Tumble dryers

[Tim Lamb]

I see things have moved on since we last purchased a tumble dryer!

Any comments on condenser type performance/noise/reliability?

What happens to the condensate? Is it gravity or pumped to drain?

[Mike Barnes]

Tim Lamb :

There's a collector box which you slide out and empty. If it gets full, the drier stops.

If you don't fancy that (who would?) there's a drain tube which is usually thin enough to squeeze into the pipe alongside the washing machine hose. AFAICS it must be pumped.

[Peter Crosland]

I have a Bosch Classix that works a treat. A collector box slides out for emptying. You also need to rinse the condenser assembly frequently. Mine works perfectly and you can alter the degree of dryness you require.

[Lee]

Not going to debate the point, but the heat pump dryer we have doesn't seem to make the room as hot as the previous conventional condenser one.

The clothes don't come out as hot either, just slightly warm. And dry ;)

Uses a good deal less electricity too, though at the price premium of the heat pump ones, it will take a few years to break even :)

Lee

[Tim+]

I think most of them have the collector box at the top so will happily drain with gravity alone.

We bought a condenser dryer for an elderly aunt (or more accurately, for her carers) and I must admit the way that you can put it more less anywhere is a very attractive aspect of it. It's a beko machine which has been quiet and hasn't broken down in the 18 months we've had it. Reasonably quiet. Got a long way to go to match the reliability of our gas White Knight dryer though. ;-)

Tim

[Harry Bloomfield]

Tim Lamb wrote on 26/10/2013 :

Condensate type use the flow of cold water from the mains, to condense the moisture, then it is pumped away to drain.

We have one, but tend not to use it apart from emergencies. Instead I have turned the utility into a drying room. A series of washing lines, small fan to stir the air and a dehumidifier to remove the moisture, which is plumbed to drain. Much cheaper and washing is dried in just a few hours.

[Vir Campestris]

It must be pretty old.

Nowadays they use air cooling to get the condensate to come out of the hot exhaust - with varying efficiency. There are also some with a heat pump - like an aircon, or fridge - to both cool the exhaust and heat the inlet.

This means, among other things, that you get a lot of hot air coming out. I find with ours if I shut the door the room gets hot and steamy - I think the condensor efficiency drops at high temperature.

Andy

[Tim Lamb]

Hmm.. so, apart from Harry's version they all depend on a conventional

*dehumidifier* system. Plus a fan to circulate air and drum to agitate the clothes. Do they also heat the circulation air?

[Tim+]

Sounds faulty to me. Surely a condenser dryer should have a *cool* exhaust and not steam the house up.

Tim

[Vir Campestris]

I don't understand it. If I was building one I'd have a closed circuit for the drying air - which would mean no smell of washing powder and no water at all. The exhaust will of course be hot - because it is used to cool the damp water on the way out of the drum - but I don't see why it needs to be the same air. Better surely to send the air around the circuit over and over, keeping it oscillating between hot with low RH so it dries, and warm with high RH so the water condenses out.

As Which? managed to measure the water content of the air on the way out it's obviously standard practice though.

Andy

[Tim Lamb]

These are the issues of concern:-)

The planned location is in a small entrance lobby. There is power, existing washing machine drain upstand, outside wall for exhaust if required.

Single retired resident (my sister) so perhaps one wash/dry/week. Pay back on energy consumption not really a consideration.

J Lewis stock largely the condenser type hence my query.

[Harry Bloomfield]

That may be the case with yours, but ours discharges directly to a drain.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Tim Lamb presented the following explanation :

Mine uses condenser, followed by heater, in a duct through which the air is circulated.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Its around 4 to 6 years old. It a closed loop air circulation system, so there is no moist air escaping from it.

[Chris J Dixon]

In that case, why not go for a non-condenser, and save the considerable extra cost?

Chris

[Tim Lamb]

Yes.

I am searching for cogent reasoning to head off my sister who is *sold* by the 5 year warranty and comparatively huge discount offered by JL.

So far cons, extra cost, not fully dry, possibly humid exhaust.... pros electricity saving (about 40% less) quieter? easy install...

[Timothy Murphy]

I have the same Bosch model, and I agree - it is very good and convenient.

[S Viemeister]

A few weeks ago I bought an Indesit through-the-wall exhaust type from John Lewis - so far, I'm pleased with it.

[Davey]

If you take a discount off a high initial cost, how does the result compare with a cheaper non-discounted item?

[Bob Eager]

I have the Logixx model, and it is similar. Slide out tray (looks like a soap drawer to the uninitiated, but it's full depth). Only maintenance is emptying that, occasionally washing out the little slide-out filter in it at the same time - and of course cleaning the fluff filters.