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The current machine has just died spectacularly (the drum has ripped itself off the mounts somehow), I am in the market for a new drier just before Christmas - great! Having looked at the options I have discounted a heat pump one as they appear to take much longer to dry clothes which isn't ideal for our circumstances. So I have deiced that a condenser one is the way to go as the current set up (vented drier) means we have a window open and the vent sticking out which isn't great especially in the winter months.
So, never having had a condenser one, are they any good? The reviews seem pretty decent on AO.com but I know little of them - just that we would need to empty the tray after each cycle which isn't a problem as it is sited next to a sink in the utility room anyway.
And finally, any recommendations? I don't really want to spend much more than £300.
Thank you!
just that we would need to empty the tray after each cycle which isn’t a problem as it is sited next to a sink in the utility room anyway.
On a lot of them you have the option to route the outlet pipe to the drain so you don't need to use the water tray/drawer.
We have a Hotpoint one, it's a pretty basic model (we got it as part of their product recall) but it, well, dries the things we put in it.
With the condenser driers - is the warm air that comes out of them completely dry? I ask because we have a vented one in our cellar that needs replacing but it’s where all the bikes and workshop is and while I’d like some warm air down there I really don’t want extra dampness.
I really don’t want extra dampness.
More likely to suffer with excess dust than dampness in my experience. I will say mine is in the garage not a cellar, so not sure if that will have an impact!
Our Bosch drier only spins in one direction so bed linen gets tangled and the pillow cases end up in the quilt covers then don’t dry because the moisture sensor doesn’t register this. So whatever you get make sure it has a reversible drum. Condensing drier is good in the garage and can drain to the sink outflow if you have plumbing in there.
Edit: our garage is unheated and have never had a problem with the drier not working in winter - down to 2-3 degrees a few times.
Ours is a condenser drier, doesn't seem to punt out damp air, living in an old house I'd see the signs of it quick smart.
Days like we've had recently, still cold damp air outside so there's no drying, I've taken to hanging stuff in utility room and having dehumidifier on, works very well tbh.
is the warm air that comes out of them completely dry?
Not with ours. To be honest, we still crack the window open a tad when it's on, as it's pretty steamy. It might be better when using the condenser drawer to be fair, we just have the outlet pipe (that would otherwise go to the drawer) going into the washing machine drain.
the pillow cases end up in the quilt covers
Yeah, I've learned to button up the quilt covers before they go in now
We would have the water draining to the waste water pipe, wouldn’t use the drawer.
I just remember using a condenser a very long time ago and thought it did emit a bit of damp with the warm air but that was probably 20 years ago.
Warm air into the cellar would be great but I wouldn’t have any way of venting damp air as the windows don’t open.
Yeah, I’ve learned to button up the quilt covers before they go in now
That’s so simple - never even occurred to me 😳
All I will add is that there was some tests in the news recently about how it's worth getting a more energy efficient appliance as it will pay for itself in the long run in reduced energy bills.
Our experience:
- a heat pump Hotpoint - we had two fail within a fortnight of delivery, both thumped out damp air into our small room as well. Took 2x as long as our old vented drier - yet only claimed a 40% energy saving per hour..also was only one direction as before it tied clothes in knots. Got our money back asap.
- condenser - we bought a second hand Bosch one. It worked well, quick, turned both ways, the only downside it that it did not put out dry air, it constantly led to condensation issues in the room or garage it was in.
- vented - now have an 'old school' vented (but new) and it just works. Coupled with a clothes horses x2 and dehumidifier.
^^ Agreed - but looking around, the condenser ones all appear to be 'B' rated anyway.
I'd go for a vented dryer, and (get someone to / DIY) fit the vent through the wall, rather than draping the hose through an open window.
My standard white goods choice is Bosch, avoiding the bottom end choice (serie 4? they're outsourced production, serie 6 is in house).
I’d go for a vented dryer, and (get someone to / DIY) fit the vent through the wall, rather than draping the hose through an open window
Unfortunately that doesn't work in our circumstances – there simply isn't anywhere to vent it other than through the window due to the tight space it is in. Believe me, if I could have done it I would have done it already.
Heat pump condenser Haier here. Got it for a bit of a bargain in the grand scheme of things but it's excellent. We use it in the cellar and no noticeable moisture is emitted into the air.
Takes a while but it's no problem - overall energy consumption is low, and lower than our old drying rack took to actually dry stuff.
Two two small kids it's proved invaluable.
Drum goes both ways in bedding mode, still need to do up duvet covers though.
https://ao.com/product/hd80a636-haier-heat-pump-tumble-dryer-white-73269-126.aspx
EDIT - I stick it on medium heat setting and just about everything goes in together. It's not wrecked anything yet!
We have a Beko condenser dryer and it appears to only put out dry air. We use the inbuilt water collection (too lazy to plumb it in). Ours is one way only so the trick of buttoning up duvet covers is a must. Very happy with ours - just remember that it will need a monthly clean
My condenser dryer sits next to a freezer in my garage, no issues with damp.
Keep on top of cleaning the fluff out of the fluff catcher and the slot and it keeps the condenser thing cleaner and therefore less maintenance.
Also open the container for water slowly so it doesn't slosh about
Brilliant machines.
We have a Miele condenser which doesn't emit dampness -- it lives in a very compact utility room now and I was worried about damp so actually checked it with a hygrometer. It makes things quite warm, but not damp.
The machine itself I got secondhand from a used appliance place, it was about 250 IIRC. That route isn't for the faint of heart (we have had to do some repair of the machine to get it going nicely) but I'd do it again having now got a good quality machine for an affordable price.
We were in the same position a few months ago. Ended up with a cheap Candy condensing one from AO (via Quidco for the cashback, £14 back on a £219 purchase) and have no complaints. It dries the clothes well, doesn't seem to cause extra moisture in the house, automatically stops when clothes are dry, is easy to access both the tank + filter and has the option to connect to a drain if you don't want to use the tank.
Considered other, more expensive options but glad we didn't know as ours is spot on.
I ended up getting this thing...
https://ao.com/product/tdc9112w-electra-condenser-tumble-dryer-white-67966-18.aspx
Not the cheapest but under budget and has some 'nice to have' features like auto stop, ability to fit a drain and spin direction change. Also ended up paying for the fitting and removal of the old appliance (£30) as the last thing I want in the week before Christmas is the hassle of lugging the old one to the recycling centre. Don't flame me though – I ordinarily do this sort of stuff myself but I have a very busy week coming up!
We had the same issue of the vent going through a small open window. In the end I unscrewed the opening part and took it to a double glazing company. They replaced the glass with a off cut from a upvc door panel. I then just got a 100mm circle in the middle and screwed back in to the opening mechanism. Fed through the pipe and screwed on a vent cover. Can't remember the cost but really cheap.
We too have a Miele condenser. It sits in a small utility room and blows warm dry air over the washing that does not get tumble dried. Win win. It has blown a few thermostats in its time, normally if you fail to wash out the condenser.
And I must admit that when it happened the first time, the engineer did ask as he pulled out a previously ignored piece of the machine internals. Manual? He was very kind. I’ve done the same replacement part a couple of times now.
How do you find out if the drum is reversible - that doesn't seem to be obvious on AO at any rate?
It’s in the ‘key information’ bit - it can be hidden in various drop downs but look for ‘reverse action’.
Unforseen bonus of our AEG condenser is the warm air blower at the bottom which we use to gently dry our wet shoes.