Difference Between Dryers Sold in UK and the Continent.

[launderess]

Yet

Whirlpool keeps chugging out those portable/compact 24" vented dryers they have for decades. Both under that brand and Kenmore probably millions if not hundreds of thousands have been sold since their introduction. Many still are giving service even after twenty or more years of use.

Employee of a friend recently purchased a NYC condo with a Bosch W&D set and the dryer is condenser. To say he hates the thing is an understatement. Thanks to a suggestion by someone (ok, Moi) he nabbed an old vented Miele from CL up north somewhere and went to fetch. The dryer resides in bedroom and is vented using a bit of wood with a hole made to for the hose.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Vented Dryers in UK...

Vented dryers of old particularly Servis @ 2kw and Hoover @2.5 have a high volume airflow with a low wattage heater (think windy day , no sun) and out of a twintub and or spin dryer only take between 40 - 60 mins for cottons, lighter fabrics usually 30 mins!!

The only people I have heard complain of dryers is for the "Long Drying Times" which is usually from a condenser dryer and not using a max spin say of 1600 from a front loader!!

 

[arbilab]

M'lady and I have the same dryer. Couldn't be more satisfied. Gentle, quiet, plugs anywhere, 31yo and works like new. With inflation, it's probably worth more now that I paid Sears for it. For that matter, it may be worth more than...... Sears.

 

[iej]

Miele vented dryer will do a full load of towels (spun at 1600rpm) in a little over 68mins

They're not particularly slow.

 

[spiraclean]

A Bosch condenser dryer I had previously could be reprogrammed via the control panel, rather like the extended settings on a Miele washer, for operation on either 10A or 16A. Presumably this was done to simplify production, with all dryers being fitted with the same heating unit and then configured for the destination country by means of the control board software.

Speaking of heat pumps, I made the switch a couple of months ago and am seriously impressed with it. Uses far less electricity (I have an electricity monitor which shows this in real time), and dries more gently without shrinking fabrics or heating the room up. Quicker than the condenser dryer too, which I absolutely wasn't expecting. In many respects it feels very similar to using a vented dryer, and I'm yet to see what there isn't to like about it. Just wish I'd done it sooner.

 

[henene4]

Heatpumps really have only one downside: The condensing unit. With it not being removable, if it gets clogged up, you have to disasamble the whole dryer, take out the whole compressor system, and build it back up. A long and complicated process.

Which dyer do you have now, Mac?
I recognized that there are even big differences within heatpump dryers. With the "old" Miele and the AEG system being the most gentle, the fastest are BSH and Miele. Efficency goes to AEG and BSH, while I'm still most impressed with the variable compressors used in some models across the bord.

The 10/16A setting is a really funny thing. Haveing owned one of those (in my opinion not even that good) dryers, I played around with this setting, and in the end, it simply sets the dryer to low heat if you limit it to 10A.

 

[logixx]

Yes, the 10A setting is equivalent to permanently pressing the Low Temp button. It simply switches off half of the heating element.

 

[launderess]

Each Miele Dryer Heater Battery

Has two wattages given, total (high) and half (low). One assumes other European dryers that have "low" heating options are the same.

Having *only* about 1400w or 1300w (cannot recall) heating power my Whirlpool compact doesn't even bother with lower temps for permanent press. It just cuts off the heat sooner to give a longer cool down part of the cycle.

Heat pump dryers.....

Was nosing around Alliance's website and noticed now even Speed Queen offers a heat pump dryer for commercial use.

 

[logixx]

"One assumes other European dryers that have "low" heating options are the same."

One assumes so correctly.

 

[iej]

Except there are definitely models aimed at 13Amps.
My Miele is drawing a little over 12Amps, perfect for a 13Amp outlet.

 

[spiraclean]

Henrik,

The one I went for was the Grundig GTN38240GC (linked below). More or less the same as the equivalent Beko model, except it comes with a 5 year parts and labour guarantee. Considering this is my first foray into heat pump dryers, and the technology is still reasonably new in relative terms, I thought the longer warranty was a sensible idea. At £360 after discounts, it seemed like a pretty safe bet, and is actually a very nicely built dryer.

This one has the 2-stage foam/mesh filter behind the service flap, which needs cleaning every 5 cycles or so. Doing this each time I have the vacuum out only takes seconds, and so far it appears to be doing a very good job of catching everything because there has been no fluff accumulation whatsoever on the condensing unit. Having heard mixed reviews of some self-cleaning HP dryers, I'm happier knowing I can physically access and see the filter and condenser myself.

http://grundig.co.uk/Item/GTN38240GC

 

[iej]

UK/IRL Plug - BS1363

This is a BS1363 or IS401 plug.

13 amps (max) with an internal fuse (the red device on the front is a fuse carrier).

The pins are part sheathed to prevent contact.

This is the only type of normal domestic plug used in Britain and Ireland and there is no 2-pin version. Every plug has 3 pins. If you get something like a mobile phone charger, they'll often use a dummy plastic ground pin (the larger top one) as it is required to open the shutters on the socket.

It's also the first system to have introduced safety shutters (in the 1940s) and they've been mandatory ever since.

 

[iej]

Ooops!

It didn't attach.

 

[henene4]

@spiraclean

Yeah, those machines are pretty ok. We have Whirlpool build Bauknecht dryer, with a rubber filter between 2 mesh filters. It's a lot to clean, in my opinion, but works ok so far.

I'm still impressed with the AEG ÖkoFlow system.

But enough about that.

Manufacturers usually calculate with a 2A buffer. A usual 10A washer mostly only runs at 8A. A 16A dryer barely touches 13A. Not sure, if its the same for the UK.

 

[spiraclean]

Henrik,

Strongly considered the Whirlpool myself, it too appears to be a nice dryer for the price. The vast majority of reviews for it are overwhelmingly positive as well.

Checked out the AEG offerings while shopping around, and thought the filter was cleverly designed - pretty much impossible to overlook or forget it. Really I don't mind as long as the lint is dry, it beats the horrible task of cleaning soggy wads of fluff out of an ordinary condenser any day!

 

[iej]

@henene4 - Plugged my Miele into a meter.

It draws slightly over 12 Amps when it's heating.

The important thing with any of these kind of high, sustained load devices is that you ensure the socket is in good condition as lose contacts can cause overheating.

Also, the plug should really be left permanently plugged in to avoid loosening the contacts with use.

The sockets here generally have isolating switches so it's quite easy to do that.

 

[combo52]

Miele and Bosch Condenser Dryers

I think that these two companies are making a big mistake selling only air-cooled condenser dryers in the US. Almost every home has a vent system here, and most of the US uses a lot of air-conditioning so it makes little sense to not only put that much heat into the house and have the dryer using 25% more power to dry clothing as a vented dryer in the first place.

 

But you have to remember that these two companies together probably comprise less than 1/4% of the US laundry market, LOL, and it is probably getting to be an even smaller share as people have spread the word about reliability problems and lack of any decent service for these brands.

 

[foraloysius]

It's a matter of time that these dryers will be phased out and be replaced by heatpump dryers.

 

[spiraclean]

IIRC, in Switzerland HP is the only option now. Although it could be said this is restricting choice, the upside is that increased uptake will likely result in prices coming down and the technology improving over time.

 

[foraloysius]

Yes, odd though, I believe electricity in Switzerland is rather cheap due to hydropower being widely available.