Help Please - dehydrators
 

I have checked the archives and could not find the info, so if anyone can help I would appreciate it. Has anyone put a kill-a-watt meter on their food dehydrator to get the total wattage for one complete drying cycle? I was looking at the excaliber (500 watt) or the l'equipe (550 watt, computer controlled). Maybe just some info on whether the heating element is on the whole time, will be enough.
I am hoping to build a solar one this year, but when most of the fruit/veggies come in, the sun is pretty low.
Thanks for all the interesting information to be found here

Re: Help Please - dehydrators
 

First-welcome.
Second- I fail to see the relevance in it. Not shootin' at ya, just don't see the math as important.....unless you're off grid. What's the thrust of your interest?

Re: Help Please - dehydrators
 

Yes, offgrid (solar/wind), enough to get by. But 500 watts an hour is too much.
Sorry should have mentioned the why.

Re: Help Please - dehydrators
 

I don't know about electricity usage, but the Nesco American Harvester dehydrator is the absolute best model I've found. I've got about a dozen of them and rotate them as I've been dehydrating large quantities of fruits and vegetables for long-term storage.

Re: Help Please - dehydrators
 

What's the amp draw on yer unit? Amps X volts equals watts. The amp draw may even be written on a plate or sticker on the machine. All fwiw.

Re: Help Please - dehydrators
 

You might need to get creative. Alter your plan to a gas stove on low, w/a 12v fan on to keep things moving.
To put it differently: go find a galley stove (you might find one at Sportsmansguide.com) and hot rod that puppy with a small (solarable) fan. Think 3" ish wafer fan. I see them all the time in rv electrical gear.
Outside the box enough?

Re: Help Please - dehydrators
 

Thanks all. I guess I was doing a little dreaming and hoping, but too much drain for me.
Hypervel, that is a path I did not think about, good stuff, re-think the original problem, drying food sans electricity. Thanks.