Tumble Dryers - to condense or duct out?

[Andy Champ]

If you're anywhere near me I have the timer I saved out of our old one... knew it would be useful one day (Berkshire)

We bought a John Lewis heat pump one a couple of years ago to replace a ducted one. No pipe to trip over (we had no convenient outside wall, but a door opposite which gained a vent) and it does heat the room noticeably. It also steams it up - _if_ we leave the door shut so it gets warm in there. I think the condensing works less well in a warm environment. I can't imagine why the drying air ever comes out of the machine rather than getting dried and pumped back around.

In summer - we use a washing line.

Andy

[Michael Chare]

Thank you for the suggestion. The timer that I have had a knob that you twisted to set the time (max about 90 min or 120min). It then wound back to zero when the drier was on. Unfortunately it no longer winds back! The drier was made by Philips and I can not longer get spares.

One big advantage of this timer was that it was compatible with a separate timer that I have to ensure that the drier only runs in off peak periods. Almost all modern driers require you to press a button to start them and wont work with a separate timer, though many of them have a delay start facility.

If the timer that you have is similar, I will send you a picture of mine so that you can see if the one that you have is similar.

[Fredxx]

I've had a condensing tumble drier for a few years and while it heats the room there's no noticeable increase in humidity.

However it wasn't a cheap one, a Bosch.

The main reason I got this model was it was just about the cheapest with a humidistat. The tumble sequence stops when the clothes are dry enough, and to choice of "dryness". I felt that stopped the guess-work of when to stop, of having either over-dry clothes which were difficult to iron, or of getting wet clothes which had to be put back in and heated again wasting energy.

The heat-pump ones are twice as efficient, but difficult to justify the extra cost unless you're either very green (in which case you'd be using a washing line) or do a lot of drying!!!

[Andy Champ]

You wind it up, and it has a little electric motor that winds it back until it goes off. No electronics.

' eck, 30 quid!!!

Andy

[Stephen]

I bought a condensing model when I didn't have easy access for a duct (mid terrace house). I had no problems running it in a large room. When I moved house, the utility room was much smaller and I did find the smaller room heated up unbearably; sometimes to the extent that I was thinking about fitting a duct for an extractor fan! Now it's getting colder though, I just leave the door ajar and it helps heat the house.

Rarely the room steams up but I think that may be when the condenser is getting blocked by lint. I think someone else mentioned that, so as long as you clean the condenser every now and again, you might not get the steam.

Hope that helps. Stephen.

[Man at B&Q]

Where does the condensate go? Ah, you have to restrict the position to give access to a drain?

MBQ

[pcb1962]

It collects in a plastic container which you empty down the sink. Holds about a gallon so you can dry 3 or 4 loads between emptying.

[Mark]

Trouble is around here large parts of the year are too damp to dry washing outside and too warm to need the CH on.

I prefer a condensing dryer to a ducted one since it is less hassle to get rid of the water than to run a duct outside.

[Mark]

I guess it depends on the machine. Ours is pretty much full after a single load.

[pcb1962]

Also depends on the spin speed of your WM - ours is 1600 and many clothes come out almost dry.

[brass monkey]

Also depends on the spin speed of your WM - ours is 1600 and many clothes come out almost dry.

It certainly helps, our clothes go into a 2800rpm spinner first.

[Doctor Drivel]

It collects in a plastic container which you empty down the sink. Holds about a gallon so you can dry 3 or 4 loads between emptying.

[Doctor Drivel]

On economy electric dryers could not touch gas. The matter is now different. With auto switch off drying sensors using heat pumps, the swing is towards the heat pump dryers.

[Doctor Drivel]

I had a Hotpoint condensing dryer. The overheat stat tripped. On inspection, and replacing the stat, I found that the insides of the appliance ductwork was caked in lint. This had to be cleaned out to get proper air flow. A better make than Hotpoint may catch the lint with its normal filters.

I found that the over heat stat can be reset by pushing in the centre - you are supposed to replace, but a Hotpoint engineer told me how to reset.

[Doctor Drivel]

The prices are falling. It is only common fridge technology. Moving over from a working tumble dryer to a heat pump dryer is difficult to justify. If the dryer needs replacing then the choice is easy - the heat pump.

[TheOldFellow]

Thank you everyone who gave an opinion and an experience.

We have decided to get a Condensing model, one that will plumb-in to avoid having to empty the tank manually. The cupboard, that I yet have to build, will also contain the Washer, also a new purchase, and I'm looking for that to have a good spin performance. The cupboard will have air extraction eventually via a house heat-exchanger, so heat and humidity should not be a problem.

Now thinking about the economics of the Heat Pump technology. The question in my mind is MTBF/Relacement-Cost vs Running-Cost savings. My experience with 1st generation domestic technology is not favourable in this regard - e.g. early self-defrosting freezers were much more expensive, and cost so much more in the long term because they failed so frequently. Theoretically a heat pump should be very reliable, little to go wrong, but in practice? Who knows.

Thanks again. R.

[pcb1962]

[Doctor Drivel]

You ensure it does not overfill. And that the machine is totally dry before each load and that no water is hanging around that make end up leaking.

[Doctor Drivel]

Heat Pump technology on dryers is only the same as domestic fridges. They have been around a number of years now. Heat pumps have been around for many decades.

If you "have" to replace the dryer then I would strongly lean towards a heat pump model.

[Timothy Murphy]

Would you recommend a model?