Vented >>>> Condenser Dryer

obi604

Hi

need to buy a dryer for my father in law. He currently has a 10 year old ‘vented’ dryer that has finally given up. The cuter one is simple, has a dual with number of minutes, turn to number of minutes needed and away you go - no faffing around needed.

he wants simplicity like this again. He also wants a vented one but there are hardly any in the market so I have convinced him to get a condenser dryer as they are more efficient than the vented ones.

I know with condenser dryers that the water gets collected in a shelf and you have to empty this out - my question is:

Do condenser dryers have an option to screw a pipe in so you don’t have to empty this shelf out? (And could I use the existing vented opening in the wall for this)

I think the pipe for this purpose is a narrow little one so a lot thinner than the vented pipe

cython

Most condenser dryers that I've seen do have support for discharging to a drain pipe, yes. However, I'd have my doubts about being able to run the pipe out the vent hole as you suggest as you are unlikely to have a drain directly outside of that hole to route the water into, and as you've said the holes are vastly different sizes, so how would you get the pipe out while securing the space around it?

RetroEncabulator

A heat pump dryer is vastly more energy efficient.

Normal condenser dryers also tend to run way too hot.

Most, but not all, dryers have a small tube that can be connected that drains the condensate. It’s only about the width of a large drinking straw and often can be slotted into the drain pipe, sharing the same down pipe as the washing machine.

Check the specs, most models will have the instruction book on line somewhere it you google - I know some Bosch machines don’t have the option because they use the condensate tank to flush out the condenser every so often to remove fluff.

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304020#Comment_121304020

Thanks for reply. At this time, just figuring out of possible. Would save a frail man having to remember and then empty the water tank etc.

how do you mean securing the space around it? As in having the thinner pipe from the condenser dryer secured in the hole of existing vented dryer.

RetroEncabulator

If you’re running the pipe though the vent hole, you might be better off to seal up the vent hole and put a drain pipe trough it to take the condensate away.

Leaving a large hole in the wall isn’t a great idea from the point of view of rodents etc.

The drain tubes are tiny, much smaller than a washing machine’s drain. The amount of water coming out is small but not insignifiant.

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304041#Comment_121304041

Thank you.

I wonder could I simply do this. Put the thin discharge pipe of new condenser dryer in to the same drain pipe that the washing machine uses

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304110#Comment_121304110

Remember, a vented dryer emits steam whereas a condenser emits water. Where are you going to put the water once it exits the house?

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304118#Comment_121304118

maybe I’m wrong here, but the drain pipe for the washing machine - is this essentially taking water out from washing ?

if so, can I use this same drain pipe for the condenser dryer.

blackbox

We have an oldish condenser drier. The collection tray is very low down, so it is unlikely you would be able to drain from it without a pump unless you have a gully at floor level.

JVince

tons of vented dryers on the market and vented dryers are more efficient than condenser and cheaper to buy

Here's a very simple one - does exactly what it says on the tin. I have similar for the past few years and very easy to use

https://www.harveynorman.ie/home-appliances/appliances/tumbler-dryers/indesit-freestanding-air-vented-tumble-dryer-i1d80wuk.html

also can be badged under Hotpoint.

I'm guessing he is elderly or on the way there 😁 - KISS. Keep It Simple. Replace to as close to the current model as you can.

cython

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304136#Comment_121304136

You likely can, if you can accommodate both appliance hoses in the drain pipe, either having enough space in the drain pipe to hold both (probably unlikely), or potentially fashioning some sort of dual head setup on the drain pipe.

I have a Beko heat pump dryer, and it can dispose of condensate through a hose as already mentioned, but the hose on mine is a similar size to that of the washer (might be worth adding the size of the hose as a check on any model you're considering), so I stuck with emptying the tank manually.

L1011

Bosch and presumably hence Siemens and Neff heat pump dryers use a narrow bore drain that I have fit down the same pipe as the washer drain. Not going to work if you have a setup where you attach the drain house to a stick out inlet on a trap

banie01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304136#Comment_121304136

Yes, if you have a drain available for the Washing machine, you can use it for the heat pump dryer.

I'd also very much 2nd getting a heat pump dryer rather than vented. They are far cheaper to run than traditional type.

RetroEncabulator

Zero is with it with a Miele stack of washing machine and heat pump dryer here. Fits into standard drain.

They are way better than condenser dryers. Mine uses 500-700 watts vs about 2900W for traditional dryer. They’re way more gentle than a traditional condenser too and faster in my opinion experience.