Tumble Dryer using vast amounts of electricity

[ppitstop77]

Hi, we have a reasonably old tumble dryer (2012 I believe). It’s a John Lewis Heat Pump one (JLTDH16). It’s suddently started to use HUGE amounts of energy to run a cycle. Unfortuntely we spotted this after a few days of particularly heavy use, and it would seem around 5 cycles have cost us nearly £40 or thereabouts!!!! Any ideas whether it’s a reasonably repairable fix or, given it’s age, we’d be better of getting a new one? Thanks.

[Martin]

Re: Tumble Dryer using vast amounts of electricity

That cannot be right? £40 equates to over a whole years average usage! The dryer is not capable of using that much electricity after just 5 cycles. Have you got one of those new fangled Smart Meters by any chance?

[ppitstop77]

Re: Tumble Dryer using vast amounts of electricity

No we haven’t! We did at first wonder if it was a meter fault (we had used about a month’s worth of electricity in 3 days), but now we’ve stopped using the dryer, energy usage is back to normal – about 8-9 units a day or thereabouts. We’re pretty sure it’s the dryer that caused the energy spike!

[Martin]

Re: Tumble Dryer using vast amounts of electricity

ppitstop77 wrote:We’re pretty sure it’s the dryer that caused the energy spike!

It’s total power consumption is 950 watts so will easily operate with a 5 amp fuse in the plugtop. Using that amount of electricity after just 5 uses equates to several ovens running for hours!

To put your mind at rest check the rating of the fuse, stick in a 5 amp and switch on. “Energy spike?” I’ve never heard of such a thing in a domestic appliance that wouldn’t result in the fuse blowing.

[ppitstop77]

Re: Tumble Dryer using vast amounts of electricity

Thanks I’ll try the fuse thing. ‘Energy spike’ was a bad turn of phrase, what I mean was the ‘inexplicable short-term increase in energy consumption’! Talking to my husband again, he had to put most of the loads on twice in order to get them dry, so it probably was running for long periods of time over the three days Which is making me thing that maybe we (also?) have a problem with it not actually working very well!!

We used 244 units of electricity between 29th October and 1st November. We usually use around 250-270 per month!

[electrofix]

Re: Tumble Dryer using vast amounts of electricity

just to put this in context as the figures are a little worrying

you used 244 units in 3 days so 244 /3 = 81.33units per day
so per hour that equals 81.33 / 24 = 3.38

that means you would have to have a 3.38 Kw appliance running 24 hours a day for 3 days to get this usage

it is impossible for your tumble dryer to draw 3.38Kw and even if it could it would have to run for 3 days

to further reinforce it lets assume you run the dryer for 5 hours per day over the 3 days ( hopefully exaggerating) this would mean

total usage 5 hours * 3 = 15 hours

therefore power per hour drawn by dryer would be 244Kw / 5 = 48.8Kw per hour

since 48Kw equal a current draw of about 212 amp

Through a 13 amp plug ???

bit of a non starter you need to think again

Dave

[kwatt]

Re: Tumble Dryer using vast amounts of electricity

There’s not a chance the dryer used that much juice, it’d need to have turned into a mammoth space heater to use that much energy.

A heat pump one all the more so, they’re not very good IMO but they do sip electricity.

If it used that much in such a short space of time it’d be blown to bits or melted.

Methinks the problem lies elsewhere.

K.

[ppitstop77]

Re: Tumble Dryer using vast amounts of electricity

THanks for the help everyone. I can see the sense in what you’re saying, and its perplexing. Something has managed to use that electricity. At first we did think it was a meter fault, but we’re back to normal now.

I think I might have to try running it again with an eye on the meter. And also take a look back at previous bills to try and create some averages over different periods and make sure there hasn’t been a mistake somewhere.

[Martin]

Re: Tumble Dryer using vast amounts of electricity

ppitstop77 wrote:We used 244 units of electricity between 29th October and 1st November.

Ah I see now, during Halloween that would be, spooky goings on in your neighbourhood I shouldn’t wonder. Half the street ‘hot wiring’ your meter cupboard plugging in their lights and electric Teslar cars overnight if I’m any judge? 😈

[Author]

Posts