Heat pump tumbe dryers: no measurable saving over condenser or vented

Sterlingtimes

We have had a succession of tumble dryers over the last few years. We are heavy launders.

I measured our use of a vented Hotpoint over one year: 1,078 kWh. A Beko condenser dryer also measured close to 1,000 kWh over one year.

We had a Candy heat pump dryer scrapped after a few months of use and replaced by the insurers with a Hoover heat pump tumble dryer.

Today, we use two heat pump tumble dryers, the Hoover and a Beko. We use the Beko for human-related drying and the Hoover for dog-related drying.

Invariable, the clothing is still damp after the cycle is complete, and we have to restart the drying process. 

We are still using 1,000 kWh. There are no savings over the vented or condenser dryers.

My family are angry with me for buying the heat pump machines because they are so poor at drying.

Has anyone else had negative experiences?

BellaBlondykeTheThird

That would suggest that means the family are using the heat pump tumble dryers more.

Generally, unless they are working in a cold area (garage) they should use at least half the energy of a vented dryer.

saveallmymoney

I love my Bosch heat pump dryer.

However it doesn't absolutely cremate the clothes to dryness which does lead to a different feeling when you take them out. I find if you just unload and put the washing in the basket for a few minutes it becomes clear it's perfectly dry.

As for energy saving its massive over my previous vented dryer, probably a quarter the cost but so little that its not a major energy consumer in the house whereas the vented was the largest energy use.

My dryer is in my kitchen, so no issues with low temperatures and the heat pump.

TheElectricCow

You say your current annual usage for drying is still around 1000kWh, but now you use two machines. Is it possible that the household is simply just doing more drying now with the additional capacity available?

BellaBlondykeTheThird

TheElectricCow said:

You say your current annual usage for drying is still around 1000kWh, but now you use two machines. Is it possible that the household is simply just doing more drying now with the additional capacity available?

Wow there's an echo in here lol

dunstonh

Invariable, the clothing is still damp after the cycle is complete, and we have to restart the drying process. 

Is the water being emptied frequently?  damp clothes after cycle is a often a sign of that.

Heat pump tumbles do not overheat the items typically.    Some of the setting options can leave a very slight dampness to allow finishing off elsewhere.

We are still using 1,000 kWh. There are no savings over the vented or condenser dryers.

The machines are not all created equal.  Just because it is heat pump doesn't mean it is an efficient heat pump.  Last time I looked, Beko machines were known for being cheap but not efficient.

As an equestrian farm, we are heavy tumble users as well.   We have a tapo plug on our drier to monitor use and it runs around 0.5kWh to 0.7kWh per load. (about a half to a third of vented/condenser).  Our tumble is indoors in the washroom. Not in a garage, shed or cold area.  That can also make a difference with heat pump machines.

My family are angry with me for buying the heat pump machines because they are so poor at drying.

Name the models so we can see the efficiency of them.     The fact it is heat pump is not likely to be the problem.

Mouldymeat3

I find pausing our AEG mid cycle and cleaning the lint filter seems to shorten the process.
Not having water running down the wall is a major plus.

Sterlingtimes

dunstonh said:

As an equestrian farm, we are heavy tumble users as well.   We have a tapo plug on our drier to monitor use and it runs around 0.5kWh to 0.7kWh per load. (about a half to a third of vented/condenser).  Our tumble is indoors in the washroom. Not in a garage, shed or cold area.  That can also make a difference with heat pump machines.

This is helpful. Thank you. We have some horseware (not rugs) and dogware. We are obsessive about emptying the water and cleaning the dryer.

I will try to collect some load-specific data. For now, I have a record (below) of the broad profile over about 1 week. I will compare it with yours when I have some more data.

Sterlingtimes

dunstonh said:

Name the models so we can see the efficiency of them.     The fact it is heat pump is not likely to be the problem.

Here are the model and the published data. I am focusing on Cottons Eco.

markin

Sterlingtimes said:

dunstonh said:

As an equestrian farm, we are heavy tumble users as well.   We have a tapo plug on our drier to monitor use and it runs around 0.5kWh to 0.7kWh per load. (about a half to a third of vented/condenser).  Our tumble is indoors in the washroom. Not in a garage, shed or cold area.  That can also make a difference with heat pump machines.

This is helpful. Thank you. We have some horseware (not rugs) and dogware. We are obsessive about emptying the water and cleaning the dryer.

I will try to collect some load-specific data. For now, I have a record (below) of the broad profile over about 1 week. I will compare it with yours when I have some more data.

Need a chart in KWH to be useful, and the weight of the load also probably.

 Is it in a warm area?

The difference from vented and condensing is in not blowing electric heated air out of the house, and not having a cold hose and vent letting heat escape the home. So much of the actual savings would be on the Gas or heating bill.

MWT

The biggest improvement we've seen in drying times was through changing to a washing machine with a 1600 spin speed.

Since then there has been no point in even considering a heat pump drier as our trusty AEG vented drier is using around 300kWh a year despite being used around 5 days a week and often multiple loads each time it is used.

With an annual energy cost below £25 (7.5p/kWh) it is going to be hard to reduce costs from that base...