Tumble Dryers....

[Sallyh]

Not looking good for my tumbler. It's only a smallish one so I am not heartbroken, but I am not really happy about the appliance nightmare I appear to be having this year!!!!

 

Anyway. the one I may need to replace is a condensor dryer. So my first thought is to get another condensor. Just wondering whether anyone can comment on the ones that just say they are "vented" like "vented front and back" (ie no mention of pipe for ventiing). My laundry has a ceilling fan like you have in bathrooms. Is that because they just expect you will vent the moisture into the air, and have the fan on to deal with it? Or does it have to go out of the window? I don't have a great deal of space to play with as also have washing machine and small chest freezer on the window side of the laundry. So a venting pipe would be a problem.

 

ANy views? Also what do you think is a realistic star rating for a tumbler? Can you get them better than 2 stars?

 

(Anyone got a condensor dryer looking for a better home????)

[suzer]

I have a vented tumble dryer and very happy with it - much better than condenser ones, but then I only use it about once or twice a month (I hang most stuff). Mine vents into the house (rather large laundry room) which is fine since I'm not constantly using it. You can always get someone to put a hole in the wall for it to vent outside though.

[snifter]

I personally always go for condenser over vented. Much easier and less fuss in terms of where it can go. If you check the energy ratings etc you get ok and not so ok in both. A lot of people have the vents run through a wall to outside with vented ones these days. Although some do still have the old vent tube out window. But 'vented' will mean it'll have a tube running off it needing to go outside.

 

Here is a good bit of blurb explaining the differences as I think that was what you were after.

 

A vented machine takes the damp air produced by the drying process and discharges it outside the home using a 2m plastic hose (sometimes supplied) to prevent condensation. A permanent vent can be fitted in an outside wall or you can simply hang the hose out of an open window. Vented machines are cheaper than condenser models and normally use less energy, but you will need to install the appliance near an outside wall or window which may not always be possible, especially if you live in a flat.

 

If you pay a little more you can buy a condenser dryer where the machine separates water from the moist air into a container which is emptied after drying, or sometimes pumped out via the washing machine plumbing if appropriate. You can install a condenser dryer in any well-ventilated room, and though the majority are a little more expensive to run you may prefer the freedom of not having to use a hose. (A growing number of condenser models feature clever heat pump technology that results in an energy rating of 'A'.)