I should say so. Great if you really need/want/can afford the convenience and I guess in the winter, when you have heating on, heat isn't "wasted" from the pipes as it goes to heat the house. In summer though I would imagine it must add considerably to your HW costs.
Tim
In message , Rick Hughes writes
The ratings are for energy efficiency, not cost.
If you lag the pipe loop well, and use a timer to control pump times, it ought not make much difference.
With two caveats - one the machine will need the occasional hot wash to not fill up with detergent residue slime.
Also tests have shown that low temperature washes are not as effective at killing bacteria - so take care with what you wash with and after bacteria heavy items.
Hmm, given that it's only likely to be present in large houses with long pipe runs, I can't help thinking that it's going to be hard to match the insulating properties of a modern tank. Still, nice if you don't mind the running costs.
Tim
Decent pipe insulation can be done (but its a good deal thicker than your normal thin grey overcoat!)
I think if I were doing it, I would trigger the pump with a short overrun timer from PIRs in each of the bathrooms. So you only run it when there is likely to be a demand.
Agreed. I very occasionally put some towels through on the shortest hot wash using washing soda.
"Hot" washes are not necessarily any better. You would need close to 70C for half an hour and I'll bet most people have been using a lot colder washes than that for the last decade.
It's like the small print for steam cleaners. large Print: Superheated steam (>100C) will kill 99% of bacteria, Small Print: When in contact for more than 2 minutes.
The advertisers would like you to believe that you need to add an expensive anti-bacterial agent to your wash now that detergents are advertised for 15C.
What's not killed in the cold wash in the machine probably will be killed with a good drying on a washing line.
On Wednesday 06 November 2013 21:32 alan wrote in uk.d-i-y:
I stick towells/overn gloves/bathmats through on a "boil" wash which keeps the machine's innards from getting stinky.
And remember, Rick's house is a self build, so it would have been easier to install with plenty of think pipe insulation than retrofitting, and also to plan the boiler, tank location etc. with it in mind
I use washing soda (in addition to detergent) for shower curtains & bath mats --- it's pretty good at removing mildew.
There was an article in _Which?_ in the past few months about 60° washes. Most washing machines don't actually reach 60°; only one holds it there for long; but some experts think that modern detergents & washing machines can remove bedbugs & germs effectively (down the drain) without killing them.
Absolutely. I keep our toothbrushes in the bathroom window for the same reason (sunlight can sanitize things).
I have to run almost 1 L of water out of the kitchen tap to get the hot stuff, so based on the pipe runs, I'd expect the first 1.5 L of "hot water" into the washing machine to be cold. But I was surprised to see in the manual that the washing programmes use 52 to 65 litres of water; I don't know how, however, how that's split between the wash & the rinses.
That's what I've heard.
15C? That's *COLD* water. Where on earth does the energy come from to remove the dirt?
jgh
I'm pretty sure most washing machines have a motor in them...
Tim
I have a Champion washer/dryer. The drying cycle gets very hot!
Why? A combi boiler will produce cheap hot water when the machine demands it.
Doesn't affect me as I use cold wash.
Gas kWh = 6p Electricity kWh = 14p. Heating water with electricity = stupid.
I used to have an H/C one but it only used the hot it you turned the dial above 40C for some reason.
Doesn't happen here.
Bacteria is on dishes, not clothes.
On Mon, 18 Nov 2013 14:25:35 -0000, Matty F wro= te:
I melted the sole of a running shoe doing that once.
-- =
Why do blondes have more fun? They are easier to keep amused.
Funny, if I turn on the hot tap in my sink, I feel warm water in a few seconds, and the tank is in the next room.
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