condenser dryer question

[vacuumfreeeke]

The guy who is selling me is Edgestar CW1200 all in one portable said that you don't need to leave the machine hooked up to the sink during the dry cycle. I have read information to the contrary and want to be sure before I start to use the machine. He said that there is a tank that the condensed water goes into and it must be emptied with each use. I'll take posession of the machine sometime on Monday or early next week, so I want to be able to use it right.

I read that concdenser dryers need to be hooked up to cold water to do their job, but this guy told me the opposite.

What's the truth?

Thanks

 

[dj-gabriele]

Most condenser dryer use room air as the cold part of the condensing system and collect the moisture in a tank that gets empited after the cycle. Some use a water condensor (like washer-dryers in Europe) and have a cold water connection and waste water pipe. Hoover as an example has both systems.

 

[dj-gabriele]

Is this your machine?
If so I believe it's a water codensing one and in this case you need to leave the water running during the drying phase as it is used to condense the steam

EdgeStar | Ferguson Home

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[vacuumfreeeke]

yes

That is the model I will be getting. I wish I had a way to know for sure... the manual written by people who barely know English isn't clear. Which method is better just out of curiosity, or are they identical in performance? Thanks!

 

[vacuumfreeeke]

and...

If it has a tank that needs emptied does that mean that it is the air kind? I'd assume that the ones that require cold water would be able to drain in the sink... does that make sense?

 

[launderess]

Water cooled systems mean one has to located the machine near a source of cold water. No problem for washer dryer combinations but if you wish to put your dryer elsewhere than a laundry area, and or do not have two cold water connections, there can be some problems. As they require water, cold water units may not be the best solution for those trying to save on water bills/use. At school, our home economics lab had a water cooled condenser dryer (full sized, forget by whom), and teacher often complained about having to use it during water shortages.

 

[toggleswitch]

Air-cooled condensers heat the room up fiercely.

Nice if your can line dry in summer and harvest the heat in winter.

But do you really wnat that heat thrown into the room in summer in Florida?

 

[dj-gabriele]

I bet that this washer-dryer does the condensing with water, like standard European machines, so the waste water will go down the same pipe as the wash water and it won't heat the room. The machine should have cold or cold and hot fill and a drain pipe, no waste/condensed water tank to empty as it will go down the drain.

Why don't you call the tech service and ask them?
Anyway if I were you I'd get a model that spins at least at 1200rpm, it will speed up drying time and you'll save on energy.

 

[vacuumfreeeke]

oh boy!

I called Edgestar. The rep had me on hold for 15 minutes only to come back and tell me that only their dishwashers are portable and the washer/dryers must be permanently installed. I told him that they sell casters and sink adapters right on their website. He put me on hold for another 10 minutes and came back to say that yes indeed I could use it as a portable. I told him I already knew that and repeated my question... Does the unit have to be hooked up to the sink while drying? He didn't know and put me on hold again. He said that the tech told him it does need to be hooked up to the cold water while drying. Then I asked if the unit had a tank to empty the condensed water into or if it went into the sink. The rep put me on hold yet again and confirmed with a tech that it does not have a tank and drains into the sink.

The guy selling it said it does have a tank and that water needn't be used during the drying cycle. I don't think I will ever find out the right answer. At least the guy spoke English... not that I benefited from it!

 

[toggleswitch]

~Most condenser dryers use room air as the cold part of the condensing system.....

~I bet that this washer-dryer does the condensing with water, like standard European machines...

So machines that are dryers "only" use air as the condensing medium and combos (washers & dryers in one tub) use water as the condensing medium in Europe?

 

[dj-gabriele]

Exactly!

But there are exceptions: as I said Hoover (Candy) makes a water condensor dryer that dumps waste water in the drain with a pipe and Smeg used to make a washer-dryer with a water-less condensor that used room air as cold heat sink.
IMHO heat pump dryers are the best, then come vented dryers and combos because they dry faster and use a little less energy than condensing systems.

 

[logixx]

I'm pretty sure EdgeStar is right on this one. Never heard of a washer/dryer that stores its own condensed water.

Besides our washer and dryer, we also have a W/D combo (not by EdgeStar) at home and it operates just like the EdgeStar rep said: it consumes cold water throughout the drying cycle and drains it through drain hose.

 

[appnut]

I'm not seeing what the problem is here. What's the big deal about not leaving the water on during the dry cycle? You know how ignorant most typical appliance users are. I'd do what the instructions tell you to do.

 

[vacuumfreeeke]

well...

The instructions do not say... if they do, I couldn't find it! Some require using the water and some do not. I just want to do the right thing so I don't hurt the machine and so that it performs as well as it can!

 

[toggleswitch]

~What's the big deal about not leaving the water on during the dry cycle?

When a condenser dryer uses water as the cooling/condensing medium, the water needs to be on or no drying will occur!

If you have a portable combo with a uni-couple faucet connection, for example, you'll end up blocking your sink for HOURS!!!!! In a narrow galley kitchen (say as found in NYC) this may prevent you from doing ANYTHING in the kitchen except perhaps for ordering take-out(take-away) or making reservations!

 

[foraloysius]

These washer/dryer combos come in vented versions and in condenser ones that need to be hooked up to cold (!) water when it's drying. There are no washer/dryer combos with a container simply there is no space in these machines for such a big container. A condensing system that uses air for the condensor is not possible either in these machines, an air cooled condensor takes up way too much space too.

Louis

 

[selectomatic]

On page 21 of the Owner's Manual, in the Troubleshooting

Problem: Washer does not dry
Possible Cause and Remedy (#3): Is the water turned on? The dryer uses cold water during the dry cycle to create the condensation process. Is the unit connected to cold water?

 

[xyz]

OK you guys, a while back I posted a thread that got no response as I recall about an all-in-one washer/dryer combo mini sized unit made by an Italian company. The brand of the unit is "Equator." OK, I hooked up my water supply (cold) and my solnoids allowed water to fill the tub (front loader with window) and it washed just fine. I, before starting the wash cycle assumed and I had to assume because I had no owners manual on this machine, that I had to set the dry timer at the same time that I set my wash timer. So I did. I set the wash on what Equator calls "ENHANCED" which I assumed once again that this was thier word for extended wash. Well, the machine washed, dumped the water just fine and went through 3 rinses as I recall. The machine had 3 rinses much like my 90's model Maytag Neptune. After the wash was complete, I turned off my water supply since I was outside on my patio checking this unit out and the supply hoses I had used were leaky and I was making a wet mess of my patio with bad connection from my waterhose to units supply hose. Mind you that the unit had no leaks, only my bad connection. So now the machine goes into it's dry function which I find to be rather cool since this is the 1st machine I have ever seen like this. The dryer timer had 120 minutes setting capability but I only set it for 60 minutes since I only had a few articles in the machine. Well, after the 60 minutes of dry time had gone through, I open the door to only find very damp clothes and alot of condensation of water on the plastic door's window. So I run it another 60 minutes, now we are at 120 minute total. Same outcome. Damp clothes. Warm clothes but far from dry. I, out of sheer curiosity, open the top of the machine and see what the heater looks like and it is looking just like it should. No restrictions for the heat to be making it from blower to inside of machine. So can anyone tell me why my clothes didn't dry after 120 minutes keeping in mind that there was no water turned onto this machine during dry cycle because I turned it off after wash completed. Please help. I would love to make this a machine to carry camping where I have 110 hookups on campsite. Oh, I did forget to tell ya that wash and dry are 110 operated. kinda figured that anyone who was familiar with this unit would already know that.

 

[toggleswitch]

as stated above W/D combos are either

1- vented
2- condensers using water to dry.

As stated above is yours is UNVENTED
it needs COLD water to dry.
Items will still be "Dewy" at the end of the cycle. In the open air they will become fully dry, quickly.

If VENTED
It may have a clogged filter.
It may be in a closed or high humidty-space. If possible, vent the warm, moist air away from the machine and certainly away form any air intakes. Open a window if the room in which it it located is small.


Did the machine reach full spin speed?
Did the artcicles of clothing comprising that load fall away from the tub/cylinder/drum wall early in the drying process process?

It may simply be that on 120v it needs longer than 2 hours to dry.
Remeber that a washer load in a compo is actually TWO dryer loads, usually. If overfilled the machine will take a long time to dry, dry unevenly and wrinkle your clothing to heck!

I had an Italian-made Ccomb-o-matic washer/dryer back in the early 80's and it does take getting used to! My instrutions recommended fabric softener to ensure the clothing fell off the tub walls to ensure good drying!

Hope this helps.