Full Size LG Heat Pump Dryer DLHC5502*

[appnut]

Found mentioned on Energy Star web site and found on Appliance Connection some specs. Dual Inverter HP dryer. 120v/50 amps. AI Sensor dryer like Samsung. 7.8 cu ft. Energy Star certified at 266 kwh/year. Samsumg dryer above 281 kwh/year. LG dryer awarded Energy Star 2024 Most Efficient. I found the user guide too.

This dryer is the match to an existing washer, WM5500H[this post was last edited: 12/21/2023-19:01]

https://media.plessers.com/photos/p/00143/1432911.pdf

 

[mattl]

120v/50a? That is a weird combination.

 

[launderess]

Am not finding anything saying either as 240v or 120v dryer rated for 50 amps. Thirty amp yes, that's under installation instructions provided in linked manual above.



IIRC 120v/50amp service does exist for RV wiring, but that's a whole different kettle of fish. https://rvnerds.com/2023/04/20/elec...0-amp-service-is-just-two-120v-legs-not-240v/

 

[gelaundry4ever]

normal sounds and cycle video

I wish we could hear what this dryer sounds like in terms of normal cycle sounds. I also wish we could see a full cycle video.

 

[lakewebsterkid]

tempting

I think I would have to find a new place to live at this point, as someone wouldn't be happy about the purchase.

The Duet dryer is a little slow now, so I am not sure I could deal with the extended cycle times. 

 

[launderess]

Interesting bit of information from 2019 comparing vented, condenser and heat pump dryers then on market.

https://ci.healdsburg.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/10647/Dryers?bidId=

 

[henene4]

There is a big difference between HP dryers that have a booster heater and those that have a full inverter compressor.

You can get similar speeds on both, and those aren't that far off of vented dryers, but those with booster heaters will always be way less efficient.
I think the US's regulations will change not to far in the future lifting the drying time requirements for heatpump dryers or reducing them at least.

Thing is that a 2kW inverter is a COMPLETELY different beast to a 1kW inverter.
That will change as well.
LG I think went the pure full inverter route, Samsung and Whirlpool the booster heater route.

But I think - unless there will be some programs subsidizing the purchase of such an appliance, like a HP water heater - actually getting a return on investment in the US isn't feasible yet.

BUT it was the exact same in the EU. HP dryers were a niche thing for about 10 years. They were slower, not that much cheaper to run and pretty pricey.
Then they slowly caught on in all regards. Then a "cheap" HP dryer was the same as an expensive normal dryer.
And then within like 3 release cycles, there was just basically no reason not to go HP.

As Douglas Adams wrote:
The first phase is characterized by the the question "How can we eat?", the second by the question "Why do we eat?" and the third by the question "Where shall we all have lunch".
You first try to exist at all, then you optimize, then you gold plate.

 

[logixx]

The WashTower has a Prepare-to-Dry option that will kick on the compressor when the washer below is nearing the end of the cycle. That's another way to shorten drying time.

 

[henene4]

Wouldn't be surprised that LGs connectivity solution will offer such a feature. Of course only works if you move the laundry in time.

 

[ragnboneman]

Did anyone ever see or contemplate a heat exchange drier that uses a simpler counter flow exchange to recover some of the exhaust heat?

You would still need an electric element, but if you only were able to extract 50% of the exhaust heat once the machine is up to temperature thats 50% less wasted hydro...

Just a thought, I never seen such a thing so I have to ask if its ever been done or talked about.

 

[henene4]

Many industrial dryers either have a form air recycling or (on larger, tunnel washer pairing size dryers) actually have heat recovery systems.

Issue is that you will have condensation - so you have to deal with that.
Then you have the issue of fluff build up.
Then you need sufficient heat exchange surface - so with a 5kW dryer, that's a bunch.

Saying: If you go through all of that, you might aswell just go heatpump.
The reason the US never had any more efficient dryers was because there was no reason to. Electricity is cheap, and usage wasn't an issue yet.

 

[combo52]

Clothes dryer efficiency in the US

In the US we have natural gas heated dryers which are not only effective but very cheap to operate.

Cost per load was usually calculated in pennies, now days it’s just a few nickels and dimes.

With faster spinning washers now conventional vented gas and electric dryers will still be the norm where easy venting is possible for the foreseeable future especially where natural gas is available however heat pump dryers will get very popular quickly where venting is difficult and electricity costs are high.

John

 

[Marky_Mark]

In Palm Springs, California we pay around $0.07/kWh for natural gas and around $0.42/kWh for electricity. We are on a tiered rate and the prices I quoted are for the higher tier, which we always end up in. So, considering our electricity is around 6x the price of gas, it doesn’t make sense to switch from a simple, fast and very effective gas dryer to a more complex and costly heat pump dryer that would cost two or three times as much to run. And electricity generation in the US is still producing lots of CO2. Of course this will presumably change and then electricity will be all from renewables and everything will be powered by electricity. But we’re certainly not there yet.

Using a heat pump instead of gas for drying laundry, heating water and heating your home makes much more sense in other US states and some other countries.

If I lived somewhere with no gas and an electric water heater, I would definitely change it to a heat pump water heater.

 

[me]

Gas tumble dryers never caught on in the UK, they were expensive to buy, and expensive to install, as it needed a gas safe/corgi gas engineer to run the pipe and connect it up, plus they should have an annual gas safety check. And of course you'd need a vent hole knocked through the wall, which can't be too close to an opening window, whereas a conventional condenser dryer is cheap to buy, can go anywhere and just needs plugging in.

There were also very few shop selling them them and never much choice. The only remaining manufacturer in the UK stopped selling them a few years ago.

Then there is the economy 7 electricity tariff, which offers cheap off-peak electricity overnight (and used to be much cheaper than standard rate than it is now).

I think when I looked into it, which was before heat pump dryers were available, I worked out that a conventional (electrically heated) condenser, or vented dryer wouldn't cost much more to run on cheap rate E7 overnight than a gas dryer. But, if you ran the dryer during the day, a gas one would be around a third the running cost.

I think in the UK, it makes little sense to buy anything but a heat pump dryer now, unless you need to have it in an unheated outbuilding as they don't work well at low temperatures.

 

[foraloysius]

Miele sold a gas dryer for a while, the T478G. It was quite a bit more expensive than the electric vented models. And then you needed a gas line indeed. It wasn’t very popular and they didn’t bring out another model on the market. You can still find them second hand, not many takers though.

 

[launderess]

Miele sold a gas dryer here in USA a first IIRC. It was other half of much anticipated and hyped uber sized Miele washers (4xxx) series.

Sadly like the washers on average owners of those large gas dryers from Miele had their share of issues. As with washers Miele discontinued those gas dryers and hasn't bothered again since.

https://us.mieleusa.com/MieleMedia/...s/Old-Archive/Residential/Dryers/T9822_us.pdf

https://www.amazon.com/Miele-T9822-Capacity-Vented-Reduction/product-reviews/B006CO1JBM

In end US government launched a recall of some Miele gas dryers due to potential fire hazard.

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2008/miele-recalls-gas-dryers-due-to-risk-of-gas-leak-or-fire

 

[henene4]

I don't think this specific generation of HP dryers will rival gas dryers.

Gas dryers WILL go away in the next 30 odd years with all likelihood. People keep talking about hydrogen as an alternative, but looking at the requirements and cost, that probably still won't be a cost competitive option.
And burning natural gas is a CO2 emitter, so it will have to be phased out.

Gas dryers run on a 120V supply, so a good drop in replacement would just use that.
And a 120V heatpump dryer could be reasonably fast.
A 1200W heatpump could effectively deliver 4kW equivalent heating power AND run off of 120V. With a drum and fan motor you could get in under 1500W.

However, the efficiency legislature in the US requires some drying time maximum (80 or 90min I think?) for a rating load.
Changing that to something like 2h would certainly be enough for the 120V heatpump dryer to succeed.

Give it a few more years and these things will just be a normality.

 

[combo52]

Gas dryers and climate change

Gas clothes dryers will likely be the last gas, Appliance ever phased out, because it’s the only gas appliance that’s 100% efficient, the thing that will phase out gas dryers is the switch to all electric dwellings, which of course will cause gas dryer not to be an option anymore.

It’s very doubtful that the lever be a hydrogen powered closed dryer for home use it just simply doesn’t cost that much to dry clothing with either a heat pump, dryer, or a gas dryer that they would likely ever go to the father, even hydrogen for vehicles is ridiculous. It’s only being pushed by the Hydrogen lobby.

Miele appliances in general in the US have been far less than great reliability some of their dishwashers and compact washers and dryers have not been too bad, but everything else they’ve gotten their hands into such as built-in refrigerators, full size, laundry, and cooking appliances have been pretty awful in reliability. It’s the type of appliance you buy if you have money to burn like an exotic European car.

 

[logixx]

The drum design is certainly unique.