Heat Pump Tumble Dryers - Are they Worth It Or Best To Avoid?

[@asmosisyup2557]

This has got to be the most honest salesperson i've ever watched. Excellent video.

[@notmethanks816]

We have a Miele T1 heat pump dryer in the United States. Bought it almost as soon as it was released here. We do laundry for 14 people in our house so the unit runs around the clock some days. We have owned the dryer for around 2.5-3 years now and it has around 5500 hours on the clock. We have had ZERO issues with the dryer. I used a Kill-A-Watt meter to average the power consumed during various different types of loads. We used to have a Meile Electric Vented dryer. The heat pump dryer uses 1/3 to 1/2 the amount of electricity compared to the previous electric dryer. Miele designs residential appliances to last 10K operating hours. We are over half way there. Based on the electric savings alone the heat dryer will pay for it's entire purchase cost in electricity savings by the 10K hour mark. THAT is a huge amount of money. Our electric bill went DOWN about $30/month once we swapped in the heat pump dryer. Drying times are NOT that much longer. Towels spun at 1600 RPM are dry in 60-75 minutes. It IS a little longer than an electric or gas vented dryer, BUT the clothes are not baked to death. We are also not pulling conditioned air from the house through the dryer and out the exhaust vent like we would with a traditional dryer. This saves some small amount of money in Air Conditioning and Heating the home. Heat Pump dryers are "closed circuit" dryers. They don't pull air in from the surrounding room. They keep recirculating the air over and over. Think of a fridge, you have a cool side where the refrigerant gets cold. passes through a radiator and that cold air is circulated inside the fridge. This cools the contents and moves the heat into the refrigerant where it must be moved outside the fridge. Most of us remember the back of older refrigerators with all the small pipes that got hot. That is where the "heat" from inside the fridge was being sent to be removed. The process then repeats. Heat pump dryers work the EXACT SAME WAY. The only difference is that both the hot and cold sides are INSIDE the dryer. The cool side gets COLD. When the hot moist air hits the cold pipes the moisture in the air condenses out and collects in a pan underneath (just like a dehumidifier). The cool air then passes over the "HOT" pipes to be warmed back up and sent back to the clothes to pickup more moisture. Rinse and repeat until the clothes are dry. The SMALL amount of heat that the dryer may emit to the room comes from a very small radiator that is used when the refrigerant gets too warm and needs to be cooled. This happens as the clothes approach dry. Less heat is needed since there is less moisture to move. The compressor, which heats the refrigerant, can only cycle on and off so often or it can be damaged. So as the clothes approach dry there is small amount of EXTRA heat the needs to be removed and sent to the room. This is a very small amount of heat and nothing like what a vented dryer would pull out of room when running.

[@boyasaka]

So a heat pump dryer uses half the electric I get that But how much is a heat pump dryer cost compared to a condenser dryer I did the maths and my electric savings were wiped out by the product price And about 6 people I know all say it takes about 3 times as long to dry a load than there previous condenser dryer and they tell me yes it's a lot cheaper to run But you run it 3 x as long as it costs them the same

[@notmethanks816]

@@boyasaka Heat pumps are FASTER than a "condenser" dryer. This is a misunderstanding of how these appliances work. BOTH reply on condensing water, but the technology used is different. At 10K hours design life the Miele will pay for the entire cost of the dryer over it's design life compared to an electric resistance dryer. Average cycle time in our T1 heat pump dryer is one hour. Terry cloth towel are usually 80 minutes. That is faster than the washer so it is a non-issue.

[@boyasaka]

@@notmethanks816 ok Well your the first person ever to say they are faster My brother and sister both regret buying there’s ( they are not a Miele) they are Bosch and hotpoint and both say they take “ hours “ like twice as long as there previous, condenser dryer

[@stevenvanpelt486]

@@notmethanks816 You are delusional. Heat pump dryers are A LOT SLOWER than regular condenser dryers. Do you even understand the technical difference or are you just brainfarting on here? Our old Miele condenser dryer only took 1,5 hours to dry 6+ kg of laundry, while our new heat pump variant takes over 2,5 hours (often much longer).

[@svenlundergard1]

I respectfully have to say that this is FALSE INFORMATION. We paid top dollar for this machine. Had repair man out 3 times. I can't even dry one set of sheets/1 fitted and 1 flat twin sheet. It is in there for more than an hour and still not dry. Denims? Just forget that. 3 hours LITERALLY 3 HOURS and they are still not dry. DON['T BUY THIS MACHINE. MIELE WON'T SUPPORT YOU.

[@matthewwilliams7507]

We just upgraded our tumble dryer to a heat pump one. As living in wales comes with 200 days a year with rain. Ours is on all the time. We had an Hotpoint condenser that on average would use £3 a day. So with our new heat pump model we are down to pennies a day. Amazing job, takes a bit longer to dry the clothes but it saves a lot of money

[@sreyasravan9656]

Can you please tell me Which brand of heat pump dryer you had bought?

[@ninghir]

We just bought a Bosch heat pump dryer a month ago as we couldn't vent externally, one of the best purchases we have made, absolutely brilliant energy saving bit of kit. Get one!!!

[@samburrell3288]

love it sir! nice choice

[@zeroyon4562]

@Clifford Cowie Sounds like you bought a dud and it needs repairing. We have an AEG heat pump dryer and it’s been awesome. It takes around 1.5hours for a full load.

[@samburrell3288]

@Clifford Cowie Good grief sir, Bosch? terribly sorry to hear that. try Miele. they're the ducks nuts in anything they put their name on

[@dantronics1682]

@@samburrell3288 or if he cant afford meile get the next best thing which is samsumg heatpump dryer, I have 2 of them

[@matthewgruba8040]

I paid $1600 for a Bosch Heat Pump Tumble Dryer, replacing a cheap vented model which had died. Even though we used the HP more often, our electricity bill went down by $150 per quarter, paying for itself in less than 4 years. Still running strong 15+ years later. Never had dramas with ambient temperatures, and because it collects the water from the dry, (and is so quiet), it works well inside in any event.

[@lords-electrical]

That's great to hear, thanks for the great feedback

[@Karjis]

We have 10 year old Siemens heat pump drier that is also used daily. Once I had to take it apart and clean the coils with compressed air at around 8 years. After cleaning works like new again.

[@ooglek]

How much do you pay for electricity? I think the ROI really depends on the cost of electricity per kWh. My rate is $0.13 currently, so my ROI would be around 10-15 years!

[@matthewgruba8040]

@@ooglek At the time, about 18c/kWhr, from memory, 15 years ago, I mostly remember the bills.

[@ooglek]

@@matthewgruba8040 My current dryer, and most resistive driers, uses about 3.5kW per hour. Most Heat Pumps would use about 1.5kW per hour, but you might run them longer. Assuming they run for the same amount of time, for your bill to drop by $50 per month, at USD$0.18 per kWh, you'd need to do 139 loads of laundry per month!!! ($50 divided by 2kW saving at $0.36/hour = 138.888). The average household does 5-7 loads per week, or 20-30 per month. I cannot believe that switching from a resistive conventional dryer to a heat pump dryer, which would take longer to dry as completely, had an ROI of 4 years and dropped your bill by $50/month. Either your math is wrong, or your previous dryer was using a LOT more power than it should have been (240 v @ 15 amps = ~3.5kW). Even if your dryer was 5.0kW, the savings would be $0.63 per hour, still 79 loads per month. Unless the heat pump runs for HALF the time of the 5.0kW dryer, your math doesn't make any sense from an ROI perspective. And generally it is known that heat pump dryers need to run LONGER than resistive dryers, so the above math is ideal case, not real world. And heat pump dryers tend to have a smaller capacity, so you have to run them more often. I'm really starting to wonder if heat pumps are worth it when you consider how many more loads you might need to do, due to their smaller size, and how much longer you need to run them for.

[@adamhenwood581]

You have a very calming and relaxed voice which makes your explanation very engaging

[@lords-electrical]

Thanks very much 😀

[@bullet-catcherhohoho250]

I have a Creda tumble dryer its just turned 22 years old - still going well. It gets used around 1 to 2 times a day, every day of the week. Can't get rid of it, had it longer then the wife.

[@jonricho2451]

Inherited one off my Nan it got to 30yrs old before it started flaking out.

[@homolgus1]

Lucky I have a five year old Zanussi and it just died

[@quentinbush]

Proves modern electrical things are too complex. They work well when there isn't a fault but afterwards it's possibly cheaper to buy another and scrap the broken one.

[@jimthvac100]

you did not say if your Dryer is a Condensing or vented?

[@quentinbush]

@@jimthvac100 I have a heat pump drier, I would imagine with it not having an outside vent that it is condenser. I have just been notified that the drier is no good, broken, irreparable and it is only 22 months old.

[@brettogden6104]

Great details on the review. One thing you didn't mention is for people with solar panels. A heat pump dryer draws about a third of the current (power) of a conventional dryer. This means there's much more chance of your solar providing all the power required for free (in daylight hours) if you have a heat pump, compared to a regular dryer that consumes 3 times as much and is more likely to pull power from the grid costing you money. The pay back for a heat pump dryer is than even quicker.

[@lords-electrical]

Nice, i hadn't thought of that, thanks for the great feedback

[@Tailspin80]

Except that the amount of solar electricity you are generating will be next to nothing in October, when your use of the drier ramps up.

[@brettogden6104]

@@Tailspin80 Exactly why a heat pump is better than a resistive dryer. It only takes a few hundred watts rather than thousands of watts .

[@Tailspin80]

@@brettogden6104 Heat pumps are at most 3 or 4 times as efficient as resistive heating and a lot more complicated and costly to make. Both need an electric motor for tumbling so that uses power. My point about solar was that if you’re aiming to run it when the sun is shining why not just hang the washing out on a line or rotary drier?

[@brettogden6104]

@@Tailspin80 it's a valid point if you have the space and time to hang washing out. Our garden is fully shaded and protected from any breeze. Also the humidity in Sydney in the wetter warm months means it can hang out all day and it never dries lol. 😃

[@Tenspound]

I’m watching all sorts of stuff from UK and Europe in regards to heat pump tech. Here in the US even in hippie land California we still use a lot of gas and combustion fuels. But taxes and rate increases are on the rise for those in big swings 30-60% in one shot. So trying to be proactive and utilize heat pumps everywhere I can. Plus no combustion. If you have the right location as you stated. Really have appreciated your information. No one around here even knows what I’m talking about yet.

[@bcwestern]

I'm in California but moved here from Ireland where many people don't even have dryers. We had a condenser dryer in Ireland that used a lot of heat and energy (plus it was a minor inconvenience emptying the water container after almost every use) and it was quite hard on some of the clothes (fading, etc). We just bought a Miele heat pump dryer for our new home in California and you are correct - no one has heard of them, lol! Even our contractor. But I'm looking forward to saving on PG&E costs and also doing our bit to reduce reliance on gas and combustion fuels.

[@CT-vm4gf]

I’m surprised oil or diesel fuel boilers are still used in the US.

[@LawrenceTimme]

Gas boilers are the best in colder climates, but in the south of America a heatpumps makes more sense.

[@notmethanks816]

@@CT-vm4gf Virtually all large institutional buildings in the northern part of the country use hot water boilers in winter and chiller systems in summer. In many areas the waste heat/steam from a coal fired electric power plant is used to heat water which is then used to heat many nearby commercial buildings. Many university campus buildings rely on this "free" heat to keep their costs under control.

[@flilguy]

I live in the USA. I have seen many Siemens electrical boxes although not many appliances. We do have Bosch appliances in my area and they are the best of the best! Very informative video and I may consider a heat pump clothes dryer when I purchase a new one.

[@donbenjamin3]

Our Miele heat pump dryer doesn’t take much longer than a traditional vented dryer. About an hour for a load of towels. I don’t have to worry about cleaning out the vent pipe because there isn’t one.

[@spinnymathingy3149]

Out of interest, how long does your heat pump dryer take to dry a reasonably full load ?

[@cre_artive]

That's it! It is the video that I have been looking for:) Very basic, clear and absolutely spot on understandable differences. Thanks...

[@kosz1104]

A great comparison although you didn't mention a very important con of the heat pump dryers. It's the maintanace. In the old type, the condenser can be easily taken out and cleaned with running water, the heat pump technology doesn't let you take the condenser out, and you can access, if only, the front of the condenser. When you use the dryer a lot, the condenser can get clogged with fluff, even despite maintaining it as often as the producer suggests. Producers try to work on this problem - some of them have another filter in front of the condenser (e.g. some Bosch Series 6), but it still doesn't fully protect the condenser, just look on yt how the dryer looks inside after 2-4 years, some only have door filters, and clogging condenser is a huge problem. Some producers put a special system of cleaning the condenser with condensed water, but with different results. LG has autocleaning - flushing the condenser with water, but it doesn't work as they state in their ads, and the condenser easily gets clogged, they even paid a huge fine for this in Korea. Bosch and Siemens have two systems - Self Cleaning condenser (in some Bosch Series 6 and some Siemens IQ500) which cleans the condenser, but in time it'll get clogged as well (look for it on yt), they've also got the Auto cleaning system (Siemens calls it differently) which incorporates Self cleaning Condenser as well, but also uses a water cleaned filter in front of the condenser. As far as I've seen, this is the best cleaning system. But the drawback is a very high price of such dryer, it's in Bosch Series 8 and Siemens IQ700. I'm looking for a dryer that's why I came to these conclusions after searching yt videos on this matter. I haven't decided on the dryer yet although It won't be the old type, as the energy prices are getting higher and higher...

[@lords-electrical]

Some great points here, thanks for the great feedback

[@pnmbmw]

Excellent! Can you manually clean the condenser yourself?

[@kosz1104]

@@pnmbmw In a heat pump dryer you can only access the front of the condenser.

[@Jonas_Aa]

I agree 100% that the condensers get clogged. Had an Electrolux and a Siemens IQ500. Even though the IQ500 is better because of the water cleaning system it still gets a little clogged that builds up over time.

[@condor5635]

@@kosz1104 I thought it was the front of the evaporator coil that you can clean and not the condenser. Isn’t the evaporator the first to get any debris coming through as it leaves the dryer and the moist air condenses on it? Isn’t that where that would build up first?

[@muawizmazlan4684]

This is such a good video for anyone who is trying to figure which dryers is the best for your home, thank you for the sharing the information. The explanation was detailed especially parts where he mentioned about ambient temperature where in the winter, the heat pump dryer could take much longer drying the clothes. Since I am from Malaysia, most of the time, the weather are only hot and rainy, your sharing really helps in narrowing down my choices on which to buy, I am going for the heat pump as it suits the energy consumptions, safer and protects the clothes better.

[@blazinice1]

May i know which brand did u chose? I am considering Samsung and Toshiba. Please help. Thanks

[@letsseeif]

In Australia most use outside clothes lines eg. the iconic Hills Hoist. The atmosphere does the rest. On the average day in Melbourne, 3 hours will do the trick . In Summer 1 hour and clothes are cardboard dry. However most houses have inside clothes dryers exemplified by your great video. [ps. our original inside clothes dryer the English 'One World' brand lasted 47 years - unbelievable. THE TAKE AWAY. All home laundry, kitchen, AirCon /central heating, TVs, etc etc Appliances of yesteryear WERE BUILT TO LAST (& or maintenance) in those far off halcyon days]

[@NiharsNook]

Absolutely well said. the philosophy was different, I think now it’s more a sales based approach. Live fast, die young...for the appliances :)

[@TheSimArchitect]

I love my washer/dryer combo, it pumps the lint to the sewage system. Never had to clean lint from it anywhere or got any excessive hot air anywhere either. I only run the drying cycle twice a month to dry completely, plus another 2 or 3 cycles for just half hour to dry and soften clothes a bit to hang later. I had other washer/dryers and I was always very happy as you don't need to move heavier wet clothes around.

[@askiff1415]

Got a John Lewis brand Heat Pump tumble dryer. They’re German made. Had it a year and it’s already saved a ton of money on electric bills. Easily worth the extra product cost over the life of the dryer.

[@BobQuigley]

Here in Ohio we replaced twenty year old electric dryer with a Miele 120v model. Cost $800. No holes in house to vent. No 40amp 240v circuit needed. Definitely exceeded our expectations while significantly using less energy.

[@babagandu]

Ohiya !!!

[@craigyleonard7406]

I’ve got the Samsung heat pump dryer and it’s amazing, reasonably fast drying and cheap to run compared to non heat pump dryers. Doesn’t cremate your laundry either as the machine doesn’t get overly hot constantly through the cycle. So good that even my sister bought one!

[@dr_jaymz]

we have a john lewis heat-pump dryer its about 7 years old, its been superb, it dries really well and doesn't get things that hot. Its had door seal issues but mainly because someone didn't stop the car at the right point when parking in our garage so hardly the dryers fault. However once panel beat back into shape its been fine. It does require frequent cleaning of the filters, we do it every other wash. Its also quite big and dries full king duvets etc. takes about 2 - 3 hours to dry depending on the load and how well you spun it before hand. It senses the dryness on its own.

[@dantronics1682]

Thats the biggest issues with heatpump dryers, you have to change the filter regularly but the drying time depends on how wet the clothes were when you put them in, if you either use a high spin speed or double spin the clothe then the heatpump drys in the same time as a vented dryer

[@daveg9096]

Had our Bloomberg heat pump dryer for over 10yrs best investment ever.. think we paid around £450 it’s needed a new tub drive belt about 5yrs ago and we have recently just replace the worn tub support rollers and internal light bulb and she’s like new again although if your gonna repair it yourself be prepared to Hoover it out inside because of buildup of lint, Hoover both the filters after every 2nd or 3rd drying cycle to maintain peak performance. Always amazed at how much water is dispensed into the tank after a drying cycle

[@lukasandrysik3666]

The biggest selling point (that is not mentioned often) is that heatpump dryers are much more sensitive to clothes as they use lower temperature. Mine goes to max 60°C (yes, I put thermometer inside), while the old non-heatpump dryer was going much higher to like 95°C. With the heatpump one I can dry even items that are not allowed to be tumble-dried and they survive just fine. The cost saving is not so massive honestly as for the most of the year we run heating so the energy "wasted" in the dryer is not actually wasted

[@SDRob01]

Wouldn't a traditional resistive heating dryer waste heat anyway, because the heat isn't vented into your home where it offsets other heating- all the heat from the dryer gets vented outside.

[@neilferry2263]

@@SDRob01 only if the dryer is venteed outside, many vent to the room so the hear is retained in the house. In Aus, this is a plus in winter but not in summer, plus you get the moisture too although as this is in a separate laundry it is not really a problem. Many heat pump dryers dont reverse very well, so people complain that sheets and towels get tangled, plus dont actually dry as much. Choice magazine said people should get used to clothes not being fully dried, not clear why we should have to. We mainly use our old condenser dryer for sheets and towels where you want them dried fully and fluffily.

[@kenr6810]

Thanks for this excellent info. Was looking to replace our current (worn out) vented dryer, located in our garage, with a heat pump dryer. It was only right at the end that you mention the location of the dryer having a bearing on the drying time and this is something I was unaware of. On further investigation at temperatures lower than 5C the drying time can be double, i.e. up to 8 hours for a full load. I will probably stick to one of the old fashioned vented dryers. Thanks again.

[@Alan_Mac]

@Richard Harrold Nonsense. To do the actual job of drying clothes a vented dryer is cheaper and quicker.

[@Alan_Mac]

@Richard Harrold More nonsense. Fabric wear is in direct proportion to the length of time clothes spend in the drum. Since we've agreed that this is shorter for a vented dryer it follows that clothes wear less. Same with energy costs. If you have the same wattage of motor but use one for less time then the energy costs are lower. So vented dryers are cheaper, cost less to run, have fewer parts to go wrong, cause less fabric wear and dry clothes faster. Their only, possible, downside is that they need to be ducted.

[@Alan_Mac]

@Richard Harrold " literally nobody outside North America uses vented dryers any more, " What nonsense - but entirely consistent with the rest of your pish. I LITERALLY live in Bloomsbury and LITERALLY bought a new tumble dryer in September. Vented, of course, because I can duct it outside and it is LITERALLY a better option than the other two.

[@jessl1934]

@@Alan_Mac Lol Alan, you must be joking. Do you think if I left a T-shirt in an unplugged dryer for a month it would come out all tattered and distressed?

[@Alan_Mac]

@@jessl1934 Not as tattered and distressed as this abomination of a post. Whatever were you thinking?

[@DetectiveLopez.]

I've got a Smeg Heat Pump Dryer and it's really cheap to run,takes around an hour and 40 mins for a full load,Very happy with it after a year of use.

[@cloudyskies1323]

When we switched from one brand of condenser to another the drying time doubled. The time doesn’t worry us, it’s the sound. It’s like a leaf vac! My advice would be get one which has low noise.

[@AJ-ku7nm]

Thank you. This video cleared up the questions I had and has helped me make a more informed choice on my next tumble dryer.

[@lords-electrical]

Glad it was useful for you, thanks for the feedback

[@swhite3013]

We run a BnB, so 3 washers and 3 dryers, we find vented dryers are the quickest as its fresh air running through, condenser dryers have always been terrible, i would although be interested if an energy meter was used on a side by side test with equal clothes from the same washer.

[@TheEngineerd]

You'd also have to take into account that as vented dryers are pulling air out of the building, unconditioned air that you'll have to heat (in winter) or cool (in summer) is coming in to replace the air.

[@CT-vm4gf]

Those tests have been done, heat pump will use 1/3 the amount of a vented dryer.

[@MikeHarEV]

thanks for the video. I hadn't considered the room. my utility room can drop as low as 10c in the winter so I will have to look into that aspect further.

[@vergeet-me-nietje8]

Thanks for your fine words. We bought a "9kg samsung heatpump dryer" A+++, 194KWh/year , 220min/cycle in 2022, and are still happy with it. The only thing that bothers me, is the dusty dry air i get while it is working. (and yess, i clean all the filters every time) So i used to open a nearby window during the drying time, to allow fresh air getting in the (bath)room. =So much better. But not ideal in cold winter, you can understand why. Is there anything else i could do to avoid or minimalise this dust-problem? And yes, it spreads a very fine film of dustpowder on top of everything in the room, as i can see when i clean the room very narrowly. Because i have asthma, i really could use a minimum of dust in the room as possible. I am thinking of installing an air suction system that takes the air out of that room to the outside of our house. There was already a gap made for this purpose ( We used to have a dryer with an exhaust air system). Hope that will do the magic here.

[@DesmoDreams]

Thanks for that. Very nicely presented. I understand the differences much better now, and know which is best for me - Heat pump all the way! 🙂

[@lords-electrical]

Great to know this was useful for you. Thanks for the kind feedback.

[@Chris-pv2ht]

I have a hoover had it 2.5 years didnt cost much more than a condensing tumble dryer around £100. They take longer to dry clothes but found that we can live with that around 3 hours per load. They also a massive saving on energy costs and also found we dont need to iron as much. No need for venting with hours just empty the door reservoir every load and clean the filter takes all of 10 minutes, best thing definitely better to get one if you can afford the extra cost at the start. There is two filters which you dont need to do as often say every few loads all easily excisable at the front

[@DaveCorbey]

I thought for a minute you were sucking the water out of the clothes to dry them .

[@Compasscard]

Have a Siemens IQ800 tumble dryer with a heat pump and it's the most expensive one we ever had but it's no good. The heat pump is nice but it tends to clog up and impossible to service unless you want to disassemble the whole thing. The service flap is not default installed and you'll have to buy one to even get to the condensor which is supposedly self-cleaning. The issue is that over time, lint builds up and the water in the sump starts to smell foul. Even the biocide based kit of Bosch/Siemens didn't resolve the issue. I would advise to go back to the older style condensor ones

[@Kyle-hz7qx]

Totally agree, my beko heat pump dryer i have had for just under 2 years and it has stopped drying the clothes. Its not serviceable, the compressor has gone and its not filling the water container with water, Clothes are just tumbling for 3 hours + and aren't drying. I think a traditional condenser dryer would be better in terms of maintenance and reliability.

[@1whitecottagelife770]

I for one, thank God and bless whoever invented the regular vented tumble dryer. I use mine daily, my ironing/steaming is close to zero, towels and laundry in general is fluffy and wrinkle free and soft, no walking in laundry hanging out to dry indoor or dust and pollen on laundry drying outside.

[@paperburn]

Not taken into the calculation of the running cost is how much it would cost to condition the replacement air that was vented outside.

[@paulmaxwell8851]

Neither of the machines in the video are vented to the exterior. Both condense the moisture in the circulating air and then recirculate that air. Vented dryers are a whole different matter. A neighbour has a conventional condensing dryer (the one shown on the left) and she loves it. It wasn't possible to vent a machine to the exterior so she went with a condensing unit. She does wonder, though, if she should have spent more on a heat pump dryer.

[@paperburn]

@@paulmaxwell8851 Do tell, I was under the impression that one was vented and the other was not.

[@paperburn]

learn a little every day, in the usa most dryers are vented, thanks for the insight.

[@owenhowlett1]

Yeah it's a pretty big factor. I did a back of envelope calculation a few years ago, and it costs over $100/year to vent air to the outside, even here in California where the temps are mild. It would cost an awful lot more in cold climates. So not having to vent the air from heat pump/condensing dryers probably saves you as much or more than the increased efficiency of the machine itself!

[@olanosergio]

I'm glad he was honest. Didn't try to miss lead.

[@adrianbyron-parker5797]

Thanks for the garage tip, that's where my old one is. so I think a standard dryer would be for me..as the summer months, the washing would be outside on the line to dry.

[@Ourbluecats]

Fantastic video - extremely informative, I was confused about heat pump dryers and their savings - you’ve really opened my eyes. Thank you

[@lords-electrical]

Glad it was helpful for you. Thanks for the feedback

[@RealButcher]

We have both. A normal one, that blows the hot air out via a heat exchanger, to outside the house. And a Bosh with a heat pump. The heat pump one takes longer, dries a bit less good, but a lot of sensitive clothes are less damaged. Plus a condens dryer takes more power and heats up the room it is in. A heat pump does not heat up the room it is in. I am thinking of changing that (older) condens dryer to a heat pump one. Luckily we have 38 solar panels / but Holland is not very sunny.

[@lords-electrical]

Wow, 38 panels is impressive, hopefully it wouldn't cost much to run your appliances if it is generating enough electric for you. Thanks for the great feedback

[@RealButcher]

@@lords-electrical thanks, we have a flat roof and the panels are lying in east-west. Just had them, but here it's all rainy and no sun. So no electricity coming in. 😕 And we notice a tree, now the sun is so low. The shadow prevents the power some hours when it does shine a bit. 😅

[@nelsondx8054]

As a technician I'll give you a tl;dr about dryers. Heat pump doesn't spend as much electricity but it doesn't dry as quick. Normal vented dryers spend more electricity but they dry quicker.

[@danandlaundry]

Same with normal condenser dryers they also dry quicker then heat pump but use more electricity

[@jonnygunner65]

@@danandlaundrythan…not then…😂

[@24lled41]

sales staff are telling me it takes approx 4 times longer to dry than vented. doesnt this negate the 'using 1/3 less power' (assuming that means it uses 1/3 less power 'per hour.}.

[@ExplodingPiggy]

My dryer is rated to use 987Kwh per year based on average usage, a new Samsung heat pump dryer is rated at 212Kwh per year. That's quite impressive.

[@jimmybecker5410]

Here we went from 700kwh to 176 kwh also impressive

[@walmartpimp2]

Sounds like a good choice. I think we'll get one. Hopefully with a heat pump tumble dryer my step-sister won't keep getting stuck in it like she does with our current one.

[@norbertyap7376]

will the longer drying time (more tumble cycle) of heat pump not be more damaging to the fabric?

[@JohnnyX50]

A very interesting look into the differences between the 2 types but still not a fan of heat pump ideas, essentially an air conditioner in a different usage scenario. Such a high price for something that doesn't need fancy push buttons and a dozen options for doing the same end game, drying clothes. But what of the 3rd type, the standard vented system. 225 minutes! 4 hours! I have a standard sensor dry vented dryer, it takes 40 minutes to dry my clothes on a low heat setting (about 1.4KW) and 5 minutes of that are cool dry so about 1 unit of electricity for one dry about 1 or 2 times a week. My unit price is currently 20p/unit so my dryer will consume apprx £15 - £20 (Average 73KW) a year to dry my clothes. Yes I'm a single male but I have work and daily clothes to wash and dry. Also with my dryer there are 3 components - Timer, heater and motor (with some logic) so less to go wrong. The motor that drives the belt on the drum also drives the internal fan. The drum also periodically reverses too as an anti crease and anti knot function. I don't have to empty any condenser tanks and I don't end up with a hot, humid kitchen. It very quietly tumbles away and when it's done my clothes are warm and soft and ready to go. It cost only £140 from a local discount appliances shop online. Yes it was brand new, not a refurb. I don't get where fires are starting cos when I took my old dryer apart, it was 14 years old and the bearings had dropped making it squeak loudly. Inside it was obvious that air is drawn in from the front of the machine, up and past the heater on the back of the drum, into the drum and down through the filter and back out the vent to the outside world. Fluff was evident in the vent pipe but this was never in contact with the heater which was a twin ring shape similar to an electric grill element attached to the back of the drum casing. As long as you keep the filter clean and let the dryer 'breath' I don't see why you should have a problem. For those interested, Sensor dry is a simple humidity check (this can be a dedicated sensor or simply 2 metal electrodes inside the drum usually located just under the door) that detect the dampness of clothes as they pass over it. A relay is then switched on or off to supply the heater with power on a delay timer to prevent constant on-off cycles.

[@olivermattos2670]

For vented dryers, you need to consider not only the electricity the dryer uses, but also the amount of warm air the dryer pushes outside that your heating (or AC!) will have to make up for. Thats about 200 CFM for the 40 minutes, which could be all the air in your house! Reheating it to 20C from frosty outdoor air would take about 1.5kWh (which may be gas, so cheaper) Your times/power figures also seem quite a long way off what most vented dryers claim to be able to do. Even a partial load of most small dryers takes substantially over 1kwh, and most dryers tend not to achieve the numbers on the datasheet in reality, so you normally need to measure them to know the true cost. For example, the energy numbers tend to be measured with the clothes still coming out a bit damp, in a warm room, with a brand new and specially oiled machine, with a super short hose, on a 216.2 volt supply (lowest allowed in the UK) etc.

[@80396]

No paragraph spaces on something that long? We’re not reading that glob of glumpy goop.

[@dantronics1682]

couple of pointers, (1) nearly all condenser dryers can be connected to a drain similar to a washing machine so doesnt need emptying (2) vented td sucks warm air out of your house/flat during the winter, I bet no one have ever work out how much this is costing them for each use. So a condensing dryer will be cheaper to run than a vented as far as your home heating goes and a heatpump will be cheaper than the condenser as far as running cost goes. oh one more point you mention bearings failiure, think of the hot air heating up the only bearings that the drum is fixed to, drying out the grease and you will see why they dont last very long

[@trevorphillips5786]

Cleaning the condenser by pumping water around on the Bosch tumble dryer. Does this only work when the drain hose option is used ?

[@lords-electrical]

No it is done when using the container too. At the end of the program it will use the water to pump through the condenser to clean it then go into the water container.

[@KushDragon420]

I always tell people to avoid the semsor dry cycles. Its 2 metal steips that create a circuit when they get wet. The problem is, dry clothese in the front can trick it. Ive had many many customers complain their dryer doesnt work and in reality its the sensor dropping load times as dryer articles pass over it.

[@ImperrfectStranger]

Heat pump dryers here in Australia seem to be 3 or 4 times the price of conventional dryers. Also, the extended time of running means more noise pollution and longer running times for extractor fans (energy costs and noise pollution). The temperature may be lower on heat pump dryers, but doesn't longer tumbling times add to the wear and tear on clothes?

[@ironfist7789]

on our Miele there is a lot less lint than the regular dryer, if that is any indication :)

[@ImperrfectStranger]

@@ironfist7789 Thanks! Good to know.

[@glennmartin6492]

Also consider that a vented dryer needs an uninsulated hole in the house wall. Here in Ottawa where temperatures can occasionally dip below -40 degrees that can add up to a lot more heating required from our furnace.

[@punkdigerati]

You can vent inside with a lint trap, for electric dryers anyway.

[@Otacatapetl]

I have a Beko heatpump drier and it's paid for itself just after a couple of years through using far less electricity. It takes I'd say about 50% longer but I don't see it as a race against the clock. It's dry when it's dry. My advice is, if you can afford a heatpump drier, get one.

[@jaybruce593]

With the price of energy in the UK at the time of writing, you almost cannot afford to buy one, especially with the forecast predicting even more increases coming in 2023.

[@JohnAdams-kc8wx]

Thank you so much for alerting me to this. I’m changing to a heat pump drier today.

[@AD4M88]

Just bought a heat pump Samsung tumble dryer now, they take slightly longer but the energy usage is SO much lower. I watched throughout a 2.5 hour cycle and it was using about 20% of the energy my condenser dryer used (Beko). Also when i take the clothes out, they don't feel warm to the touch, but are bone dry... its quite a strange feeling as my old tumble dryer you'd take the items out and they'd be red hot.

[@lords-electrical]

That's correct that the Heat pump dryers operate at a much lower temperature so the clothes will be cooler when the program has finished.

[@Marie-qi2re]

Wouldn't it contribute to black mould on the walls when there is no ventilation and there is damp air coming from a tumble dryer?

[@dantronics1682]

its a condenser dryer

[@zteaxon7787]

You need ventilation in a washing space obviously. But the condensor reservoir or draining the condensation directly should keep moisture limited. All heat pump dryers differ in the expelled humidity though from 7-20%

[@Dean-mk4ky]

Do Miele heat pump tumble dryers dry quicker than say a Beko heat pump dryer? I see reviews are different for everyone some say quicker, and some say it takes longer.

[@janeelliott6772]

This was really useful in helping me make a decision. Thank you.

[@_Wake_Up_If_U_Can]

Thanks for covering heat pump dryers. Here in the US we are slowly catching up to the rest of the world in this field. A home builder here on youtube (Matt Rissinger) says vented dryers send out about 9,000 cubic foot of air from your house to the outside each load, assuming his engineer friends assessment of a dryer expelling about 200cfm. The air in your house will have air sucked in from the outside to compensate for the air the vented dryer forces outside. This outside air may have mold, pollen, and any other form of air contaminants. When upgrading a vented dryer why choose a dryer that will force dirty air to be sucked into your house? Seems like a no brainer to get a heat pump dryer. Heat pump dryers have a higher cost to purchase but have at least the following benefits: -much healthier for your home's air because heat pump dryers do not vent to the outside they only drain the water to the washer drain -cheaper on electricity -your clothes last longer -no giant 4" or 5" hole from inside your house to outside your house wasting all the cooled or heated air -If you collect virtue signal points, you can smile knowing you are using less energy thereby helping polar bears, unicorns, & rainbows :) It is hard to put into dollars what can be saved upgrading to a heat pump model but it is definitely more of a saving then just the raw electricity used. Biggest downsides I have learned so far is: -smaller capacity washer and dryers so no comforter or big blanket washing -much longer dry times -higher cost to purchase -family acceptance factor (Matt Rissingers wife does not like their $3000 Miele set because they are smaller and take longer) We plan on upgrading from our 25 year old Frigidaire electric dryer that came with our house when we bought it 3 years ago. The lint trap metal mesh is almost completely ripped from the plastic. I keep a shop vac on the dryer to vacuum the dryer lint trap after each load because the jagged metal mesh scratches me easily if I try to use my hands to clean the mostly broken lint trap. The lint trap is discontinued from the manufacturer and our local used appliance dealers are out of used ones. The other big issue is whoever repaired the dryer before we bought the house must have put a high temp sensor for the low temp setting. On low it still fries the clothes and makes then crunchy. All our clothes wear out soo fast. Looking forward to finding a quality heat pump dryer. Hope we can save up for the higher brand names like Miele or Bosch.

[@blower1]

What i want to know is do the heat pump dryers get hot enough to basically iron your clothes?.... At the moment i have a traditional vented dryer with a large drum and reverse - i put in my t-shirts, towels in etc...and everything comes out good enough to wear without ironing as it gets very hot. Towels also come out nice and fluffy and not like hard sandpaper (like clothes line drying). I'm a bloke, i have not got time to faff around with ironing boards & irons. I want to chuck clothes from washing machine into dryer, go away for a while and its all done. I avoided a condenser dryer as i know full well they are not good enough to do the above......so are heat pump dryers still the same? - i.e. require you to iron clothes and towels not coming out as fluffy and nice as they should be.

[@lords-electrical]

Great questions. Heat pump dryers will operate at a lower temperature than a vented or condenser dryer so may not be as effective at finishing the clothes in the dryer that you have been used to. The towels will still come out fluffy though. If you're thinking of going down the heat pump route, just don't get rid of that Iron yet.

[@blower1]

@@lords-electrical Thanks for the reply, I have an EV tariff and run the tumble at night so energy cost is not an issue, but I am looking to be more energy efficient....however I'm too lazy to iron! :D

[@anthonysimpson6738]

We had a heat pump, takes to long to dry and if goes off without opening the door the cloths go damp. So probably use more electricity with the heat pump model. So going back to the condenser model

[@warrenjamesanderson]

Thank you. I found this information very informative and useful. I am thinking of purchasing a heat pump tumble dryer and have a new role at an Energy Supplier (Mercury Energy/Trustpower) as Customer Advocate. Well presented.

[@anthonywatts2033]

My heat pump Bosch is fine, but I was annoyed that when I looked at the drier alone - it mentioned the reversing tumble, then I bought both washer and drier, and the drier came without the reversing action. Sheet drying is fine, provided only one king sheet set dried at any one time. Dries towels VERY well.

[@lizstokes9488]

Thank you for this video, it's making me think more about the temperature of the room for where I would place a dryer. I wanted a condenser one to start of with, then have recently started seriously considering the heated pump ones purely for the cost of running. You've now informed me more of the heat pumps efficient way of working.

[@mauricen9926]

But they don't tell you it is less reliable, substantially more expensive to repair. Very temperamental with moisture sensing. But go for it. Keeps us busy

[@andyblandford7460]

Nice to hear pros and cons, in my experience the typical drying time is more than twice as long for heat pump (that’s assuming an ambient temp of 20”, so in winter a heated room is essential) so as both machines have the same motor and bearings is it safe to assume the heat pump dryer will last at best half as long as the condenser ? Also the heat pump dryer has a pressurised coolant system similar to a fridge which cools the condenser, this means it has a higher carbon footprint than a standard dryer so perhaps not so eco friendly as manufacturers would have us believe, especially if you need to replace it more often. Bosch / Siemens have a self clean system for the condenser in there heat pump dryers which has proved ineffective and generates service calls. I am a service engineer so hear the complaints about this technology every day.

[@steverx4460]

The heat pump dryers cost twice (in Australia) as much as conventional one. The price difference would pay for the extra electricity for 10 years. The heat pump dryers have a refigeration unit to cool the moisture so it condenses - just more stuff to break down.

[@roland9367]

I just repaired my own Zanussi heat pump dryer. For me in the Netherlands the machine cost me 480 Euro 7 years ago, and it uses 3 to 4 times less emergy than a conventional one which burns a lot of electricity for the heat. I just replaced the starting capacitors (18uf and 9uf), relatively cheap and simple. Another common failure is the pcb, like so many of these machines fail. So they fail like any other dryer because of cheap or bad pcbs and so on, nothing to do with the heat pump systems. The coolant circuit is indeed much like a fridge, and you know how long fridges can work before they die, which is quite long. Anyway longer than what these machine last because of pcb / capacitor failures. Service engineer came to my house and said it was the pcb for 200 euro plus installation cost, so I could better buy a new one for 500 euro. Ridiculous when it was only 6 years old. And the heat pump is working fine and isn't the problem. So a typical dry run is between 0.5 and 1 kWh, expect it to run 3 to 4 less energy. Old style dryers can take 4kWh easily. Here in Western Europe the business case is easily made with these. What is a problem, or more a user error, is never cleaning the condensor. Then it takes forever and people are complaining. And all they need to do is open the small door and wipe the compressor, and all the problems are gone. Like once half a year in practice, although manual states every month to be sure, we didn't do that.

[@flevingfinn5885]

@@steverx4460 here at Finland normal ones start from 350-400€ and heat pump versions start from 450-500€. Usually cheapest isnt the best to buy anyway, so saving 50-150€ isnt worth it

[@steverx4460]

@@flevingfinn5885 In Australia, normal drers cost $700 and heat pump cost $1500. We run solar electricity.

[@olivermattos2670]

Not all heat pump dryers are made equal... Some have an additional heater built in for a "fast" mode. Obviously using that mode makes it less efficient, but for people who occasionally need something done quickly, that's the best model to have. There are also a few with extra computer controlled fans to allow the clothes to be cooled down at the end (using the heat pump to extract heat from the clothes), and heated up from room air at the start. The end result is quicker drying without much extra energy use.

[@NigelRothery]

Just found this - great helpful video! Which heat pump models can you use a kit with to take the water straight to a drain point rather than having to empty a tank?

[@lords-electrical]

The majority of models do offer this it's quite rare to find one without the hose

[@Truth1561]

I rarely use my dryer since buying a meaco dehumidifier with a laundry setting. I also have a Lakeland dry soon heated airier, but the dehumidifier has been a revelation to me and appears to have decreased my electricity usage.

[@lady40445]

Thanks. Added to 2021 shopping list!!

[@l3v1ckUK]

I'm currently trying to decide between a vented dryer and heat pump dryer.

[@lords-electrical]

If you have the funds i would go with a heat pump, but as long as it is inside the house. If its outside or in a garage then stick to vented as it will take a lot longer to to dry compared to a vented model

[@rosielee9557]

Thank you for this info. If a heat pump tumble drier is more energy efficient compared to a condensor one, how does that work if it takes so much longer to dry the clothes? I currently have a vented tumble drier (B) rated but quite old now and previously one of the fire hazard ones (till it got the fix from Whirlpool) - so am looking for more energy efficiency. It's used around 3 times per week currently at this time of year. I'd like to switch to unvented as I understand vented are big energy users. It won't be a problem waiting longer for the clothes to dry so heat pump sounds the way to go for me but I just don't want to spend out on something that takes twice as long to dry but save no money in running costs because of that aspect. Hopefully you can help me understand if I am missing something with this?

[@lizstokes9488]

My understanding is, the average kWh per annum figure is based on an average of 160 cycles per year. The condenser uses more heat and is quicker, the heated one recycles heat and takes longer being more efficient, however you need to consider the room of the temperature it is in. If its in a cold room of 5 degrees it will take longer than a room of 30 degrees. The more powerful it is the more expensive it is on your electric. Even if it is quicker. Its still using more kWh

[@CarolineM1695]

Does a heat pump dryer require you to empty the drawer of water? Or can it be plumbed into the drainage? Thanks

[@lords-electrical]

All heat pump dryers will offer the option to empty the water from a container within the machine, but the majority offer a drain outlet too. This is a much better option as it saves having to empty the container, but clearly you need to make sure there is a drainage outlet near to the dryer.

[@leeebbrell9]

A friend of mine as a heat pump dryer, she complains about moisture and lots of condensation in the room, so much water is running down the wall. She was ok when she had a condensation dryer... is this a thing do they require a vent outlet as well

[@lords-electrical]

Not normally, you shouldn't have this kind of moisture on the wall from the dryer.

[@stephenclay6852]

A good informative video. We are looking at buying a new tumble dryer and as ours lives in the shed. After watching this video the one we should go for is the condensing dryer. Plus as an average we use it once a week over the year so really wouldn’t be worth the extra cost.

[@madmatt677ify]

Ambient temperature is the key point. If in a cold room it has work longer to pump the heat in

[@iainjackson2638]

Pro tip... (Well was accidently found) the higher in your room the better. Eg if you stack your washer and drier like we do our heat pump drier is higher up in the room... Hot air rises so the drier works less hard and dries quicker... ;)

[@lords-electrical]

Good tip, thanks

[@ianbigsand7]

We have a tumble dryer which vents outside, however we try to avoid using it due to idea of throwing energy outside. It does get used to finish off slightly damp towels. On balance I think that, although I like the technology, we won't change until our Bosch sensor dryer expires.

[@dantronics1682]

Hi Ian, you can get heat exchangers which fits on the hose to recover some of the heat before the exhaust air goes outside, I had one when I used a gas tumbly dryer

[@samjarea]

Would there be much of a reduction in your electric bill between an A++ and an A+++? Thank you.

[@lords-electrical]

Not a huge amount but it very much depends how often it is used. If its used a couple of times a week it could be about £10 a year as an average

[@samjarea]

@@lords-electrical Thank you.

[@Hjominbonrun]

I was wondering that maybe it is worth buying a heat pump. If it is a problem, then I could just buy another one and run them in parallel. I figure it will be cheaper to buy 2 * 8KG than to buy a 11 or 12KG.

[@Kyle-hz7qx]

I bought a Beko Heat pump dryer in December 2022 from Currys, and last week it has just packed up. It stopped drying the clothes, the compressor wasn't turning on, nor was it collecting water in the drawer at the top. A load of towels were tumbling for 3 hours and still wet. The dryer has lapsed its 1 year warranty, and Beko have quoted £114 to fix it as an estimate. If Heat pump dryers are the future, why aren't they reliable? What happens if the refrigerant runs out? Alot of appliance repairmen won't touch heat pump dryers because of the complex workings inside, compared to standard condenser and vented models. I'm tempted to buy another one with a longer guarantee, but i'm worried that it won't last. They are very expensive to buy intially, and alot of them don't have foam filters at the bottom to catch any fluff to stop it going into the machine and onto the compressor, only Bosch/Siemens and Miele have Foam filters at the bottom. Beko/AEG/Samsung don't have them. I sometimes wonder using a standard vented or condenser dryer on Low heat would provide the same energy savings as heat pump tumble dryer.

[@enlilw-l2]

The big advantage of heat pump dryer is the very low temperature which allows you to dry everything including woollens, even cashmere. I never had to hang dry anything since I own mine which is a AEG woolmark certified.

[@moetocafe]

many condenser dryers also have a low-temp setting, which can be activated by choice

[@overlordsshadow]

Does a heat pump dryer run longer than a normal dryer? Just trying to figure out how with the same amount of wetness in the cloths, how does it use less power to dry?

[@lords-electrical]

Yes a heat pump dryer will take longer to dry than a standard condenser dryer. It also makes a big difference on the ambient temperature of the dryer. If it is in a cold atmosphere then it will take a lot longer to dry than if the dryer is in a warmer location.

[@soundslight7754]

You could compare noise levels and maintenance costs/likelihood

[@malcolmmatthews7458]

If you have a condensing dryer In a porch which gets really hot will that work like a heat pump tumble dryer

[@lords-electrical]

Not really as it still consumes quite a bit of energy to get the clothes dry

[@ericmaclaurin8525]

Much harder info to get but the key would seem to be how these two compare when both are used at the lower temp of the one. If it works out as one of them basically having a turbo boost option that you aren't required to use it might not be worth it.

[@christinethompson8268]

Hi, Thank you for your informative video. I’m struggling to understand how my new heat pump tumble dryer can save on electricity if the time it takes to dry clothes appears to be at least twice if not three times as long as my old vented dryer. Is there something I am not understanding? Would appreciate your comments.

[@PNH-sf4jz]

Hello Christine, I'll apologise in advance for the length of my answer to your question, but here goes {for the short form see 'Summary' below}: In a simple tumble dryer, the air enters, passes over a heating element, into the drum where it heats the clothing, vaporising the moisture, then carries on through the exit carrying the vapour and all the heat that was added by the element, required to vaporise the water in the laundry items being dried. Turning the liquid water in the laundry items into vapour requires a lot of energy. In the simple dryer, all the energy added by the heating element is exhausted through the exit. In those older type dryers, the clothing would sometimes come out very crispy, or even burned, if a close eye was not kept on the process. They did have mechanical timers (120 - 0) and later models had sensors added that turned off the dryer when a set level of dryness had been reached. That did not improve the efficiency but saved some clothes. The time taken to dry a load of laundry depended on the ambient temperature, the humidity and how well the clothes had been spun. I actually remember the days of the wringer, that followed the twist the wrist method of squeezing the water out in the '50's. In a condensing dryer, there is a passive (no moving parts) type of heat exchanger that condenses the vapour, transferring heat to the incoming air and thereby recovering some of the energy that is added by the heating element as the air enters the dryer. This passive condensing system improved the efficiency to some degree. However, it still incorporated a drum motor and a power guzzling heating element. In the heat pump type of dryer, a type of refrigerant circuit is incorporated into the cabinet. The refrigerant circuit is similar to that used in a refrigerator or refrigerated air-conditioner. In recent years these systems have become very efficient. Because there is a condenser and an evaporator in the circuit, the cooling and heating functions of the dryer are in a closed circuit, or continuous loop system, resulting in very little loss of energy that is input to the system. This results in a much higher efficiency and far better economy. However, the heat pump system relies on a passive drying side, meaning that the liquid removed in the form of vapour is not heated or boiled out. It is based on the principle of flowing warmed dried air into the tumbling drum, which then draws water from liquid form to vapour, into the dry air, saturating the air and then passing the saturated air over dryer condensing fins {called the evaporator of the refrigerant cycle) to dry the air by condensing and collecting the moisture. The dried air is then recirculated through the laundry items in the tumbling drum again. That cycle is continued until the sensors determine that the required level of dryness has been reached. Much more kindly to the clothes. Summary: Virtually all of the energy input to the 'simple dryer' picked up the water vapour and was immediately exhausted to the outside and therefore 'wasted'. It ran a motor to turn the drum and an expensive to run heater to 'boil' the liquid water out of the laundry items. The condenser dryer went some way to recovering some of that energy with the passive heat exchanger before the rest of the air was vented to the outside. This increased the efficiency, but it still used the heater and the drum motor. The heat pump dryer is a closed circuit system that only uses energy to turn the drum and run a relatively small and efficient refrigerator circuit. Even the heat from the electric motor is very likely recovered and used within the system. The reason it is so economical is really relative, because it is more true that the other systems were actually very wasteful of energy, and uneconomical. But they were convenient. Your heat pump dryer system, even though it takes longer to complete its cycle, is more economical because there is no heater in the system. It is the heater that is so costly to run. And you never have to be concerned about burning or melting the clothing in the dryer. Where you will notice the difference is at the power meter box. These items have become easier and less costly to produce because of changes in materials, work practices and manufacturing techniques. This makes them more affordable as a consumer item.

[@darrenrestan]

how long does it take to dry a standard load compared too a ducted dryer ? is it better ?

[@lords-electrical]

A heat pump dryer will take longer to dry a load than a standard dryer, but there isn't a lot between a vented and condenser dryer as far as the drying times.

[@fman02]

Bought one recently 3.5 - 4 hours to dry a cotton duvet, bottom sheet, and four pillow cases. Am I saving money?, a few quid over several years but 100 quid more to buy. Going back to an old school dryer that does the same job in an hour very soon.

[@C1200A]

Is this a sign.. i am going to buy a Heatpump beko dryer (probably this black friday) and exactly you upload. Great! Now i'll surely get a dryer! 🥰😘

[@lords-electrical]

Glad it was helpful for you, i am sure you will get on fine with the Beko dryer

[@C1200A]

@@lords-electrical yeah thanks, it's also perfect for me since it has A+++ rating and 177kwh/annum, and also completes the cycle in just under 3 hours :k Great vid and information, thanks, just finished watching

[@hughmarcus1]

I was surprised how little difference there is in price now. Obviously Siemens is a premium brand, but a couple of years ago heat pump driers were nearly double the price.

[@Karjis]

I would list BSH (Bosch Siemens Home appliances) as ”decent” brand on cheaper models. Not premium. Basically Volkswagen of home appliances.

[@tonywhite6985]

currently use a dehumidifier to dry clothes in winter, but worked out it's not terribly efficient and clothes need ironing. as we use a washing line in summer, the tip about garage location is a good one. might take heat pump off the shopping list. Isn't condensation and dampness then a problem to consider, which isn't a problem with a heat pump dryer? thanks

[@TheDaztheraz]

Interesting, our tumble dryer is in a unheated utility room on the back of the house, wonder how that would effect efficiency? So does it basically suck heat from the room, if so the true efficiency needs to take into account the heat loss from that room?

[@cynthiagrier6162]

Thank you! Can you demonstrate how to clean the heat pump coils?

[@natashanatters]

Brilliant video. Super clear information and a really in-depth comparison and rationalising it with the guarantee period. Thanks!! Learned more here than through oodles of articles.

[@lords-electrical]

No problem, glad it was helpful, thanks for the great feedback

[@LawrenceTimme]

So a heatpump drier works like a turbo car where is uses the exhaust gas to increase the efficiency and output of the engine?

[@lords-electrical]

hmmmm i like the analogy!! Heatpump drier with a wastegate attached would be awesome 😆

[@boost-9689]

We get damp floors with the vented hose. Had to vent indoors unfortunately. Our old vented dryers were great, but they phased them out in the country and the leftover ones are not built well. Have no choice but to consider heat pump dryers. But if it's like 50 degrees, how long does it take to get to cupboard dry? Do the heat pump dryers release moisture into the air? I don't want damp floors anymore.

[@lords-electrical]

Heat pump dryers operate at lower temperatures compared to vented dryers so you should be ok. Heat pump dryers will take longer to dry than a vented dryer but will be a lot more energy efficient too.

[@boost-9689]

Is it better to use the drain hose or empty the water tank? Can the hose get lint clogs?

[@1026kali]

I believe there is a difference in water consumption as well?

[@TheKeithEB]

Can you put a heat pump tumble dryer in a laundry room with other hanging damp clothes. We have been told the machine needs dry air

[@lords-electrical]

If the air in the room is damp or cold then it will work, but will just take longer for the drying process to complete.

[@pnmbmw]

Great video! Do heat pump dryers release condensation into the room?

[@lords-electrical]

They sometimes let out a small amount of heat but not half as much as a normal vented or condenser dryer.

[@pnmbmw]

@@lords-electrical Thanks for the reply. What I meant was do they discharge moist air (not heat) into the room and thus cause extra condensation in the room?

[@lords-electrical]

@@pnmbmw no it's not moist air it will only be warm air if any

[@Byrro-edits]

Bought a Bosch series 4 heat pump dryer. Would recommend (indirect CO2 savings as less electricity consumed). Keep the filters clean. Though sometimes it stops mid cycle as it “thinks” the clothes are dry/tank is full. Checked the two metallic strips just inside the door and they are clean and the water collector empty/emptied. Still trying to solve the problem.

[@lords-electrical]

The next thing to try is to clean the sensor. It is normally just above the inside of the door. Wipe it with a damp cloth then dry it and hopefully it will solve the problem.

[@russellmathews3599]

Really excellent communication and explanation. Very engaging and informative

[@robertjones3477]

Can you advise what happens to the heat not used and condensation on the heat pump types if tumble dryers. Does it come out of the vented area at the front bottom of the machine thus existing at front and if i were to but an integrated type this heated air would be behind the door thus struggling to escape. Please advise thanks.

[@magsb3]

Can you comment on the different ways each machine can clean the actual condensing units. With our old Miele machine, I can remove the condensing units (looks like a metal radiator) and rinse the fluff off under a running tap. I know that some units have a self-cleaning programme but if over time there is a build up, how easy is it to remedy the problem if the self-cleaning does not work?

[@myBelgrade]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWi3fZ-ai9Cfn8k

[@magsb3]

@@myBelgrade thank you for the video link to Mr Washy Washy. Excellent video which confirmed my fears over not having a removable heat exchanging unit and hoping that the self cleaning is enough to keep it clean. I have had a Miele condensing dryer for 30 year with a removable unit and cleaned it regularly. I was apprehensive about changing to self cleaning so have selected a dryer with a removable unit. It has only been used a few times so hope it will be many years before it has to be taken apart as per the video. I was very disappointed to see the design for the dryer in the video as the manufacturer has made a machine where after a few years it will go to landfill.

[@tmdavidson1478]

I think the heat pump would be more favourable inside the house especially in warmer temperatures like the summer because the condensers heat the house when they are on making air conditioners work harder. I also like induction stoves for that reason.

[@lindawatmore3321]

Deception of heat pump dryer in just purchased a new dryer 13 June 2022 and it has taken so long to dry clothes and stuff still damp in finding today because of the dryer stood in my outside brick built shed on side of the house and does not work in temperature less than 5degrees in my old hoover vented dryer lasted 13 years and still looked brand new I was unable to purchase a vented dryer because they were out of stock of most vented dryers and salesman talked me into buying a heat pump dryer and the summer months I had difficulty drying my washing and taking over 4 hours to go out to saying 15 minutes left on the cycle and going out hour later still running saying 15 minutes left to this past week and washing not drying and a grinding in the back of the machine and reporting to the store that’s sold me extended warranty for repair and replacing if they can not fix the dryer and paying monthly warranty and now find out I have to wait for the manufacturer to their responsibility for the first twelve months of my washing machine went faster and vibration and being over 12 months of a engineer visit today I mentioned my dryer and he told me it would not work in my outside building and it needs central heating home so I said we have had a hot summer but wet weather and it still doesn’t work in drying the washing. Having a dryer for half a load of washing done on a1400 spin speed and taking over 4 hours to still be damp is not energy efficient but the old dryer was energy efficient and 13 years of reliable service and when you get advice on that it is energy efficient heat pump systems to be false reports how can something that is taking 3 to for hours to dry a load of laundry and the old vented dryer to take 1 hour to 90 minutes. The new cold fill only machines for washing machine is not energy efficient use like a Emerson heater to heat up each load to the required temperature for time of a cycle takes 3 times longer than a hot fill washer. Having used automatic washing machines for over 40 years now and the modern machine with smart devices are not fit for purpose. The engineers who just use a smart device to access what might be wrong and not a visual inspection in the working of the appliances and writing off my washing machine and admitting it looks brand new to show how it is cleaned every time I use anti scale tablets for limescale and the throw away of my machine without taking it apart.

[@ryanrisbridger2063]

The only issue we have with our new Samsung heat pump dryer is a damp smell when it runs. We have the dryer mounted on top of the washing machine in a dedicated space next to a hot water tank, so no issues with low temperature. But I have found that I have to regularly wash towels with an antibacterial Calgon and then dry them in the heat pump dryer to eradicate the damp smell for a couple of weeks. I cannot find much information about this issue so I am not sure if it is a common problem. The water from the dryer drains directly into a brand new waste water system rather than in it‘s own tank. Any hints would be gratefully received!

[@stephendoherty8291]

Using a dryer as a heater also means the room is also very humid. Not many items benefit from high humidity. And many more owners do not use the tumble dryer as much in the summer as they can dry more outdoors. I would also look at buying a laundry machine with a very high spin speed. Mine goes to 1400 but I see ones that do 1600. The faster the spin, the less drying time as less moisture.