Heat Pump Tumble Dryers

Heat pump tumble dryers recycle the hot air that they use to dry your clothes instead of venting it out. This is a cost-effective solution for your family, since it helps conserve energy.

John Lewis offers a wide variety of tumble dryers. They offer heated and vented models. Find out more about them in our guide to tumble dryers.

Cost

Tumble dryers are great for reducing the need to hang laundry in the sun and to save space for storage, but they also are prone to using lots of energy. If you want to reduce your energy costs you might consider switching to a heating-pump tumble dryer. They are more expensive initially, but they will save you money over time because of their lower energy consumption.

They work by heating the air that has already warmed during the drying cycle, which results in significantly lower energy bills than condenser or vented models. This type of tumble-dryer uses half the electricity as condenser or vented models, allowing you to save up to PS173 on your monthly utility bills.

When you compare the cost of a heat pump tumble dryer against other models, the difference is usually not significant. However, it's important to consider the amount of energy is being used and how frequently you'll use your tumble dryer. It is important to consider the wattage as well as your electricity bill in determining how much each tumble dryer will cost.

Vented tumble dryers heat pump are more costly when you're on a tight budget. They use gas to dry your laundry and they're powered by mains-gas. The installation options are restricted because they have to be installed in a space that has adequate ventilation for the humid air.

Condenser dryers take the moisture from your laundry by moving hot humid air into a separate unit where it is transformed into water. The water is then drained away either into a container which needs to be emptied manually or be piped into your drainage system for continuous removal. This permits you to place the system in various locations. However, you will have to perform extra maintenance on the drain pipe.

Energy efficiency

If you're worried about your electricity bills, a tumble dryer heat pump can provide significant savings. The technology requires less power to heat pump technology the air inside the tumble dryer. This allows it to dry clothes more efficiently and at a lower temperatures than vented models.

The dryers also use cooling fluid to reduce the humidity in the air and then discharge it through the condenser. This means they consume less power than traditional vented models. Dryers may take a bit longer to complete your laundry cycle compared to vented models, however the clothes will appear and feel better for longer because of the lower temperatures.

They'll cost you an additional $500-$700 upfront however the energy savings will compensate for this. They are also more expensive and require adequate ventilation.

Gas Safe engineers are required to install tumble dryers just as they do with any other electrical appliance. Ventilated dryers Heat pump require a long flexible vent hose permanently connected to your appliance at one end and the drainage point - which could be the drain or a door or window at the other. The hose needs to be secured in place and shouldn't be shared with any other appliance or used in any way that could lead to its deterioration.

Condenser dryers work similarly similar to heat pump dryers. They employ an electrical element to warm the air before releasing the moisture via a condensation tray. They are typically heavy-duty performers, with larger capacities for wet loads that range between 6 and 10kg. They also are more quiet to operate. However, they're more costly than heat pump tumble dryers and aren't suitable for installations without a permanent connection to the wall. They're also more expensive to run than heat pump dryers as they need to generate a lot of heat to evaporate the moisture from your laundry. Additionally, they aren't as efficient as vented models. However, they do still use a fair amount of electricity as they spin the motor that spins your laundry.

Noise

Tumble dryers generate plenty of noise however, the volume they emit is dependent on a variety of factors. The decibel rating is only one of them, and the frequency of the noise will influence the volume at which it is. The sound can also be amplified by nearby resonant objects like work surfaces, cupboards or furniture, and it may be affected by the acoustics of the room. The sound from your tumble dryer may be obstructed by carpets or other absorption materials.

Condenser and heat pump models are quieter than vented dryers, but they are still noisy. They are gentler on fabrics, drying your laundry less quickly due to lower air temperatures and a longer cycle than traditional models. This means they're less damaging to your clothes and are less likely to cause the loss of color that is often caused by high temperatures old-fashioned tumble dryers.

If you plan to use your tumble dryer primarily together with washing machines, it's important to remember that both appliances need to be placed close each other to prevent noise and vibrations during operation. To prevent this issue there is a washer and dryer stacking set is available for both types of appliances.

A tumble dryer that is a heat pump needs to have a continuous flow of air to operate, so it's best to put it in a well-ventilated space in your home. The vent hose needs to be permanently connected to the appliance and then routed safely outside your home.

The condenser tumble dryer, however isn't requiring the permanent connection to a vent and can be installed anywhere in your home. It collects the vapour left behind and water in a container that is either manually empty, or connected to a drain with the drainage tube that will automatically empty it.

It is possible to convert a vented tumbler into a condenser model using an conversion kit, however this will invalidate the manufacturer warranty and should only be carried out by a trained professional. The kits come with the components needed to install a vent and a small water pump to remove the condensation, therefore they're not inexpensive.

Maintenance

The heat pump tumble dryers function differently from vented or condenser machines as they don't require venting outside to extract hot air. Instead, the warm air that passes through your clothes is extracted and collected inside the appliance and then pushed through a condenser that separates the water from the hot air and store it in a water tank (sometimes called a reservoir) inside the machine. This means you will need to empty the water tank at some point but it also permits you to keep the dryer in less space than if you were to put in a vent for the dryer.

Compared to vented models, the heat pump model consumes about 50 percent less energy. According to Which? it is also less expensive to run. You can save PS42-PS51 per year. It's not cheap to purchase a tumble dryer, therefore you must be able to pay for the initial costs.

A tumble dryer with a heat pump requires very little maintenance other than cleaning the lint filters and Dryers Heat Pump checking for fluff on the heater unit from time to time. However, you have to clean the condensation drain regularly and dryers heat pump it will take longer than a vented dryer to dry your clothes.

If you're looking for a tumble dryer that isn't expensive you might want to taking a look at a sensor model that automatically stops when your laundry is done. This will prevent drying too long that could damage your clothes. You'll need to program your dryer's drying cycle if you have a lot of different clothes.

Brands such as Beko and John Lewis provide tumble dryers that use condenser, heat pump or vented technology. All come with a two-year warranty, and John Lewis has excellent customer reviews and free delivery to homes. It is important to read the warranty information carefully before you purchase an appliance, particularly one that is electrical like a tumble dryer, to make sure you're covered in the event of breakdowns or malfunctions.