the diameter of the tub (a 2x larger diameter tub will have 2x the force. A 2x increase in RPM will have 4x the force).

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
    · Share on Twitter
  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Doing Laundry Off-Grid

    rather than use power and if you can't wait for them to be totally dried by the sun then an old fashioned wringer would work to speed things along before putting to the clothesline.
    · Share on Twitter
  • inthejungle
    inthejungle Solar Expert Posts: 91 ✭✭
    #6
    Re: Doing Laundry Off-Grid

    Thanks for everyone's thoughts,


    We are living in Liberia- we get the most rain I think of any other capitol in the world, 6 months out of the year we see 330 inches of rain. For those 6 months we have two options after we plunge them in our 5 gallon bucket.

    1- we can hang them up inside and let them dry
    2- we can spin the water out and hang them up

    The second option has worked really well and I have been able to get by with my Honda 2000i 1 gallon of gas per month to do this once a week for 30 minutes. The problem is that because the other one is small it takes 4 -5 spins.

    Anyone know of where to get something like this but bigger?

    ITJ
    In Niger, trying to keep a LG FMA 102NAMA fridge(This has the inverter compressor) backed up with solar using a Victron Multi-Plus Inverter/Charger Compact 12v 1600w with a 70a charger built in.I want to back it up for 4-8 hours. I am also running a few O2 cool fans and a few Thin Lite LED's of my batteries for when the grid is down so my kids can sleep.
    · Share on Twitter
  • CadeJ
    CadeJ Registered Users Posts: 1
    #7
    Re: Doing Laundry Off-Grid

    the laundry-alternative.com link is bad . . .
    · Share on Twitter
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #8
    Re: Doing Laundry Off-Grid

    You can go to their home page and find other spin dryers:

    http://www.laundry-alternative.com/products/drying

    However, at this time, the "full sized" unit is out of stock.

    This review says that you should be careful with using an extractor on cotton or other fragle fabrics--they can cause holes in the fabric.

    http://laundry.about.com/od/laundryappliances/gr/spindryer.htm

    Extractors seem to be popular in other countries--But in the US, they seem to be almost non-existent.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
    · Share on Twitter
  • Grinnin
    Grinnin Solar Expert Posts: 39 ✭
    #9
    Re: Doing Laundry Off-Grid
    niel wrote: »
    rather than use power and if you can't wait for them to be totally dried by the sun then an old fashioned wringer would work to speed things along before putting to the clothesline.
    I use an electric wringer washer that I switched to 12V. It's back by the batteries with its own 50A circuit. I've used this for 8 or 9 years.

    A hand-cranked wringer may work differently -- the electric one has a "safety" release and some sort of friction clutch. But here are my observations of this wringer.

    The wringer helps a lot with some items. T-shirts, sweatshirts, socks, towels, and sheets go through great. I no longer try to run jeans through the wringer -- it works, but getting them started with the thick hem is hit-or-miss and the thick seams and the waist button can sometimes stall the rollers. Some items with thin fabric plus thicker seams or elastic don't compress well enough to make them worth the time. For many items folding them precisely can make the wringer get more water out than just running the item through. It's sometimes easier to just let it drip.

    Yesterday I just hung everything indoors and I'm glad of the added humidity. I also have an outdoor line.

    The wringer helps, but it isn't a perfect solution.
    · Share on Twitter

Categories