Condensing Tumble Dryers

[diy-newby]

Are they any good? How do they compare to vented ones? Going to buy one this weekend for the garage.

[Broadback]

My wife uses one, no problems, but you must remember to empty it every time. My wife does, bless her, and cleans the filter.

[Andrew May]

I asked exactly the same question here:

month or so ago. I was skeptical but now have a Miele condenser drier that I am very pleased with. Well recommended.

Andrew

[Andrew May]

I don't know if this is true for all of them but mine has a pipe at the rear which feeds the collector. This can be removed and plumbed directly into a waste pipe. So no need to empty the condensate. Still need to clean the filters though but that is the same all dryers, vented or condensing.

Andrew

[Timothy Murphy]

They are the best thing since sliced bread. My Bosch Logixx has made the utility room a civilized place. When I think of all the years with a pipe snaking out of the window ...

[I think my drier must be almost 10 years old, and it has never had any problems.]

[Lobster]

Yeah, me too! (about 18 months ago)

went for a vented model, and am well pleased with that...

TBH, unless you have some reason why you can't fit a vent in your garage wall, I'm struggling to see why you'd even consider a condensing model if it's going in the garage.

For sure, they are much more expensive to buy, and fix if they go wrong (and there's much more which *can* go wrong). ISTR they use more electricity to dry the same amount of clothes, too (but I haven't looked it up).

People will tell you how a vented model heats up the atmosphere rather than keeping the heat energey within the house, and that in the winter, it will sucks cold air into the house to compensate for what's being pumped out, which affects your central heating bills - however, not an issue if it's in the garage.

If you can only position a tumble drier somewhere where there's no easy reach to an outside wall for venting purposes, then a condensing one is excellent - but otherwise, why would you consider one?

David

[Ian Stirling]

They can use significantly less electricity.

[Andy Champ]

Really? How's that? Any references? (I can easily believe that a good condenser will be better than a poor hose model)

I can see them being useful where you can't get a hose out, and positively wonderful in one (not very rare) circumstance: If your house needs heating, the heat from the dryer ends up in the house, and you get to use it twice.

Not if it's in the garage though!

Andy

[Ian Stirling]

As I understand it, they (condensers) use less energy to extract water from the clothes, as they are not heating large amounts of air to moderate temperatures.

[John]

Had a Bosch WTL5400 for the best part of 9 years now.. Brilliant bit of kit.. has the option of plumbing in a permanent drain

[Skipweasel]

We've got a White Knight I rescued from the dump six years ago. It's not terribly well put together, but it can feed down the drain and since we only use it when it's too cold outside to dry things properly we at least keep the heat in the house.

Vented driers show a lower "official" energy consumption which in terms of kWh/kg dried is likely true, but if you take into account the heat retained when the heating is likely on things look different.

[Lobster]

But not if the appliance is in the garage, presumably...

David

[Skipweasel]

It'd have to sit on top of the lathe, the router table, the welder, the drill press, the kitcar......