H2O dryer and other innovations slash consumption

Huge mountains of laundry perfectly washed, dried and ironed, in the shortest of times and geared to the individual needs of guests: In many laundries, modern technology from Miele Professional rises to meet these challenges. And, in doing their work, these highly efficient machines reduce the consumption of water and electricity, for instance with new heating systems on tumble dryers and through energy-efficient wash programmes.

Alternative heating methods such as solar-thermal heat, district heat and the use of co-generation plants are gaining significance worldwide. To serve this market, Miele Professional is offering specially designed tumble dryers which drastically cut energy costs. These H2O dryers can be heated by an economical alternative central heating source. If the water used to cool a co-generation plant is used, dryer operation is virtually cost-free. These dryers are available in a variety of sizes with drum volumes ranging from 325 l to 800 l and load capacities between 10 and 32 kg.

In contrast, heat-pump dryers from Miele operate using a closed air circuit and therefore do not require any vent ducting. Waste heat is recuperated thanks to the use of heat exchangers. These dryers are available in 3 sizes with load capacities ranging from 6.5 to 16 kg. They reduce energy consumption by up to 60% and offer extremely short cycles: 10 kg of laundry is dried in no more than 45 minutes.

Hot water as a source of heat is also available for washer-extractors, where specially designed programmes improve the energy balance even further: The 'Cottons 60°C' programme for a 13 kg machine reduces water consumption in a hot-water cycle to below 10 l per kg of laundry, without any compromises whatsoever in terms of wash performance and rinse quality.

Further savings can be achieved by fitting washer-extractors with a weighing system. It determines the weight of laundry loads and automatically reduces water and detergent consumption on less-than-full loads. In contrast, Miele's water recovery module collects water from programme blocks defined by the user, for example the last rinse cycle, and returns it to a stainless-steel tank located above the machine. There it is filtered and awaits re-use in the next wash cycle, for instance in the pre-wash.

Switching to gas heating can also reduce the operating costs of a laundry. Miele Professional offers washer-extractors, tumble dryers and flatwork ironers which run on this advantageous primary source of energy. As gas in Germany, for instance, only costs around one-third of electricity and does not involve any conversion losses, a switch to gas can result in significant savings.

(442 words, 2,813 characters, incl. spaces)

Company profile: Miele is the world's leading manufacturer of premium domestic appliances including cooking, baking and steam-cooking appliances, refrigeration products, coffee makers, dishwashers and laundry and floor care products. This line-up is augmented by dishwashers, washer-extractors and tumble dryers for commercial use as well as washer-disinfectors and sterilisers for use in medical and laboratory applications (Miele Professional). The Miele company, founded in 1899, has 8 production plants in Germany as well as one plant each in Austria, the Czech Republic, China and Romania. 2014/15 turnover amounted to approx. EUR 3.5 bn with sales outside Germany accounting for around 70%. Miele is represented with its own sales subsidiaries and via importers in almost 100 countries. The Miele company, now in the fourth generation of family ownership, employs a workforce of around 17,740, 10,350 thereof in Germany. The company headquarters are located in Gütersloh/Westphalia, Germany.