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Yes, it's Friday night! 😀 Our antique General Electric tumble dryer has sadly decided to go part-time - still does the spin thing, no longer does the heating thing. Never bought one before, what do we need to look for, does anyone have any recommendations? It'll live in the garage, so gets a bit chilly out there.
Following! Can't wait for this one, bring on the knowledge. Ours is going in the utility room. I know absolutely nothing about them, never even used one.
Never had one. Aren’t radiators for dry clothes?
We have a heat pump Samsung tumble drier that lives in our utility. Heat pumps ones are meant to be more efficient and don’t need to be vented. Has lots of whizzy features like sensors that detect if clothes are dry or not, tbh we never use those features just stick to the standard timed programmes.
Heat pump one here, bought it when mini-clubby arrived. Been a godsend. Lives in garage (drier not baby) and is fine until temperature drops to near zero when it refuses to work. Works again once temp goes up a bit but was out of action for over a week during this months cold snap.
Love the fact there’s no need for vents or drain hoses. 3-4 hours for a big load but not noticed any spikes in my leccie bills. Brings down jackets up lovely.
Candy, think it was about £250 on ao.com.
If you've got drainage available (if it's going near the washing machine you will have) then get one that drains itself. No arsing about emptying the water container then.
Anything German. Siemens are good.
Got an overpriced Miele heatpump one recently. Works but tangled sheets more than the previous overpriced Miele tumber dryer. Wife blameed the heat pump because they be the work of devils. Choosing the correct program helped a lot along with reducing the creasing. Other than that, it just does its stuff which is matching the washing machine in the kitchen I think.
Got a heat pump Zanussi and it's great.
If you do go down the heat pump route clean all the fluff filters regularly, partly they are there to protect the condenser (?) matrix that you cannot remove to clean (it has refrigerant running through it).
Whilst it is not officially an external draining one it would be very easy to alter (undo one spring clip, pull the hose off, aim it down a drain).
de-humidifier and longer lasting clothes?
Having just pulled our heat pump dryer apart to then decide it was terminal (fluff everywhere!) We are now looking at standard condenser dryers to allow us to remove the condenser to clean it. Just having trouble finding one that says you can do that despite reading an article saying most non-heatpump dryers have the ability.
Not having a functional dryer is causing issues although I do now have a stainless barrel to make something with.
@markyg82 we have an AEG condenser that you can do this - have done it once in the three years that we’ve had it - pull it out and wash it through with the hose. Most easy
Can recommend the AEG.
You can tell who does/doesn't have kids and who has a big house and who doesn't. (To be able to leave washing hanging about forever)
Even with a dehumidifier some.loads take for ever to dry..... And you need about 250 baby vests
Following anyway. Putting a heatpump one in our utility for next winter.
Got a John Lewis heat pump one. It replaced a Miele condensing one that various bearings and seals had worn out on after almost daily use over many years.
John Lewis one looks suspiciously like an AEG one but cost somewhat less.
Runs cooler than the condenser. Using the right programs usually ensures that its loads are dry for ‘folding’. By which I mean pulling out of the machine and laying big clothes items on top of each other to reduce creasing.
Picking the appropriate program makes a difference with synthetics and bed linen especially. Did the latter on the ‘cottons’ cycle we use for most everything else and they came out a bit damp in places
I like it. Things don’t come out as bone dry as with the condenser and the ‘folding’ means fewer creases.
We have a Beko condenser dryer, it's ok if a little slow at drying. We're fortunate enough to have a utility with one of those Victorian style ceiling mounted clothes airers and combined with a small dehumidifier is great for drying clothes. Towels and bedding still goes on the dryer though.
We have the John Lewis heat pump one. Supposedly runs cheaper but takes longer and despite cleaning all 3 filters before every run, the non removable condenser still looks like it is filling up with fluff. If this eventually ends it I won't get a heat pump one again.
@mulacs thanks. We found a "self cleaning" heat pump one but very nervous about it having seen the amount of fluff in the dead one.
after our years old '2 settings and a timer, and steam everywhere' went tits up a few months ago, we upgraded to a modern condenser style one. A revelation in home laundry.
It's massive (drum size I mean - twice the size of the old one), vastly over complicated, about 712 different settings once you include all the permutations of buttons - iron ready, cupboard ready, hanger ready? WTF? I just want 'dry'. And as is typical we now always use the same setting which dries the clothes with a sensor to set the timer (it always says 2 hour12 to start, never is) and then beeps to say it's finished. No more steam in the utility room, just empty the container every so often, and no more maybe another 10 minute repeat trips to turn it on again and again.
I can supposedly even link it to my phone so it can text me or something to say it's finished but that's just weird.
Get one, use 1% of its functions, and still marvel at how it's 1000% better than the old one.
A revelation in home laundry, I tell you.
Oh, what brand? IDK, it's white if that helps? At £200 for all that positivity, if it dies in 3 years of almost daily use I'll get another.
I love my tumble drier!!
I think we have decided to step back from the high tech heat pump style and go for a regular condenser. Just need to find one that isn't carp and you can definitely take the condenser out to clean it.
Suggestions very much welcome.
We’ve had a heat pump one for the last 18 months that replaced a vented one. It’s not as useful for a quick warm (for example if I realise my work gloves are wet 10 mins before I need them- I think the way it recycled heat means it takes a while to get warm) but it’s brilliant from a dump the clothes inside, turn to cupboard dry and it tells us when it’s done. Plus it seems to use no electricity compared to the vented.
What’s all this fluff accumulation everyone is talking about ? Edit just seen. I will pay more attention to cleaning filters. Mine has a hose for the water to go down the drain which is very Useful btw
Bosch condenser - I think ours was £250-300. Got it on the strength of how long the washing machine has lasted and so far had no issues.
As above though it has a myriad of settings and we use one of them for everything. Piece of cake to clean as well.
Mines a Hoover Dynamic Next 8kg FWIW and has an easy clean (run under a tap) removable condenser.
https://ao.com/product/dxoc8tg-hoover-dynamic-next-condenser-tumble-dryer-white-76276-18.aspx
We have a Bosch heat pump, it replaced an old vented Hotpoint. Takes longer to dry stuff but uses much less electricity. We also have solar PV, and the much lower wattage of the dryer means it often runs on the 'spare' output so it's had a big effect on electricity bills.
You can tell who does/doesn’t have kids and who has a big house and who doesn’t. (To be able to leave washing hanging about forever)
Even with a dehumidifier some.loads take for ever to dry
eh? I live in a small flat and hung my clothes out to dry on a clothes horse last night at about 23:30. They're dry this morning, and no I don't have the heating on overnight.
Try running the final spin on your washing machine again once it's finished, you'll be surprised how much easier your clothes dry afterwards 😉
Try running the final spin on your washing machine again once it’s finished, you’ll be surprised how much easier your clothes dry afterwards 😉
Teaching granny to suck eggs next ?
We have coped for 10 years without one but child number 1 is the straw that broke the camels back.
Loads are larger and more frequent.
Beko standard condensing here
Nearly 10 yrs old and going strong
2 filters, one to remove fluff
The other the condensor. Both can be taken out and washed
I keep meaning to buy a Miele badge for it, to keep up with the Jones’s
Just swapped our old tumble dryer that coated everything in the garage - including 7 bikes - in a fine layer of damp fluff for my in laws old condenser dryer. Huge step forward.
Cheap Beko condenser for heavy cotton stuff. Works great and the "waste" heat isn't wasted as it is my garage heating and shoe drying facility (just time garage jobs to coincide with wash loads).
Beko heat pump replaced a standard condensing dryer in Jan 2012 so over 9 years, about £350 seemed like a lot at the time. Takes longer to dry but significantly more frugal on the power, not much waste heat. Self draining, regularly defluff the filter, probably put a new one in every other year. Drive belt went last year but was relatively cheap and easy to replace.
We have a vented gas tumble dryer, White Knight 86 although think there are others rebadged. It's quite old so might not even be available anymore. It's quite well supported in terms of spare parts, when it was a couple of months old my Pinnacle Arkose fell over and the shifter smashed through the door 🤦🏻♂️ We have 3 boys who like the outdoors so it's probably on twice a day with full loads.
Coz im poor i bought a Chinese Statesman brand tumble drier. Old school with a elephants trunk ducting.
Tbf its actually pretty good.
Moisture sensor in the outlet and 2 settings for dry levels, 3 settings for materials, eco mode, child lock etc
Also pops the door open afters which is nice
Not had it long so cant comment on longevity
We gave up after two fancy dryers stopped working and bought a big old tank of a siemens vented dryer second hand for £30. It lives in the outhouse and it drys clothes so quickly. The big drum, venting and large filter works a treat. We have had it for three years so far and it is without question the best dryer we have ever had
As far as I’m aware, all condensing dryers, that aren’t heat pumps, have removable condensers. It’s advisable to keep the condenser clear of lint, the more lint, the more restricted the airflow, and the less efficient they become.
Heat pump dryers have improved a lot in recent years, they used to be terrible (slow) in a cold atmosphere (garage in winter). The filters have also improved, but need to be maintained.
The sensor drying function on the dryers is very good, but they’re sensing the residual moisture of the total load, if you have one towel with the rest of the load synthetics, there’s a good chance the towel will still be damp at the end of the cycle, this protects the synthetic fabric from over drying.
If you value good quality clothes, buy appliances that care for them.
I will just ask the wife....followed by me getting me coat.
Had a posh AEG heat pump one. It was twice the price of a normal condenser, took 3 times longer to dry anything, and died quickly. Replaced with a normal condenser, which is loads better at actually drying clothes.
I was sleeping on this thread but now I'm actively dryer hunting. I also live next to a Currys so anything available there is a bonus.
Ours is going in a utility room next to a washing machine. Is it easy to plumb it into the same drain? I consider myself widely experienced but I have no idea what the back of a washing machine looks like.
It'll be squashed into a little cubicle with nowhere to run a vent and I don't want to start cutting my walls up. Does this make any difference to the type I need?
We also have an overhead drying rack so any 'waste heat' will be useful.
Anything wrong with something this basic? Link
Ours is going in a utility room next to a washing machine. Is it easy to plumb it into the same drain?
Yes probably, depending on your existing drain. Mine was just a bit of white PVC pipe so I split it with a T-junction and 90-elbow to a second bit of pipe running parallel. Works well.
Our set up is to have the tumble drier stacked on top of the washing machine using a stacking kit that also has a built-in pull-out shelf. This also makes cleaning the drier filters much easier as you don't have to get on your hands and knees.
It’ll be squashed into a little cubicle with nowhere to run a vent and I don’t want to start cutting my walls up. Does this make any difference to the type I need?
My experience is that many standard condenser units still vent a fair bit of external condensation. The heat pump ones do much better. (This could be anecdotal though, as my heat pump dryer is a lot newer).
Our set up is to have the tumble drier stacked on top of the washing machine using a stacking kit that also has a built-in pull-out shelf
Moar details please. This looks handy. I was just planning on having a sturdy shelf made out of worktop....
It's this one @trail_rat
Wpro SKS101 Washing Machine Dryer Accessories/Frame with Shelf/for Connecting Installation Frame Washing Machine and Tumble Dryer Universal for all brands 60 x 60 cm With Shelf (£46)
It comes with a tensioning strap that goes around the top unit and holds it in place so it doesn't get dislodged during a vigorous spin cycle. Had it for a few years and it has worked very well.
Pull out shelf is very handy when unloading the tumble drier. It doesn't feel like a fantastically sturdy shelf: wouldn't climb on it, but it handles a load of washing easy enough.
Our tumble drier (bosch) is a condenser and does seem to generate a bit of moisture in the air.
Just had a Google my self there . Did not know those were a thing....that looks handy.
I think my Mrs has settled on this one from Argos and it means we don't even have to leave the house. Linky
I've just measured up and it'll just fit in the space. Our washing machine is boxed into a fitted unit so not sure if we can use the same drain pipe yet. It's not a heat pump so it should warm the room up nicely.
For anyone who cares, we went with the self cleaning bosch heat pump unit @£700. Not cheap but comes with 5 years cover and the self cleaning part is something you actually have to initiate with clean water in the tank rather than recycling existing condensed water. Instructions suggest once a year is enough. We'll see about that. Not going to let the maintenance slide at that price though.