Crossword Genius

Man doing the washing up, maybe something into which excess energy can be directed? (4,4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

heat sink

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'man doing the washing up maybe something into which excess energy can be directed?' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both man-made objects as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe there's an association between them I don't understand?

'into which excess energy can be directed?' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'into' could be 'in' and 'in' is found in the answer.
'energy' could be 'heat' (heat is a kind of energy) and 'heat' is found in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for heat sink that I've seen before include "Cooling device" , "cooler" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app