Tumble Dryers

Web search for anything these days and the top 100-odd results will be along the lines of;

Top 10 best [product-type]

With marketing guff copied and pasted straight off the manufacture’s product page, no actual useful info, but lots of advertisements and affiliate links.

I'm after a vent hose-free dryer. The only spot in the house I have available for a dryer is remote from an external wall - nowhere for a vent to go.

I broadly understand the function of condenser and heat-pump dryers, what would you recommend considering the operating costs vs purchase costs between the two types?

What are the more value-oriented ones (i.e. cheaper :D) like between the two types, e.g. reliability? What are your recent experiences with tumble drier shopping?

No affiliate links, please ;)

If I was in the market, I'd go for a condensing heat-pump based one. Tumble Dryers are a power hog, so capturing and reusing excess waste is the responsible thing to do. If you use it a lot, you should make some of that back in terms of energy savings. There's usually a sweet spot between having the functionality and getting silly things like WiFi and go faster stripes.

Tend to just spec-browse somewhere like ao.com and then look for reviews on a few models/brands for reliability.

I got the cheapest heat-pump condenser I could find, a Balay, about 3 years ago. Working fine so far. It came with touch-sensitive buttons which are fine unless you have cold wet hands when trying to activate them. Which you of course will have after transferring the washing to it. So avoid them if possible. Apart from that it works, and detects the moisture content so turns itself off when the clothes are actually dry. Which is great as you only use the energy you need, instead of trying to predict the time needed and overshooting by 20 min of wasted heating, or checking to find still damp clothes.


For me, with a family, the extra cost compared to a basic condenser would probably have paid itself off by now, but obviously it depends on your individual use case.

A heat-pump is not complicated technology, so I wouldn´t think there would be any particular reliability problems. And remember that energy costs will only go up in the future.

Why do you need a tumble dryer? Just put wet clothing on a rack, point a low-speed fan at it, and after around 4-5 hours it's dry.

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Originally Posted by smargh

Why do you need a tumble dryer? Just put wet clothing on a rack, point a low-speed fan at it, and after around 4-5 hours it's dry.

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I've no idea why DDY wants a dryer, but a relative of mine tried that in a relatively small area and found that putting all that extra moisture in the air caused her breathing problems, due to humidity. Mind you, she was susceptible to that anyway due to a lung complaint.


As for DDYs question, my experience is limited. Miele I have found to be extremely good, but bring a truckload of money or your bank manager when buying. Also very good (from my sample of ONE) are Siemens, and about half the price, but still not a cheap model.

Quoting myself from https://forums.hexus.net/home-garden...ml#post4145840

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The only place I could find them reviewed was "Which?", so I joined for a month purely to find out which washer dryer to buy.

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My current dryer is a Bosch, and I hate the useless pile of crud. It has one job, and clothes come out damp if you use the automatic setting. Now mine is a vented model, but I'm confident the useless moisture sensor would be just as pitiful in a condenser version as well.

Current dryer is a cheapo Beko condenser, sat in the garage. Have to say I was totally against one till we got one. Life with 2 kids is more managable with one, damp house full of drying clothes is not such a common occurence now.

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Originally Posted by DanceswithUnix

My current dryer is a Bosch, and I hate the useless pile of crud. It has one job, and clothes come out damp if you use the automatic setting. Now mine is a vented model, but I'm confident the useless moisture sensor would be just as pitiful in a condenser version as well.

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The Beko is the same :(. We just put it on automatic and then put it on again manually for another 20-40 mins and everything is bone dry and 2 sizes smaller. ;)

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Originally Posted by jimborae

The Beko is the same :(. We just put it on automatic and then put it on again manually for another 20-40 mins and everything is bone dry and 2 sizes smaller. ;)

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Previous tumble dryer was an Indesit. It had a safety recall for potentially burning the house down, and I got fed up of if eating through bearings every year or two. The bearings are not a difficult replacement job, and self fitting not expensive, but I wanted to go buy one that just works, and got it horribly wrong.

I believe the Indesit had a moisture sensor in the vent so it was measuring the water in the air coming out of the washing. You could set whether you wanted enough moisture left to iron the clothes, or say you want them dry enough to hang up and it pretty much got it right.
The Bosch has a couple of metal contacts that brush against the washing to detect conductivity. So if you have a light shirt near the door where the contacts are and say a bunch of socks at the back then the shirt might be fairly dry so it stops drying but the socks are still wet. If the thing mixed the laundry as it tumbles it would work, but it doesn't. As part of that the Bosch only tumbles in one direction, so things like duvet covers end up as a bit ball dry on the outside and wet in the middle. The Indesit would reverse the direction of tumble, reducing creasing and avoiding everything ending up as one bit knot. The Bosch wasn't cheap either.

Apologies for the rant, but hopefully some of that will avoid people making my mistake.

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Originally Posted by smargh

Why do you need a tumble dryer? Just put wet clothing on a rack, point a low-speed fan at it, and after around 4-5 hours it's dry.

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when my old washing machine broke down i replaced it with a washer dryer. put stuff in, leave it a few hours, and take it out and it's dry and can be worn. crushed to hell, but that doesn't matter too much for some stuff like underwear and towels. but it saves the hassle of pulling it out then having to leave it on radiators and racks and stuff and wait more hours for it to dry. one of the best things i bought. i only do about one or two washes a week, stick stuff in at night and it's ready in the morning. WFH requires no ironing

Miele or Siemens imo

dont expect completely trouble free perfectly dry every time because without various sensors and moving parts its not going to happen, and that would reduce reliability.

duvets and sheets are always going to get tangled and have damp bits, socks and other small items are bound to get stuck down the legs of jeans and so on.

Condensing best option i believe, remember to clean filters (fluff is a bitch) after every use (2 second job) and empty water tray when finished. Theres usually another filter or 2 that need cleaned every few months.

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Originally Posted by DanceswithUnix

Previous tumble dryer was an Indesit. It had a safety recall for potentially burning the house down, and I got fed up of if eating through bearings every year or two. The bearings are not a difficult replacement job, and self fitting not expensive, but I wanted to go buy one that just works, and got it horribly wrong.

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They last for years if you don't overload them.

The biggest mistake most people make is taking the full load out of the washing machine and dumping it all into the dryer; completely ignoring the max recommended load rating. Pro tip: it weighs a lot more when it's wet. Then it's all: the bearings are wearing out, it doesn't dry properly, it's making horrible noises and, finally, the motor burnt out.

I did about a thousand of the Whirlpool recall/retrofits and I saw and heard the same thing over and over. Rinse and repeat.

If I were designing it I'd just use a temp sensor in the exhaust to detect the dryness - it's a much more robust solution, and the water evaporating will hold the temp at a certain level until the clothes are dry (like boiling a kettle).

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Originally Posted by Spreadie

They last for years if you don't overload them.

The biggest mistake most people make is taking the full load out of the washing machine and dumping it all into the dryer; completely ignoring the max recommended load rating. Pro tip: it weighs a lot more when it's wet. Then it's all: the bearings are wearing out, it doesn't dry properly, it's making horrible noises and, finally, the motor burnt out.

I did about a thousand of the Whirlpool recall/retrofits and I saw and heard the same thing over and over. Rinse and repeat.

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It's not hard to spec tumble dryer bearings to handle a full load at once - washing machines handle more weight at ludicrous RPM in the spin cycle (more weight as they haven't wrung the clothes out yet at the start of the cycle) without issue. If the bearings die then it's just cost cutting to blame, although I accept that you need more space to dry clothes than wash them so it's harder to make a tumble dryer that dries well with a washing machine full

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Originally Posted by Spreadie

They last for years if you don't overload them.

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We tried quite hard not to, the model we had was one with a larger drum and load rating so it about matched our washing machine. On towel washing day it probably had a bit of abuse.

To be fair to it, with a family worth of washing it felt like the thing was running all day every day and whilst it had clear design issues (hence the recall, and I wasn't impressed with the "clamp the drum harder" fix that seemed to wear out the seals faster) it actually worked rather well. With hindsight perhaps I should have just put a yearly service in my calendar, the work involved in dismantling the thing wasn't *that* hard but it always failed at the worst possible moment :)

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Originally Posted by Xlucine

If I were designing it I'd just use a temp sensor in the exhaust to detect the dryness - it's a much more robust solution, and the water evaporating will hold the temp at a certain level until the clothes are dry (like boiling a kettle).

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Or you could use a moisture sensor and get a direct reading, or use a sensor that gives you both readings and see if you can integrate them:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/MakerHawk-D...dp/B072391SJV/

the trick is going to be dealing with the lint that gets past the filter.

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Originally Posted by Xlucine

If I were designing it I'd just use a temp sensor in the exhaust to detect the dryness - it's a much more robust solution, and the water evaporating will hold the temp at a certain level until the clothes are dry (like boiling a kettle).



It's not hard to spec tumble dryer bearings to handle a full load at once - washing machines handle more weight at ludicrous RPM in the spin cycle (more weight as they haven't wrung the clothes out yet at the start of the cycle) without issue. If the bearings die then it's just cost cutting to blame, although I accept that you need more space to dry clothes than wash them so it's harder to make a tumble dryer that dries well with a washing machine full

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I guess there's a market for everything from naff minimum-price items to the likes of Miele, etc. Not everyone wants to, or can, pay for top quality, and unless you do, everything is designed and built down to a price.

A lesson I learned (the hard way, and in several instalments) over the years, is buy right, buy once. Cheap out, and you buy over and again. Of course, by the time I learned that, I was old enough to be able to afford to buy right. That usually isn't a young person's option.

My first washing machine, an AEG, was a gift from parents when I first bought a house in the 80s, and they'd had it nearly 20 years. It then lasted me 20+ years. Okay, I had it repaired twice .... but both those repairs consisted of replacing rubber hoses that had perished. We only gave up (regretfully) on that machine when, despite a national hunt, we couldn't find a third replacement rubber hose. I seriously considered trying to have one made.

But by 'eck was that thing built. I think the case was made out of ex-battleship armour plate, and the bearings were designed to spin planets on. There wasn't much subtle or elegant about it, but it just washed, and washed, and washed. And gave very good results too. Jeez, I miss that machine.

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Originally Posted by Saracen999

A lesson I learned (the hard way, and in several instalments) over the years, is buy right, buy once. Cheap out, and you buy over and again. Of course, by the time I learned that, I was old enough to be able to afford to buy right. That usually isn't a young person's option.

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The cheap items are often not as nice an experience either. Terry Pratchett summed it up in the Captain Sam Vimes “Boots” Theory of Socioeconomic Unfairness:

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The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.
Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.
But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that’d still be keeping his feet dry in ten years’ time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.

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But to some degree I think I was a victim here of branding where I was too lazy to do proper research. We have a Bosch washing machine, and it has given flawless service doing on average something like 2 to 3 washes per day for more years than I can remember. I think it is on it's third set of motor carbon brushes, it has taken a lot of punishment. The Bosch tumble dryer was not cheap, and certainly more expensive than the latest top of the range Indesit at the time. Expensive can be bad too, and clearly not all German engineering teams are competent.

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Originally Posted by DanceswithUnix

The cheap items are often not as nice an experience either. Terry Pratchett summed it up in the Captain Sam Vimes “Boots” Theory of Socioeconomic Unfairness:



But to some degree I think I was a victim here of branding where I was too lazy to do proper research. We have a Bosch washing machine, and it has given flawless service doing on average something like 2 to 3 washes per day for more years than I can remember. I think it is on it's third set of motor carbon brushes, it has taken a lot of punishment. The Bosch tumble dryer was not cheap, and certainly more expensive than the latest top of the range Indesit at the time. Expensive can be bad too, and clearly not all German engineering teams are competent.

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Oh, branding error? So, so easy to do.

There certainly was a time where the name Bosch (and AEG) meant something. Now, at least for Bosch, .... not so sure. I remember hunting for a dish-washing machine in, I think, 1987 or '88, and the shop (an excellent local owner-managed place now sadly defunct) where I inspected, in considerable detail, a Hotpoint and a Bosch. Other than the name plate, and a little bit of trim, they were as far as I could tell. This was right down to location and types of screw, and moulding marks on plastic bits.

So I asked the guy in the shop the difference.

He said "Price." He went on to explain that the Bosch machines were made for them by Hotpoint. True or not? Dunno. But it's what he told me.

It's a bit like Skoda and VW.

My conclusion is that branding is a freaking minefield.

I would also note it can be a minefield for some manufacturers, when they decide to trade on the (good) reputation for quality, and produce down to a price point or different market. Case in point, in power tools, De Walt. They used to have a rep for solidly-built workaday tools for professionals. Not really High end, but durable for heavy use. But friends (that got caught out) tell me they then started trading on that name by releasing "consumer grade" tools, at a consumer-friendly price, and not making the differentiation clear.

The result? Consumers thought they were getting a pro tool at a good price, and pro's thought they were still getting heavy-duty kit but at a bargain. Both ended up disappointed and several 'pro' friends told me they'll never trust De Walt again, even though pro-grade (and priced) stuff is probably just as good as it ever was. All De Walt achieved, as far as I can tell, is damaging their branding.

Like I said .... Minefield, etc.

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Originally Posted by Saracen999

He said "Price." He went on to explain that the Bosch machines were made for them by Hotpoint.

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I'm surprised but not stunned. Indesit/Hotpoint/Whirlpool are certainly all the same, but in my case I now wish this thing had been outsourced to Hotpoint as it would have worked better :D Sadly the construction is very different, which on the plus side probably means it will last forever, but lasting forever whilst never actually drying clothes isn't good :)

I was once told that almost all fridges in Europe come from the same factory in Italy, regardless of brand.

I've gone the other way with ours, although I do have the luxury of somewhere to mount a vent. Given we only use it a couple of hours a week at most I went looking for the most simple model I could manage. Its a White Knight something or other with no condenser or hear pump or even moisture sensor. The breakable parts essentially consist of:

1. The drum motor & bearing.
2. A heating element.
3. A fan.
4. A timer switch.

All bar the first one would be a simple and cheap 10 minute DIY repair. It's not the most efficient or the smartest but it dries well and has lasted years without issue so far.

Vented dryers were often more efficient than condenser models while being cheaper. There is practically nothing to them. The only thing to watch for is when people hang the hose out of a window and partially close the window to pinch the hose in place - it restricts the vent and causes the fluff to build up in the machine. Every time I saw that I knew the machine would be furred up before I opened my toolbag.

BTW, it's been a few years but heat pump dryers actually wore out your clothes a lot quicker, because the drying cycle was two to four times longer than that of a vent or condenser model.

Maybe they've improved, but I doubt id buy one - they take too long.

I heard the combined washer dryers are not so good..

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Originally Posted by Lost4words

I heard the combined washer dryers are not so good..

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i've had no problems with mine. stick stuff in and when it's finished i can take stuff out and wear it straight out the machine. crumpled of course, but clean and dry. sheets, towels, underwear etc don't matter if they are crumpled or not, and if you WFH it doesn't matter to much about the rest

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Originally Posted by Unique

i've had no problems with mine. stick stuff in and when it's finished i can take stuff out and wear it straight out the machine. crumpled of course, but clean and dry. sheets, towels, underwear etc don't matter if they are crumpled or not, and if you WFH it doesn't matter to much about the rest

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They work, but they take longer and they're not as good, particularly at drying as separate machines. Mrs Vader had only ever had washer dryers until I convinced her that now we had the room we should get separate machines. She was amazed at the improvement.

If they were just as good they wouldn't still sell separate machines in the volumes they do.

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Originally Posted by spacein_vader

They work, but they take longer and they're not as good, particularly at drying as separate machines. Mrs Vader had only ever had washer dryers until I convinced her that now we had the room we should get separate machines. She was amazed at the improvement.

If they were just as good they wouldn't still sell separate machines in the volumes they do.

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i don't have space to have seperates so my option is washer only or washer dryer. as for time, i stick it in at night usually and it's ready in the morning. or stick in early in the morning and it's ready later. with 2 machines i'd have to do a wash, then take it out, and then move into the other machine, which isn't that convenient either over night nor if you put it in the machine in the morning and go out

certainly when the stuff comes out it's clean and dry, which is the point of what they do, so not being as good as seperate machines when it does the job it's supposed to do, and with less hassle, and in reality less time involved in practice

there's many reasons seperate machines are sold, you can do washing and drying at the same time, so if you have a lot of washing you can split tasks, and as combined machines are typically more expensive, and if someone already has a working washer, they can just buy the dryer. and having seperates means if one breaks you still have the other, so if the dryer breaks you can still wash

for those will less space or who would prefer to have one machine instead of two for various reasons, such as being able to use the space for something else, or not having to swap stuff between machines, which i find fantastic, then they have the option of the combi. even if i had the space i'd prefer the combi so i don't need to swap stuff between machines. it's cheaper than a wife

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Originally Posted by DDY

What are the more value-oriented ones (i.e. cheaper :D) like between the two types, e.g. reliability? What are your recent experiences with tumble drier shopping?

No affiliate links, please ;)

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Go condenser, get the capacity of your washing machine and do check locally for used dryers. Rinse and repeat depending on your experience.

Interesting stuff, thanks everyone.

I'll think it over while I'm waiting for my move day and will report back with what I end up with!

From the few vented dryers I have had, I would say try and get a nice big drum that reverses direction occasionally. Makes for fewer tangles and no ironing needed on most clothes.

Last dryer was a Beko and was really good. Lasted 8 years and then packed up just before lockdown. Was going to get another but Currys stopped doing installs after I had ordered it and had to cancel the order and then the dryer went OOS and never came back.

Couple of weeks ago went for a Sharp and it seems to be doing a good job, quicker then the last one and this is a heat pump. Dryer

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Originally Posted by Lost4words

I heard the combined washer dryers are not so good..

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I'd agree with that. We had one when we moved into a rented flat (it broke shortly afterwards). It seemed to be a case of having both functions but neither function being 'great'. I guess that's the price you pay for having a two in one.

I prefer a heat pump tumble dryer because it better protects the clothes. One disadvantage of heat pump might be that it takes longer for the clothes to get dry but you can save energy with it.
Brands I can recommend are Miele or Siemens.

Update!

Thanks for all the comments.

I ended up getting a heat pump dryer, specifically the Beko DTLP81151, 8kg.

Bagged it for £300 in one of those 20% off selected sellers on Ebay things which seemingly happens every other week.

A few weeks in and I can say I'm totally happy with it, it's as effective as the Beko condenser in my last place.

Does the auto reverse thing, reasonably quiet, moisture sensor isn't usually far off, has a glass door so I can see when the big sheets need manual un-balling, dead easy to use.

Will be report back if I have any other comments, e.g. it packs-up, so until then, assume it's working fine!

That looks a really nice tumble dryer but you do have to wonder if the interior light is really necessary lol

I use a Bosch WTM85251BY with a heat pump and I am very pleased