Hot water to the washer

[Kingofthehill]

I have a solar boiler on my roof giving me warm or hot water constantly. This got me thinking, would hooking up the washer to it makes sense? The machine warms up the water anyway, so why not use my already wamr water to save on electricity. Is it worth it and how much would I save?

 

[WestCoastWanderer]

I have a solar boiler on my roof giving me warm or hot water constantly. This got me thinking, would hooking up the washer to it makes sense? The machine warms up the water anyway, so why not use my already wamr water to save on electricity. Is it worth it and how much would I save?

Yes, absolutely!
It's highly worth it. Heating water is typically 80-90% of a washing machine's electricity use.
By using your solar heated water, you could save 50-90% of the energy cost per hot/warm wash cycle.
Just make sure your machine has both hot and cold inlets, and ideally, install a mixing valve to prevent water from being too hot.

 

[Cleanasawhistle]

Yes, absolutely!
It's highly worth it. Heating water is typically 80-90% of a washing machine's electricity use.
By using your solar heated water, you could save 50-90% of the energy cost per hot/warm wash cycle.
Just make sure your machine has both hot and cold inlets, and ideally, install a mixing valve to prevent water from being too hot.

I have a question about the valve. How does it work and how does it determine which temp I need? Sometimes I'll need to wash mi tighty whites and they go through the boiling hot program, while my black shirts would stick to the lower temps. Does the valve communicate with the washer or I'll need to set it up manually?

 

[quickwashfix5olutions]

I believe so. If your washing machine gives you the green light, hooking up your washer to the solar boiler can really help cut down on electricity bills. Of course, how much you save will depend on how efficient your washer is and what your electric rates are like. If installed right, you could end up saving as much as 50% on your washing costs

 

[wishy washy]

Good info above already, but one thing to watch is that a lot of newer washers only have a cold inlet and heat internally, so the solar hookup won’t help unless the machine actually supports hot water. If it does, a thermostatic mixing valve just blends hot and cold to a fixed temp, it doesn’t talk to the washer, so you’d want it set conservatively.