Condenser vs Heat pump tumble dryer for low use

unlucky67

My Bosch condenser dryer has been faulty/out of use for a couple of years now. I usually have a go at fixing things myself but haven't got round to this yet. And I'm not sure it is worth the effort after a bad experience fixing my washing machine (lot of time, £50 or so on parts -basically needed new carbon brushes, then a few weeks later the pump broke, then it developed a PCB fault...) it was also a Bosch and around 14years old...and the dryer is a few years older, but probably not used as much. 

My youngest has just gone off to university so we don't have much washing any more anyway (and I try to keep washing down to a minimum). When my children were at home/small I used to try and dry the washing outside (I had a rain cover on my rotary dryer) but finish it off- air it - in the tumble and then didn't need to iron anything. 

For the last few years we have been drying clothes on a drying rack (next to a dehumidifier) but very occasionally I miss having a tumble dryer. Today - for instance - I can't do any more washing as rack is full of clothes that are airing - have been outside, heating not on yet...rain forecast for later. Two loads in dryer for 10mins problem solved.  (And I am currently still catching up with things (eg bath mats) which I would do as I went along from when washing machine was faulty - and sorting child's clothes they no longer want for recycling etc)  

Sorry long post - but I was actually thinking about turning the heating on just to clear the airer...which is a bit mad really. I would prefer a tumble to a heated rack as it reduces ironing and also is less hassle.  

I know heat pump dryers are much more energy efficient ...and I do try to be 'green' - but not sure extra cost of buying one is ever going to work out as cheaper with such light use.  Although I am thinking I could get a cheaper make (eg a Beko not a Bosch) seeing as it won't get used much... 

But  I have a couple of other quibbles too....my condenser dryer is in a spare room and pumped out hot air - so actually heated the room too - from what I understand a heat pump dryer wouldn't do the same? 

And also I believe heat pump dryers run at lower temps (max 50 deg)?  I had a carpet beetle infestation a number of years ago - after washing nearly everything I discovered that 20 mins in the dryer (temp 70-90 deg) would do the same job - kill off any eggs/larvae -in fact until it broke before I put clothes away for the winter or summer I would still give them 20 mins in the dryer. I don't think 50 deg would be hot enough for that? 

So... I'm thinking I should give up the idea of fixing the old one, forget getting a heat pump one and just get a new condenser one? And maybe even a cheaper make condenser one? 

Any thoughts? 

  

  

 

     

 

    

grumpy_codger

unlucky67 said:

... 

But  I have a couple of other quibbles too....my condenser dryer is in a spare room and pumped out hot air - so actually heated the room too - from what I understand a heat pump dryer wouldn't do the same? 

...

 

Any electric appliance heats your house. A 2kW heat pump drier produces 2kW of heat.

And also I believe heat pump dryers run at lower temps (max 50 deg)? 

Reportedly, 50-60 deg

tacpot12

I watched this YouTube video recently. https://youtu.be/uQL8a-Xa_6k?si=85wbA8T7TwEJn-EG

It convinced me that if I had to buy a Heat Pump Tumble Dryer, then I would buy a Bosch. The cheaper Hoover cost more to run and didn't dry the clothes as well. 

A heat pump dryer won't heat the room as much. All the heat uses to dry the clothes should be recycled endlessly within the machine. However, the motor and condensor will produce some heat in the room, but it will be much less than you are used to.

For a carpet beetle infestation, which you probably won't ever have again, a commercial laundry would seem a better answer than a tumble dryer that is always costing you more money to run on the off-chance you need a very high heat.