Condenser or Vented Tumble Dryer??

dlambirl

Whats better - a condenser tumble dryer or a vented one??

Which takes longer to dry the clothes?
Which is more energy efficient??

brianwalshcork

dlambirl wrote: »

Whats better - a condenser tumble dryer or a vented one??

Which takes longer to dry the clothes?
Which is more energy efficient??

There are some good answers here:
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070117235553AAg4e7W
but I don't think that anyone will be able to answer your questions above without knowing the makes & models you're looking at.

In general, they both perform around the same, condensers are more expensive, more flexible since they don't need a hole in an external wall, but have the added hassle of needing to empty the condenser occasionally,

Brian

dlambirl

Thanks Bryan,

I'd be looking at a Bosch dryer in either, as its what I have elsewhere in the house. There is no problem in drilling the wall for the vent - all I would be worrying about if mice could get in through the vent!!

Is the condenser hard to empty??

brianwalshcork

dlambirl wrote: »

Is the condenser hard to empty??

no, not at all, on mine, it's just a drawer that pulls out, and I tip the water into a sink. It would just be easier if I didn't have to do it!

I didn't want to put a hole in the wall, so I have a condenser dyer an indesit IS70C, it wasn't expensive and performs ok.

However, and this will apply to any condenser dryer, I have it in a very small utility room and I've found that if there's not a source of fresh air then the dryer will take a very long time to dry the clothes, presumably because the condensing process isn't 100% effieicient, so the air is gathering moisture.
This means that I still have to either leave the window or the door open when using the dryer, if you have it in a larger room, then this may not be a factor, if you've got a small utility then the vented one would probably be a better choice.

Brian

tmcw

brianwalshcork wrote: »

... but have the added hassle of needing to empty the condenser occasionally,

Brian

Sorry if I'm sounding pedantic...

That's not the condenser, it's the water container where the condensed water ends up; and condenser dryers (if the tubes at the back are outside the unit) can be plumbed so that you never have to empty the drawer, if the unit is situated near a washing machine, or somewhere where there is a waste water outlet.

The condenser is the removable unit that is usually behind the bottom panel, when you take it out, you will see that it has 2 sets of aluminium channels for the cooling air and moist air from the drum respectively (it functions like a car radiator). It's recommended by most manufacturers to take the condenser out once a month and running water passed through it to remove any fluff build up. There should be very little if the fluff filter is intact, but any build-up of fluff will eventually clog up the condensed water pump at the back, which could cause damage, leaks or the heaters to switch off (it typically thinks the drawer is full).

The next generation of dryers are the ones to get if you can afford them, they are heat pump dryers, loads of info here. They have a relatively high energy rating as they recycle much of the heat already delivered to the air (in the condenser dryer, the moist air has to be cooled more to remove the water/moisture from it).

Another thing to look for is ones with sensing technology, I understand they sense the amount of moisture in the air, and if it's low, it knows your clothes are dry or getting there, and can turn the heat down or off.

A possible downside to these more complex ones with more electronics and pumps is that they are likely more expensive to repair if out of warranty. Us, we use a condenser, try to knock out as much of the water with the washer spin and a few hours outside on the line if possible, and finish them off in the condenser so that the fabric is softened up.

kryan1

Quick question,

In relation to condenser driers, if you have a modern house that is well insulated ect i assume that the heat would stay in the room/house? correct?