I use a box fan to help dry the dishes in the dishwasher. Recently I mistakenly pointed the fan away from the dishes instead of toward them. This appears to be faster and more effective than my normal method. Why?

  • Phineaz@feddit.org
    30·
    11 days ago

    Blowing into an enclosed space is chaotic, the fan has to push against air currents being deflected. Blowing into an open space (aka sucking out of you dishwasher) is much more orderly, the fan can simply pull the air out and there are much fewer air currents running orthogonal.

    This is as far as my very basic knowledge goes here. You can try this effect by exhaling and inhaling air through a barely open mouth or a straw.

    EDIT: On a related note, never “blow” during fellatio.

  • JeeBaiChow@lemmy.world
    12·
    11 days ago

    Drying happens when the moisture on your dishes gets evaporated into the air. If the air is already moist. It happens slowly. The air in the just opened dishwasher is hot and very moist. Blowing away removes the vapour/ moist air from the washer compartment, which gets replaced by the drier air in the kitchen. Blowing towards just keeps the moisture circulating inside, and though some of it will no doubt eddy out, it isn’t as efficient, it seems.

  • Lvxferre@mander.xyz
    8·
    11 days ago

    So you’re saying that blowing sucks, and sucking blows?

    …okay, serious now. I think that it has to do with air pressure - sucking reduces it while blowing increases it. And water evaporation happens faster on regions with lower pressure.

    • JubilantJaguar@lemmy.world
      5·
      11 days ago

      Unpopular opinion: vacuum cleaners are redundant expensive bloatware that can be replaced by a broom in 90% of cases. You only need a vacuum cleaner if you have a carpet, and carpets are filthy relics of a bygone era.

  • Delta_V@lemmy.world
    1·
    11 days ago

    While blowing, some of the fan’s energy is spent on increasing the pressure inside your dishwasher, which increases the density of the air the fan blades move through, increasing drag on the fan blades causing them to move slower and create less airflow.

    While blowing, you’re also pushing moist air to the back of the dishwasher, and after that air reaches 100% relative humidity, it can’t hold any more water and will not help dry your plates. Some of it will eventually escape around the sides, but some of the airflow your fan creates just circulates humid air around the inside of the dishwasher.

    Turning your fan around solved both problems. It increased the volume of air flow, and decreased the relative humidity of the air flow.

  • someguy3@lemmy.world
    1·
    11 days ago

    I would guess that it’s moving moisture away from the vicinity. Blowing it far away instead of inwards to the kitchen. Then normal evaporation can happen better.

    But I think you really don’t need to bother, why not just let them dry?