Recreating summer conditions on a cold winter day!
Many modern homes lack a suitable space in which to dry clothes, and with an increase in awareness of the energy consumption and cost of tumble dryers, many people are choosing to dry clothes passively, such as on radiators or a clothes horse. This is one of the major causes of condensation and mould in the home, especially in the colder months, when opening a window or drying clothes in the sun is not an option. As the clothes dry the moisture is released into the air and the air becomes damp, the room air feels colder, condensation forms on windows and mould grows faster.
A study by *Mackintosh Environmental Architecture Research Unit,(MEARU), The Glasgow School of Art, found a close relationship between these higher levels of moisture in a home and poor health. The research found that at least 15%-30% of moisture released as water vapour in homes, is attributable to indoor drying. These higher moisture levels are a potential health risk, being associated with dust mites, (one of the biggest causes of asthma), increased mould spore concentrations and generally poor indoor air quality.
The best way to dry clothes is on a washing line on a sunny day with a wind. Failing this, it is possible to replicate these summer conditions inside the home, by using a dehumidifier. A dehumidifier dries the air and its fan creates the wind to help dry clothes effectively and quickly, just as if they were outside. Placing the dehumidifier in a small room dries the air faster achieving the low relative humidity that is needed to dry the clothes.
Meaco (U.K.) Limited, the UK’s leading dehumidifier specialists, recently launched the Meaco DD8L Zambezi dehumidifier, designed and developed to address the many problems home owners were encountering. Zambezi has been recently awarded a Which? Best Buy offering more functionality, more control and more options than any other domestic dehumidifier on the market, including six world firsts.
Other dehumidifiers will just run and run regardless of the room conditions, Zambezi will sense that the air is dry enough for the clothes to dry and will reduce its energy consumption so that as little power as possible is being used. If possible it will switch into fan only mode and will only turn its dehumidification cycle back on if the relative humidity starts to rise again. So Zambezi will dry washing in the same time or faster than other desiccant dehumidifiers and yet use up to 600 watts less.
The combination of the energy saving intelligent Laundry + control, the high airflow and the rotating louvre makes Zambezi a cost viable alternative to a tumble dryer. According to Chris Michael, Director of Meaco, “one of the biggest feedbacks we get from customers is the cost saving benefits of using a dehumidifier rather than a tumble dryer. Many are concerned with the expense of running a tumble dryer, something The Mackintosh Environmental Architecture Research also found. Another objection is that a tumble dryer takes up a lot of space, whereas a dehumidifier will easily tuck into a corner of the room, or can even be placed on a work surface. A tumble dryer may give a degree of certainly about how long the clothes will take to dry, but if set up correctly a dehumidifier can dry in a similar amount of time, and without any degradation of clothes.”
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With the sale of every Zambezi £2.00 goes to the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation to assist their Elephant conservation work in Africa. “Our hope is that it will raise awareness not only of the benefits of dehumidifiers as a way of improving our customer’s quality of life but also the life of Africa’s orphaned elephants,” explained Chris Michael, Director of Meaco.
* http://www.gsa.ac.uk/media/486640/mearu_laundry_design_guide.pdf
About Meaco
Established in 1991, Meaco produces award-winning dehumidifiers, humidifiers and air purifiers distributed in over twenty countries throughout Europe and South Africa. The firm is the UK’s exclusive distributor of Mitsubishi Electric’s range of dehumidifiers, spares, and repairs. A winner of two Which? Best Buy awards, Meaco’s expertise is unrivalled, and its products cater for all needs, from home and industrial dehumidification to specialist areas such as boating, caravanning and swimming pools.
Meaco began by specialising in monitoring and control equipment for museums and art galleries. In 1992 the firm developed the world’s first radio based environmental monitoring system in conjunction with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and quickly established itself as one of the most important suppliers of humidity monitoring and control equipment to museums across Europe. In 2005 Meaco divested the museum side of the business to concentrate on manufacturing its own dehumidifier range.
Based in Guildford, Surrey, and an owner-managed business, Meaco is a socially aware company, sponsoring local sports including the Team GB kayaker Rachel Cawthorn who recently competed at the Rio Olympics. The firm is also heavily involved in supporting local mini and youth rugby and is a sponsor of the London Welsh club. For each unit sale of the firm’s Zambezi dehumidifier model a financial contribution is made to the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation to assist its elephant conservation work in Africa.
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Press contact: brookscomm, alison@brookscomm.com, tel 01483 537890
Products featured: Meaco DD8L Zambezi
