Would you still consider buying a vented tumble dryer?

DullGreyGuy

artyboy said:

silvercar said:

Another option would be a condensing tumble dryer. In my experience they dry better than vented ones.

But they use about the same energy as a vented one... and you then also have to empty the water tank after each cycle the same as with a heat pump version.

Some can be plumbed in plus even if you dont it's not every cycle, at least for ours. 

Best dryer we had was a gas vented one but for some reason gas tumble driers are only used in the commercial market in the UK and you dont find domestic ones. 

I've only had poor experiences of condensing ones, I appreciate that heat pump is actually a condenser with some extra tech but our new, not MSE, one is brilliant and vastly quicker than the condenser it replaced. 

artyboy said:

 everything I've read tells me that heat pumps are slower, and some people don't 'sense' that their clothes are as dry as with vented.

I have a picky and impatient bunch of people in my household so I can see that this might not be the hill I want to die on in terms of effecting behavioral change.

So, any other reasons I've not considered why I really shouldn't get another vented one and stay in the (relative) Stone Age here...?

Not sure what "sense" you are talking about? Human skin doesnt have any nerves to detect water/moisture, instead we somewhat guess based on look. feel and temperature, its why if something is cold it can be much harder to determine if its actually damp or not. 

The main difference is the operational cost, 5.34 kWh average for a vented (according to curry's) -v- a heat pump which is under 2kWh in our machine. Roughly speaking its £1 more per drying cycle for a full load. So depending on how often you are drying clothes and the price difference it could be much more expensive to heat air then blow it outside. 

diveunderthebonnet

We have replaced our vented model that died a death with a condenser model ,great it dries the same BUT we do not need a window open to put the tube outside plus the heat off the machine warms the kitchen.

artyboy

Thanks all. Decision made, vented, arriving tomorrow. Not surprisingly there isn't a huge choice on the market right now but the Hoover one we went for seems to be well enough regarded. I suspect it's the last one we'll ever have so am hoping it will be quite durable...

(The other shortlisted on was a Blomberg - not a brand I'd come across before but apparently originally German, and now Turkish owned. Quite heavily plugged through the Euronics network...)

prettyandfluffy

sheenas said:

Another vote for vented. 

And another.  Mine is at least 20 years old, still going strong.

silvercar

The old condensing dryers didn’t have water containers, so we’re far less efficient that the one that drain or collect the water for emptying.

casper_gutman

silvercar said:

The old condensing dryers didn’t have water containers, so we’re far less efficient that the one that drain or collect the water for emptying.

I'm curious: what did they do with the water from the clothes if they condensed it but then neither drained it nor collected it for emptying?!

chrisw

We got rid of our drier when it died around 5 years ago and never replaced it. There are only a couple of days mid winter when we miss it, otherwise we never really think about it.

silvercar

casper_gutman said:

silvercar said:

The old condensing dryers didn’t have water containers, so we’re far less efficient that the one that drain or collect the water for emptying.

I'm curious: what did they do with the water from the clothes if they condensed it but then neither drained it nor collected it for emptying?!

On newer machines, it is collected in a container that slides out for emptying. You need to empty it after every couple of cycles. Alternatively, you gain plumb the drain into a waste water outlet if one is nearby.

The old ones were part of washing machine tumble dryer combi machines. Supposedly the water would go through the washing machine drain, but they never worked that well. I guess because the drain was only at the base of the machine and not really designed for collecting all the water. The new ones must rely on centrifugal force to collect the water from all around the drum.

adrich

Honestly, I’d still consider a vented dryer if it fits your needs. I’ve used both, and while heat pumps are efficient, they’re slower and don’t leave clothes feeling quite as crisp-dry. With a busy household, convenience matters. As for Whirlpool, I was affected by their safety issues too, but they’ve improved since then. Just make sure to weigh your options carefully. 

WIAWSNB

DullGreyGuy said:

Not sure what "sense" you are talking about? Human skin doesn't have any nerves to detect water/moisture, instead we somewhat guess based on look. feel and temperature, its why if something is cold it can be much harder to determine if its actually damp or not. 

I think every single person on this planet, and beyond, knows exactly what still-damp clothes feel like.