Energimærker giver mange værdifulde oplysninger om et produkt. Lad os se nærmere på, hvilke oplysninger der er på dem, og hvad de betyder.
Hvad er et EU-energimærke?
EU's energimærker er et standardiseret system af energieffektivitetsklassificeringer, som EU udsteder for de fleste husholdningsapparater. Det første EU-energimærke blev vist på et apparat i 1994. Siden da er flere og flere kategorier af apparater blevet omfattet af EU's energiforordninger, og mærkerne er blevet opdateret flere gange.
Hovedformålet med EU's energimærker er at reducere energiforbruget af husholdningsapparater i Europa ved at gøre to ting:
1. At give forbrugerne klare sammenligningskriterier og hjælpe dem med at vælge mere energieffektive produkter, og
2. At tilskynde virksomhederne til at investere i udvikling af stadig mere energieffektive produkter.
Energimærkerne indeholder værdifulde oplysninger om et apparat, f.eks. det årlige energiforbrug, støjniveauet eller dets kapacitet. Disse små mærkekort er som en oversigt over alle de ting, som du bør tage hensyn til, når du leder efter en ny tørretumbler.
Hvad står der på energimærket på en tørretumbler?
Her er, hvordan et EU's energimærke for tørretumblere ser ud, og her er, hvad symbolerne og tallene står for:
Read on to discover what each rating and number means in more detail.
01.
Energy class (A+++ to D)
Tumble dryers have a bit of a bad reputation when it comes to energy efficiency.
Most condenser tumble dryers will have an energy rating of B or C, and heat pump tumble dryers are often rated A+ or A++. ented dryers are not as efficient as condenser and heat pump models.
A+++ was introduced in May 2013 and energy class D dryers have been banned from market in November that same year.
02.
Annual energy consumption (kWh/year)
Annual estimated energy consumption is also given on tumble dryer energy efficiency labels. This is based on 160 cycles of a combination of full and partial loads on a standard cotton drying programme. That breaks down to 3 dryings per week.
Your individual washing habits will make a big impact on the actual amount of power your tumble dryer uses. Still, multiplying the annual energy consumption of a clothes dryer with the cost of electricity per kWh in your region will give you a good estimate of how much it will cost to run that appliance year-round.
03.
Type of dryer (gas-vented, electric-vented or electric condenser)
Tumble dryers come in 3 main types: Gas- vented, electric-vented and condenser.
Vented models carry the humid air that arises from drying to the outside through a vent. Condenser dryers, on the other hand, collect the moisture from that humid air in a water tank that needs emptying. Some models have drain hoses too.
Aside from this basic difference, type of a dryer makes a huge difference in its energy efficiency and annual energy consumption.
04.
Cycle time for a full cotton load (min)
This shows how long it takes a standard cotton drying cycle to finish. This number would be lower on vented dryers as they go up to higher degrees than condenser models. However, for a slightly longer cycle duration, condenser dryers are gentler on laundry.
05.
Capacity (kg)
This is how much load your tumble dryer can handle on a standard cotton drying cycle. Capacity changes depending on the selected programme.
Please check your user manual for the exact capacity of each programme. If you’re a Beko owner, you can download your user manual with your product number.
06.
Noise levels (dB)
Energy efficiency labels on tumble dryers also provide a noise rating, and these can range from 40 dB (a quiet library) to 80 dB (a ringing house phone). Higher-end machines tend to be quieter as they incorporate noise-reduction features such as insulation and brushless motors.
07.
Condensation efficiency class (A to G)
This rating shows how much of the humidity the dryer can condense and collect. Lower ratings mean that some of the humid air is released into the room’s air.
Excessive humidity is bad for health, not to mention, it provides a breeding ground for bacteria and mould. It increases heating costs during winter and it’s bad for buildings in the long run.
Tumble dryers need well-ventilated environments. The lower the condensation efficiency class, the more you’ll need to ventilate your laundry room.
Why should you care about energy efficiency?
For two basic reasons:
1. Your household budget and
2. The environment
It’s true that tumble dryers with higher energy ratings tend to be a bit more expensive, but they cost less to power. The European Commission says, switching to an energy-efficient washing machine can reduce your energy bills up to 50% and repay that initial investment in a few years.
You might be thinking “what difference will just one washing machine make?”. Well, it’s a cumulative effect. Energy-efficiency has never been more important than now where resources are running low and the effects of human life on nature is ever increasing.
If all of Europe would drop their old tumble dryers, a total of 3.3 TWh (that’s 3.300.000.000 kWh!) of electricity would be saved by 2020.
