Tumble Dryer ratings

JennyW_2

My tumble packed up last night so now I'm on the search for a new one. I don't want to spend a lot of money however the lower end of the price range seems to be dryers rated C/D. there are a few (and only a few) A rated ones. I tend to try and go for A rated things and wondering if I should do the same for a tumble? I know they use a lot of electricity so would an A rating really make a difference? Thank you.

kwatt

Hi Jenny,

Most all standard tumble dryers are C or D rated, getting a C one is doing well. In the end, they all burn power and are the least energy efficient way to dry laundry, the cheapest, best most efficient way of course being to hang them on the line whenever possible.

There is a Crosslee/White Knight A rated dryer but it's next to useless as the A cycle takes eight hours to complete!

Then there's the Electrolux/AEG/John Lewis heat pump dryer, very fussy, complex and unproven as yet.

But I shouldn't get too hung up on the ratings as they are a guide only and, IMO, do not reflect real-world use at all. I wrote a piece on it a while ago that you can get to from this link, it's lengthy but will probably explain a lot.

Hope that helps.

K.

JennyW_2

kwatt wrote: »

Hi Jenny,

Most all standard tumble dryers are C or D rated, getting a C one is doing well. In the end, they all burn power and are the least energy efficient way to dry laundry, the cheapest, best most efficient way of course being to hang them on the line whenever possible.

There is a Crosslee/White Knight A rated dryer but it's next to useless as the A cycle takes eight hours to complete!

Then there's the Electrolux/AEG/John Lewis heat pump dryer, very fussy, complex and unproven as yet.

But I shouldn't get too hung up on the ratings as they are a guide only and, IMO, do not reflect real-world use at all. I wrote a piece on it a while ago that you can get to from this link, it's lengthy but will probably explain a lot.

Hope that helps.

K.

Hi Kwatt. Many thanks for this - very helpful Yes I do believe we get too hung up on the ratings. I do hang my washing out as much as I can but of course they are life savers during the winter months. I have found a White Knight which is C rated so I think I'll get this one. I don't need anything flash and it certainly isn't used on a weekly basis so I'm sure it'll suit my needs.