Tumble dryer

I need advice on buying a tumble dryer, do I buy a condenser or a vented one? My washing machine is cream, can I get a cream dryer...
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  • gary38uk
    gary38uk Posts: 476
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    do I buy a condenser or a vented one?

    a condenser does not need a vent, are more expensive but allows you to position it almost anywhere.(no pipe to hang out of window or have hole in wall) they have a container that fills with water or can connect to a drain so do not need to empty.
  • albalad
    albalad Posts: 1,194
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    sorry for the long reply , but this should help you decide . C&p from "which" websites tumble driers report

    If you’re sick of unpegging washing that’s wetter than when you put it out on the line, it’s time to buy a tumble drier. But it’s important to choose the right one – they’ll all eventually dry your washing, but there are real differences in how quickly they do it.And that’s not the only reason to make sure you choose the right tumble drier. Opt for the wrong one, and it will fill the room with damp air, have you scrabbling round on your knees to empty it of water, and devour enough energy to run a small airport.But before you worry about all that, you’ll have to decide which type of tumble drier will suit your home the best. There are two choices.First, you have to decide between a vented drier and a condenser drier – the basic difference is that vented driers expel damp air, while condenser driers collect moisture from the air in a water reservoir.Second, you have to decide between a model where you set the timer and one that automatically senses how long to dry your clothes for.You can see a discussion of the pros and cons of each type /.

    Once that’s sorted, you just have the simple matter of deciding which particular model to opt for – our best buy guide is a good place to start.

    Best Buy guide

    Our Best Buys stand out from the pack because they dry more quickly, evenly and energy efficiently – and all without making too much of a racket. We’ve checked that they’re not too much of a faff to use and clean, too.
    All of our Best Buys have sensors that detect when your washing is dry and stop automatically. Unlike some of the other sensor driers we’ve tested, they stopped properly when the clothes were dry enough to iron or pop straight into the cupboard.

    They have a wide range of automatic programs, too, including several different options for cottons and easy-care fabrics.

    Our condenser Best Buys turn most of the damp air into water, so it won’t find its way into your room to cause damp patches (that’s never a problem with vented models).

    See our.......features page for more about the differences between condenser and vented models.

    Condenser models

    There is nothing to choose between the drying ability of our Best Buy condenser tumble driers. Their speed, efficiency, noise and convenience ratings are exactly the same.


    The highest-scoring drier comes from the most reliable brand in our test, Miele. Our massive annual survey shows that Miele’s tumble driers rarely get a visit from the repairman. The miele t4652c also has the most effective condenser in the test, so you won’t find yourself mopping down the walls when you’ve used it. At £841 from Sainsbury’s Kitchen Appliances, it’s pretty expensive, but it is the most technologically advanced drier we’ve tested. The digital display panel lets you select a slew of unusual programs for drying outerwear, multi-layered fabrics and denim. And you can tweak most of the features – you can delay the start time, choose an extra-loud buzzer, or lock the program settings so children can’t mess with them. It has only a 5kg maximum load, smaller than the other Best Buys. But the only other drawback is that the heat exchanger is locked behind a hatch and a sealed compartment. Happily, though, you’ll need to clean it only about five times a year.
    At £379 from Sainsbury’s Kitchen Appliances,the bosch wtl6307 exxcel is just half the price of the Miele. And its 6kg capacity means you can pack in about four more shirts. It also has a short program for items that need to be dried quickly, such as synthetic sportswear. The heat exchanger is tucked behind a panel that’s opened by pressing a button hidden behind the door – a nice feature, which is easy to use once you’ve found it.
    Bosch and Siemens are part of the same company, which explains why the Bosch WTL6307 and siemens wtxl733 are technically the same driers. The control panels have been jiggled about a bit to look different. And the Siemens also has a pollen filter that stops the drier sucking airborne pollen into the drum, where it could stick to your clothes. It’s £399 from Sainsbury’s Kitchen Appliances.The Aeg t 57800, £429 from Sainsbury’s, replaces the AEG T57760 which was our Best Buy in 2003. The changes are only cosmetic and this drier remains a good choice. Unlike most other models, it doesn’t suffer from any particular weak spots. For example, it won’t leave your clothes too badly creased after drying. You can choose a quick programme if you are in a hurry, and delay drying by up to 19 hours so that it comes on when the noise won’t disturb you. We particularly like its lint filter, which pops out at the press of a button, to make cleaning it a bit easier.
    If you don’t feel like splashing out so much money, try the Zanussi-electrolux tc 7102w, £215 from Sainsbury’s Kitchen Appliances. It takes about 30 minutes longer than the AEG to dry loads, so it’s not a Best Buy, but it outshines similarly priced models. It’s easy to use, releases little damp air, and dries evenly – and it’s one of the quietest driers on test. It isn’t a sensor model, but at this price you wouldn’t expect that on a condenser tumble drier.


    Vented models The highest-scoring vented model on test is theMiele T4123, which you can buy for £500 from Miller Brothers and Sainsbury’s Kitchen Appliances. It’ll finish off a full load of cottons in just an hour and 15 minutes, which is quicker than any other drier we’ve tested. The display panel is simpler than the one on the condenser drier, but there are still lots of drying options.

    The cheaper Bosch WTA4107 is slightly less easy to use than the other two because its door opening is a bit smaller, and the lint filter is harder to clean. But it dries swiftly and is otherwise well designed. It’s £219 from Sainsbury’s Kitchen Appliances.


    What do energy ratings on tumble driers tell you?

    Energy-class labels on tumble driers are meant to help you choose a more energy-efficient model. The classes go from A (the highest rating) to C (the lowest rating).Generally speaking, tumble driers use a lot of energy, so most models are C-rated.One thing to be aware of is that, in past investigations, we’ve found that the labels are sometimes incorrect.Also, the energy class of a tumble drier depends on which program the manufacturer selects for the test. So, for example, the White Knight CL 847 is A-rated – but only because White Knight elected to test it on a special low-energy program, which can take up to seven hours to dry a load.We aim to make our own energy-consumption ratings more realistic. They’re done using four different programs, and reveal bigger differences between models than the energy labels do

    Is a condenser drier better than a vented one?

    Condenser driers have a system of collecting the moisture from wet clothes in a special compartment, which you must empty when it is full.Vented driers simply expel the moist air from the room through a hose.Condenser driers are usually seen as more convenient – you don’t have to hang a hose out of the kitchen window or knock through a wall to install a vent.However, they are more expensive than their vented equivalents

    Hope some of this has been a help - We have a condenser tumble drier as we have it stuck away in an internal cupboard that we could not have vented easily.
    "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page."
    happy travels !!
    "No matter where you go, there you are."
    albalad
  • robowen
    robowen Posts: 3,042
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    Allow me to shorten albalad's post.

    Get a condenser.
    If only everything in life was as reliable...AS ME !!
    robowen 5/6/2005©

    ''Never take an idiot anywhere with you. You'll always find one when you get there.''
  • albalad
    albalad Posts: 1,194
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    robowen wrote:
    Allow me to shorten albalad's post.

    Get a condenser.


    :):p:) yeah i would agree !
    "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page."
    happy travels !!
    "No matter where you go, there you are."
    albalad
  • quoia
    quoia Posts: 14,428
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    My recommendation if you are considering getting a tumble dryer (drier?) of any sort.

    GET A GAS ONE !!!

    We've had 2.
    Both White Knight.

    Only replaced the 1st one with the "mark 2" version of the same model really.
    Nothing wrong with the first one, just came across the other one at a bargain price and thought "it must be better".

    It was "high speed" (1 hour timer instead of 2) and was "reversing" as well. Other than that they were identical.

    Sold the original for more than we had paid for it 3 years earlier !!!


    With GAS it costs about 5p to dry an entire load - probably 6p with the increased gas prices.

    Same load in an electric was about 40 pence when we first got it, must be 50 pence or more now.

    GAS tumble driers are slightly more expensive to buy than the cheaper/cheapest electric ones, but pay for themselves in about 2 years of using them with "average usage".

    Can't fault White Knight - no faults of any description in all the time we've had them.

    The gas ones are relatively expensive given that you can get an "unbranded" electric one for under £100.

    The basic design of both are the same, drum, motor, timer, blower etc, and these bits cost a similar amount. Unfortunately the heat source in an electric one is cheap because it is just a coil of wire similar to that in a fan heater or hair dryer.
    A gas heat source needs the burners, and ignition device, a gas valve instead of a switch, a flame failure device and a few more bits of metal rather than a few wires.

    However when you take into account the running costs, 6p for a load in a gas dryer and 50p for the same load in an electric dryer, it doesn't take too many cycles to recoup the difference. From then on you are saving money and not wasting it.

    Just 2 loads a week over a 2 year period would cost £104 in electricity but the gas one does it for £12.


    This looks a good deal to me.

    http://www.deals4u.co.uk/product.asp?id=1576

    White Knight BG437

    ONLY £229 inc VAT AND DELIVERY !!!

    Also this model has "reversing action" which is a bonus - helps prevent tangling !
    There are 10 types of people in the world. ‹(•¿•)›
    ‹(•¿•)› Those that understand binary and those that do not!


    Veni, Vidi, VISA ! ................. I came, I saw, I PURCHASED
    (11)A104.28S94.98O112.46N86.73D101.02(12)J130.63F126.76M134.38A200.98M156.30J95.56J102.85A175.93
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  • N9eav
    N9eav Posts: 4,742 Forumite
    Hotpoint do a cream coloured one, I have one they call it 'linen' colour
    NO to pasty tax We won!!!! Just shows that people power works! Don't be apathetic to your cause!
  • albalad
    albalad Posts: 1,194
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    have just had offer leaflet delivered from Costco , they are selling the whirlpool AWZ7303
    for £176 which is £30 off their normal price .
    After a quick search on kelkoo it is roughly £50 - £60 cheaper than most other places
    "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page."
    happy travels !!
    "No matter where you go, there you are."
    albalad
  • jimf_2
    jimf_2 Posts: 28 Forumite
    did you know that white knight are rebranded Phillips machines only a lot cheaper


    :eek:
  • is this any good?

    Tescos - White Knight 6Kg Reverse Action Tumble Dryer 447 - (White)
    Main features include

    Reverse action for reduced creasing
    6kg load capacity for large families
    2 heat settings for varying fabric types
    Final cool tumble
    Built in hose
    Product dimensions H85cm W60cm D53cm
  • oh yes, forgot price!

    £134 inc free delivery
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