Slower heating = lower consumption?

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As for washers saving energy: they simply heat less. Newer washers, as was found out by our consumer magazine, stop heating at 55C (Miele) or 45C (LG) even when a 60C wash was chosen. Or they will only heat the wash water once without reheating when it cools off. That's why I stay away from the regular Cotton cycle if I want a hot wash. It's the same with the infamous Normal cycle on US washers that doesn't seem to allow anything but warmish water.

Boil wash? Maybe once a year.
 
Remembering back to 9th grade physical science class. The same amount of work still has to be done, so the savings may be negligible, however, where the savings may occur is due to the longer tumbling time there will be a certain amount of evaporation due to the air movement through the load.
But total gain will be more or less a wash. (pun) because the longer tumble time, though may lead to evaporation, will also lead to cooling of the load of clothes, thus requiring more heating to keep constant.

This does now equate to driving a car slower, the reason a car gets better mileage within a certain range of speed that at higher, or lower speeds is because of the wind resistance, and the overall efficiency of the engine. Though most engines reach maximum efficiency at full throttle or maximum capacity, this efficiency is negated by the wind resistance of the vehicle. But driving at a constant 50 MPH will achieve better mileage overall than driving 70 because the wind resistance is lower at 50 than at 70.
 
I have measured the actual water temperature (using an infrared meter) of the wash water of the Miele 1918 vs. the 1065.

The 1065 heats to exactly the temperature selected. A 160F selection will heat to 160F in the 1065. However, the 1918 seems to heat to about five degrees F lower than the selection. A 160F setting will heat to about 155F in the 1918. I attribute this to the fact that it's a 1918A, which is supposedly the energy saving model. Its top temp is 170F (selected), vs the 190F of the 1918 model proper. Perhaps the 1918 model however also heats to about five degrees less than selected.
 
Changing a liquid to a gas will always require the same amount of energy all other conditions held constant, it is the laws of physics. When you dry clothes you need to change liquid (water) to water vapor (gas) that is exhausted in most cases, or condensed in others from the dryer. Energy is required to make this happen. The energy may come from the electric lines, gas lines, or the air surrounding the dryer. The idea that a lower heat setting will dry nearly as fast may hold true in some cases. The air entering your dryer from your home may have energy spent on it to condition it. In the summer, with your air cooling on, the air coming into the dryer will be dryer than the clothes, helping to hasten the drying process, but you have spent energy to pre-condition that intake air. In the winter when your heat is on, by raising the temperature of the air inside your home, you lower the relative humidity of the air compared to that of outside. This dryer air will help clothes dry faster, but again, you have spent energy to pre-condition the air. So, while it might seem like a load will dry almost as fast it still takes energy from somewhere to get that water to change into a gas and leave your clothes dry.
 
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