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On the subject of tumble-dryers - vented v. condensing

Oh really? Do they go on them all or just some and what percentage fail with this fault.? After how long?

Reply to
robert
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I bought a condenser a while back and put it in a small 1m x 1m pantry with no heating and a crap metal window. It generated loads of condensation.

Knocked pantry down so the dryer is now part of the much larger kitchen and no condensation problems at all.

The one I have is a Hotpoint ultima. I have to say that the performance is good. It dries probably faster than the old vented dryer and has a sensor that stops the process once the clothes are dry enough. Can't say much about the longevity as it's still only 2 years old.

Reply to
Brett Jackson

Failed on my Creda dryer within the first 2 years, so John Lewis fixed them under warranty. I think the engineer said it was a common fault and replaced both, although only one had failed. Symptom was rotation but no heat. Have had no problems since, which must be 3-4 years or so. (Perhaps a bad batch used during manufacture at that time ?)

Very happy with the dryer otherwise. Wouldn't go back to a vented model if you paid me.

Reply to
John Laird

Why? Because you like the heat output, or because you believe it performs better, ot both?

Reply to
Grunff

You are lucky, that particular model is one of the worst performing ones of all releasing about 1.5L of water into the room air per full load.

Reply to
Peter Parry

Peter, where did you get that figure from? I didn't realise they were published. Do you have any for other manufacturers/models?

Reply to
Grunff

You seem to be suggesting adding a tumbling mechanism to your airing cupboard...

Reply to
Neil Jones

They are not - but Which did a report on driers in Nov 2003. Can send you a copy if you like.

Reply to
Peter Parry

Because it does what it says on the tin (dries clothes) without the faff of a hose, which in 99% of cases I doubt is run to a proper vent but instead hangs out a window. My dryer is in the cellar so heat is welcome but moisture is not.

Reply to
John Laird

Not quite, not everyone has or wants space dedicated to an airing cupboard.

Also removing all the water from the clothes with an airing cupboard could cause problems with damp and condensation in some properties.

A condensing tumble drier is quicker plus a large proportion of the water removed from the clothes is recovered, and in doing so the heat used to dry the clothes is recovered and returned to the room.

The only disadvantage is the higher running cost of using electricity for the drying.

The same method could be used for washer driers, in fact the heat exchanger could also be used to heat water for low temperature programmes.

cheers, Pete.

Reply to
Pete C

Would be very much appreciated. Email address is valid.

Reply to
Grunff

Unfortunately, most washer dryers use a condensing mechanism that uses a medium sized reservoir's worth of cold mains water to condense. This laziness in design is an environmental disaster, and a financial one to those with water meters.

Christian.

Reply to
Christian McArdle

Maybe you missed my invisible smilie... :-)

Reply to
Neil Jones

Or dump its waste heat into the DHW circuit.

I like you, unlike most here, you are creative thinker.

Environmental aspects apart, gas is approx 2 to 4 times cheaper per kW than electricity. So, it would be cheaper using a basic gas tumble dryer than an electric condenser dryer, White Knight do them and I believe another maker.

In homes with forced air, a dedicated grill can be installed inside an airing cupboard. Filters are sometimes used on the return air from the airing cupboard so as not to clog the ductwork, and sometime heat exchangers are used to reclaim heat with the air being dumped outside. They are very efficient and work very well. Just hang the clothes on the rails and they dry. The airing cupboards tend to be large walk in jobs to be effective. This is common in the USA.

In the UK it is probably best to put your cylinder in the loft, or get a combi, and install your tumble dryer in the airing cupboard. It is square and take less room than a cylinder and the top can be used for storage making it more practical. The extract can be taken up into the loft and out to the eves. A grill in the cupboard door will be needed to bring in air from the hallway, or another supply air flexible duct from the eves again.

Reply to
IMM

True. Another possibility for exhausting heat to the room is that by adding a CH feed to the heat exchanger via a solenoid valve, it could double as a kind of 'kick space' heater to heat the room when the drier or washer/drier is not being used.

This could save on wall space for a radiator which may be at a premium in small kitchens.

cheers, Pete.

Reply to
Pete C

No worries... =)

cheers, Pete.

Reply to
Pete C

IME only the gas heated US externally units work satisfactorily as dryers. Their larger drum seems more effective and clothes which have been dried in one, most of the time do not need ironing. I have yet to find a European unit which is comparable. I believe Maytag/Whirlpool units are available in the UK, but you need the space available to fit one. There is now a unit from Maytag, which is electric(6KW) combining a tumble drier with an over the top drying cabinet for woolens etc which need to dry flat.

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Reply to
Capitol

But then, US appliances tend to use about 3 times the energy/water/detergent/whatever per cycle.

Christian.

Reply to
Christian McArdle

In article , Pete C writes

Are you're talking about it just to heat the room? What about using a feed from the CH loop to heat the clothes drying air - anyone tried that?

A quick look at my own drier shows the air intakes to be front & bottom. Looks like it could be modified to take a ducted flow from a kickspace heater, maybe siting underneath it. Obviously this would increase the height, but ok for those who don't have theirs under a counter.

Opinions?

Reply to
fred

Yes, in addition to:

Sounds doable, some shower fan ducting could be used to carry the airflow from the drier to an adjacent heater and back rather than siting it underneath.

The best place to connect in the drier would be after the lint filter to stop the heater getting clogged with lint, and a fairly powerful mains duct fan connected across the drier thermostat would regulate the heating.

Might be easier to use the element from an old kickspace heater or a couple of car heater matrixes from a scrapyard instead of hacking into the existing one.

As long as the external heater can provide a couple of kW from the CH it should do a good job.

cheers, Pete.

Reply to
Pete C

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