Tumble dryer thoughts ...

[T i m]

Ok ...

And that seems to tie up with the numbers from the Wiki ..

"2.1kWh = 25.2p x5/week = £1.26 x52 weeks = £65.52"

Well true, however, energy costs are going up and we are at a point where we )may) need to replace the machine so looking for what's out there that might be best for us now.

I suspect we may be talking about slightly different products here. Could yours be more like what we might describe as 'commercial units'? Out of interest, could you tell us the dimensions of your current dryer?

I've saved bits from various machines over the years and the only use any of them have been put to is a motor helped someone on here. ;-)

Ah, now most of 'our' tumble dryers you could lift on yer own (and put in the back of a hatchback). And if 47 years was a typical lifespan it suggests it was built well in the first place and there may be many many similar machines around to cannibalise for spares. Over here a particular model is obsolete in 6 months so you could ever guarantee what each might contain parts wise (even if they look similar on the outside).

Yup, and similar happens over here, either word of mouth or Freecycle. Our local tip won't let you take anything out (if they see you that is). However, they are not always working perfectly and when they have faults they are normally ones that make it non economical to repair (even at £0/hr labour).

So nothing wrong with the actual machine then (I like those faults. I got a washing machine given to me that had been left full of water because it wouldn't pump out. It was a necklace round the pump impeller).

("storeroom" ;-) )

I put a new belt on ours the other day and it was nearer 16 USD.

Out of interest, can you get a duvet in your dryer as I don't think we can in ours?

I was thinking about something like that in a extractor cct for the bathroom. It was as much to do with pre heating the incoming air as saving energy.

Apart from the shipping cost to the UK for one like yours. ;-)

Indeed. No, this isn't directly about being green it's doing what's best for us both financially and physically without actually squandering anything.

ie. I could give the existing machine a good overhaul (it sorta had one not too long ago but only the essential bits at the time, belt, bearings etc) but it wouldn't ever be any more efficient than it was new and blows heat out into the road (and we could do with it indoors IF, (thinking condenser - dryer) it didn't raise the humidity any more than a vented one (and I'm not sure that's possible)).

So, spend £500+ on a heat pump dryer to save 50% of the running costs so £65/2 = ~ £33 / year. New std sensor dryer say £300, difference £200 so would take 6 years to claw back the extra costs. Is it still going to be running in 6 years? How reliable the extra technology over a more proven one (in this role), are there any 'gotchas' like it's not so efficient if it doesn't have a full load (I read somewhere)?

With a condenser I'm going to have (need) to do extra stuff re plumbing in the auto drain (something else to block up / leak)?

Ho hum ...

Cheers, T i m

[NT]

Yes, its not a matter of worrying, just of making a decent decision. =A365 pa over a 15 year appliance life is =A31k in run costs, so ignoring the fact that vented consume far more power than condensing would seem foolish.

NT

[T i m]

(Looking back at the Wiki it might be more than £65 pa. I think it sates £125 for a condenser so a vented would be worse.)

Can you compare the energy used or should it be the difference between the two technologies? Say a condenser dryer is 25% more efficient than a non-condensing one then it's only going to be a £250 'saving' in run costs over your 15 years isn't it? Even the heat pump at 50% 'more efficient' would only save £500 / 15years.

But we aren't ruling it out, however she's nearly 60 and I'm 53 so 1) are either of us going to be here in 5 let alone 15 years and 2) is said machine going to still be working?

Also there's the issue of finding the cash from the small pot now or using that for more enjoyable things etc.

If there was a dryer that was more efficient than the more basic options and guaranteed for the period needed to recoup it's extra cost and assuming it was actually affordable now and that period wasn't longer than our potential lifespan(s), then it might be worth a punt.

But not the £630 - ISE10 CD60W condenser sensor dryer though (only 'save' ~£200 in the 10 year guarantee period)?

Cheers, T i m

[Andy Dingley]

It's nearly Christmas, so "Make her feel special with a clothesline this Christmas"

[T i m]

No, the only reason some of the usability stuff is related to 'her' is that if she didn't do it it wouldn't get done.

I'm happy to give my clothes to the charity shop and buy them back washed and ironed for 50p. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[David]

It's your choice really :-)

We purchased it because of recommendations, quietness, sensor drying, previous experience with Miele appliances and amongst other things the dryer was on sale and we got it cheaper. We were originally looking at the more basic T284.

Currys/Dixons were clearing all their Miele stock because they are no longer stocking Miele, we managed to pick up a vacuum at a relatively cheap price.Unfortunately our branch didn't have any Miele laundry appliances left.

[T i m]

Still a tricky one (because of the actual cost). ;-(

All good points. ;-)

Ok.

(I wonder why?)

I think with us it's also partly the unknowns. Like, do condensers increase the humidity around them and take longer to dry the clothes than vented? From what I've read so far seems to suggest the answers to both are yes (no suggestion how much impact either would have on anything outside the obvious etc).

I'd like to buy a 'good' machine but good machines often cost more to repair (even if they don't need repairing so often). A long guarantee would offset that to some degree.

If the choices were £50 for a vented and £75 for a condenser then it wouldn't be such a big issue if we don't like something or if it fails in a couple of years.

Cheers, T i m

[NT]

All the figures are best guesses, except the purchase cost. Just make your best estimate for each one, including your own life expectancy if necessary, then pick the best deal.

And as you point out, whether you're in credit or debt and what financial opportunities you have make a big difference to what sort of level of annual payback on extra spend is warranted.

I'd be very surprised if the difference in energy use were as small as

25%.

NT

[Andy Champ]

We bought a heat pump one.

Dry day, clothes go on line. Wet day they go in the drier. Only if we have a long warm wet spell is the heat wasted - it warms the house, whereas the old hose one just threw it away. On that basis the condenser one is several times more efficient - as we use all the heat twice.

It actually seems to like a cold room. I think the cold air helps the condenser. If we leave it shut up in the utility room it gets warm in there and then damp. Open the door into the house and there is no trace of damp.

Andy

[T i m]

Which one out of interest Andy?

Ok.

Ok.

I like the idea.

That would suit out setup then.

Hmm, so condensers (inc heat pump powered) 'do' put more humidity into the room than a vented jobby? I ask because ours is a 'cold' area and everything turns into a waterfall if the hose even slightly comes off our vented one.

I guess how that humidity affects the house would depend on how it was ventilated and heated etc. This is an 1897 Victorian end-of-terrace with sold 9" brick walls so (so far) we only have localised heating in the rooms we use. I'm a bit cautious about any increased levels of humidity finding the cold walls (more than it does already etc).

Cheers, T i m

[Tim]

How so?

We've been happy owners of a White Knight gas dryer for nearly 20 years now. (How many electric ones are lasting so well I wonder?) Been very reliable, survived several moves, easy to fix on the rare occasion when it has gone wrong. Used nearly every day. We've never paid for it to be professionally serviced but I vacuum out the fluff from the internals periodically.

I can't comment on the running costs of newer electric sensor controlled driers but Which (for what it's worth) still reckon that they're pretty economical.

[<me9]

of the first one. We could have repaired it but went for a new (almost identical) one. First one lasted until this year.

Cheap to run, reliable (more so than electric) and easy to service/repair. If any spares are required a phone call to the manufacturer gets them at a reasonable price.

[Andy Champ]

John Lewis own brand.

Yes. Which ? actually reckon some condensers don't condense at all! I would have designed them with a closed air circuit, but apparently it's open, the air coming out has dried the clothes and then been dried itself.

Andy