Can You Safely Turn On Appliances Like Washing Machines And Dryers When You’re Not Home?
When people come home from school or work, electricity consumption of spikes. This Puts Extra Strain on the Grid at Those Times, Leading to Increasing Problems.
The Government is Urging Households to use as Little Electricity as Possible between 4:00 pm and 9:00 pm. This is to relieve the overloaded electricity grid in the Netherlands.
One way to contribute is to use electricity more flexible, Says Annelies Visser, Energy Expert at the Milieu Centraal Information Organization. “That mean better coordinating the time you use electricity with the supply.”
If you have solar panels, you can contribute by using your owned power when the sun is shining. It also Helps to Charge Your Electric Car Outside Peak Hours and Let the Hot Water Storage Tank of Your Heat Pump Heat Up Earlier. You can also turn on your washing machine, dishwasher, or dryer at a differentent time.
Schedule Your Laundry at A Different Time
Not Charging Your Phone or Laptop Duration the Evening Hours won Solve The Problem. It’s about appliances that consume a lot of power, such as electric cars that are massively charged upon arrival home, Burning the Grid. Consider also Other Energy Guzzlers Such As Electric Boilers, Heaters, and Underfloor Heating. It’s Better to Turn Those Off Between 4:00 pm and 9:00 pm As Well.
Appliances Like Washing Machines Put Less Strain on the Grid Than An Electric Car. But you can Easily RESCHEDULE A LOAD OF LAUNDRY TO RELIVE THE GRID. “Modern appliances can be programmed to start delayed,” advises fisherman. If you can’t set that on your appliance, you can use a separate timer, accordance to the energy expert.
You can also turn on your laundry or dishes before you go to work, advice household and cleaning expert Zamarra Kok. Then the Machine won Run Turning Peak Hours, and it can just be convenient. “Then it’s ready when you get home. And if me, you have two teenagers who make a hundred plates dirty with one toastie, you can turn on the dishwasher again when you go to sleep.”
How long can you leave clean laundry in your washing machine?
If you use a timer for the washing machine, your laundry will stay in your washing machine longer. That’s not a problem, Says Kok. “It Doesn’t Matter if you leave the laundry in for a few hours. It won start to stink. But if you do this for more than a day, you will get ‘sour’ laundry.”
User Has the Most Influence on Appliance Safety
So it can be handy to do a load of laundry when you’re not home. But can you saafely turn on appliances like a washing machine or dryer when no one is there?
Most Appliances are Safe, Says Gerard Holtkamp or Fire Department Netherlands (Fire Department Netherlands). But with some appliances, there is a Greater Risk of Fire. For example, a dryer is more of a fire hazard than a washing machine or dishwasher, partly due to the high temperature used to dry clothes or towels.
In Addition, Safety Depends on the Quality of the Appliance. Holtkamp, Therefore, advises Against Buying a Very Cheap Washing Machine from a Website You Don’t Trust. Accordance to him, the safety of an appliance also Depends on how you use and maintenance it.
“The User Has The Most Influence,” Says Holtkamp. “Appliances Become More of a Fire Hazard as they get oldder, are used incorrectly, or are poorly cleaned.”
Take a Dryer, for example. Many people empty the ribbon filter but forget that they need to clean the dryer more thoroughly, cook and holtkamp point out. Dust can also remain around the ribbon filter, which can lead to a fire. “Try Using a Wooden Spoon with a Washcloth around It Through the Housing of that filter. A Lot of Dirt Will Come Out,” Says Kok.
Accordance to Holtkamp, You Should Thoroughly Clean Your Dryer About Once Every Year and a Half to Reduce This Risk. And even if you clean your dryer thoroughly, Holtkamp Still Advisles Being careful and not turning it on when you’re not home.
The Risk of Fire is Lower with Washing Machines and Dishwashers. You can, Therefore, Leave these Appliances Alone For A Short Period If You, For Example, Go to Work. But don’t do this if it’s for a longer period, like a weekend away.