Do condenser dryers really get clothes dry?

[dj-gabriele]

Terrible weather!

Hahha I understand that but I also live in a terrible weather area!
Bologna is known for being wet and humid all the time but as I dry indoors with heating constantly set at 25°C it's not a problem for me, towels are dry in 8 hours spun at 800 rpm... (don't talk about energy wasting... I know it but as the heating is shared I can't do anything about it).
The problem is down in the south where my parents live (in Salento)! We have some 200 days a year of 100% humidity and even when the air temperature is 40°C clothes don't dry unless they're in the sun because we're at dew point for most of the day!

Anyway, a condenser dryer is as valid as vented one and at least as energy efficient as the latter, given you get a "B" or "A" class model that scores better than any "C" class vented dryer (all the current vented dryers are in "C" class for energy.
Do they sell Blomberg down in OZ? They made "cheap" heat pump dryers and they sell at only 750€ compared to the 1200 for the other vendors.

 

[toggleswitch]

If lint is our only concern, try this or something like it!

DO NOT USE WITH A GAS DRYER! ELECTRIC ONLY PLEASE!

http://www.improvementscatalog.com/product/code/204952.do?cm_mmc=NEXTAG-_-Maintenance-_-2010-_-204952&code-macs=MP0NEXTAG&code=MP0NEXTAG&mr:referralID=6d8929cf-dd5f-11df-ad8e-001b2166c62d

 

[foraloysius]

Steve

Unfortunately these things don't work. The water actually doesn't catch all the lint. In the end the room where the dryer is will be covered with a fine layer of dust.

 

[ronhic]

Do they sell Blomberg down in OZ?

Unfortunately not.

I had a Blomberg washer in the UK (1301 fuzzy digitronic) from 2001 to 2004...loved it and very nearly brought it back to Oz with us.....

We do get some aspects of Blomberg though given they are now owned by Arcelik whose main brand is BEKO where the Blomberg technology has spread through the range...

BEKO machines are sold here as Fisher and Paykel....

 

[combo52]

WATER BUCKET VENT KITS

These do not work and only make the humidify problem worst from an unvented dryer. Further these vent buckets are not recommended by any appliance manufacturer for there dryers and I drought these would pass many building codes world wide. Its much better to build a vent box that uses at least a 20" by 20" high quality pleated filter on one side. This type of vent can be used on any vented dryer in a large well ventilated area Gas or electric. Remember gas dryers only produce a fraction of the pollutants that a gas oven or cook-tops do to say nothing of using candles or smoking in your house.

 

[toggleswitch]

LOL Agreed John to so many of your points.

A gas oven has a burner of 12,000 to about 18,000 BTU/h. Stove-top burners run in approximately the same range of heat outputs. A gas dryer (full-sized) typically has a 22,000 BTU/h burner. If both run for the same amount of time a dryer is probably slightly worse than an oven in terms of pollutants such as carbon-dioxide, carbon-monoxide, sulfuric -oxides and nitrous-oxides just based on the heat output alone!

And even the combustion process itself of natural gas (methane, CH4) generates water vapor which may lead to mold and mildew, without even drying clothes!

CH4 + (2)O2 => Co2 + (2) H20

I am a huge opponent of UNVENTED gas appliances (including stoves) which are the No. 1 source of indoor air pollution. Sad that such pollution is so easily avoidable, yet exists. Vent your stove, open a window or don't cook with gas! a gas oven at 350*f (175*C) running for even just ONE hour produces and releases into the home harmful levels of pollutants

Studies in the UK has shown that children that grew up with gas cooking have TWICE the allergies and asthma, and respiratory ailments (for life) that those who grew up with electric cooking do.

And to all my friends who say, "but my granny had unvented gas heaters for 50 years and survived just fine" to that I say "Yes, but there are healthier options!"

And yes candles, unless they are bee's-wax or soya are petroleum-based paraffin which is nasty! Any light one sees is CARBON from incomplete combustion which coats ever surface in the room and house. NASTY! So while candles are comforting and like having company with you, THINK about it! Electrons can be broken down into photons which is a big fancy word for LIGHT waves/particles. In theory we are all made of LIGHT and candles/flames/ (controlled) fires are a huge comfort to us. But I digress, don't I ? LOL

Always great to see you posting, John! [this post was last edited: 10/22/2010-14:18]

 

[hoovermatic]

I have had a condenser dryer for 11 years and yes, it takes longer and is noisier but can be put almost anywhere and for me, that is a huge bonus. Mine lives in the cupboard under the stairs. When I first bought it and I had my TINY apartment I had it in my bedroom!!

I wouldn't be without it!

 

[lavamat_jon]

Paul - how are you? How do you find having the condenser dryer in an understairs cupboard in terms of drying times? If our plans go ahead to get a dishwasher in our kitchen, only place it can go is where the tumble dryer is at the moment and the dryer will be relegated to the understairs storage space. Only thing I'm concerned about is the more confined space reducing the condensing efficiency of the dryer. I'm probably worrying over nothing but will be nice to know regardless

Jon

 

[combo52]

UNVENTED GAS DRYERS AND RANGES

Gas ranges are among the dirtiest of gas burning appliances and the one that is most often used unvented. This is because the flame is often in contact with colder metal, the metal pot on the stove top or the steel plate above the oven burner. This contact with the flame causes combustion temperatures to be reduced which causes much more carbon monoxide to be produced. A gas clothes dryer does not have this problem and produces a fraction of the carbon monoxide that preheating an oven does or boiling a pot of water does. Steve great points about burning candles in the house, any time you burn a solid fuel it will normally produce far more pollutants than burning a gasses fuel.

 

[toggleswitch]

ooooh I stand corrected and educated! TYVM
I didn't know that about hot flames hitting cold steel!

See boys and girls and girly-boys, THIS is how it is done. (I am not tooting my own horn; Lawd knows If I could I'd never leave home! LOL)

I said my stupidity, (based on limited logic and experience). I got gently corrected and everyone is the wiser. The logic was explained to me and now all is well.

Was that so hard?

Thanks John!

 

[supersuds]

I'll have to think about the long vent hose. I've seen someone do this but it seems gawky and inconvenient. Also, in my case, it would involve opening a garage door (no other way outside) and leaves and other trash tend to blow in during winter months. The advantage would be having a normal dryer when I eventually move elsewhere. But thanks for the suggestion!

 

[toggleswitch]

How about just letting it vent in the garage?

 

[coldspot]

If you got a window get one of these. I use one for mine works great and cheap.

http://www.hardwareandtools.com/Lambro-Industries-240T-4-Inch-White-Adjustable-Window-Plate-5230354.html

 

[toggleswitch]

FEH!

I made one of those out of plywood and contact paper and a 4 inch (102 mm) hole-cutter attached to my drill.

The most difficult thing was thinking about which way to layer the contact paper (self-adhesive plastic coating in rolls -like shelf-paper) so rain doesn't get in between it and the wood.

Works like a charm and no damage to the landlord's property. [this post was last edited: 10/25/2010-20:04]

 

[coldspot]

I was going to make one for this apt. But we got windows that suck. they have almost no room to even pout a window fan in them. As me they look like storm windows. lol But there new so I am happy with them and a way. Just wish the top open like the bottom does.

This works great it just slides to fit and close the window on top of it. when I am done I take it out and set it by the dryer.

I use plastic hose for the dryer with this. I find it easer to handle. And since I can look in it when I take out of the window I fell safe.

they make another type that you can put in place of a Windowpane.It is for older windows.

 

[ultramatic52]

Ariston AWD129 Washer-Dryer condensing combo

Hi everyone. Last tuesday I received my Ariston AWD129 combo, and has performed beautiful. The dryer takes almost the same time as my Whirlpool Senseon gas dryer. The only bad thing about this washer, I don´t know why, it doesn´t heat the water itself, I dont know if this is because of a special edition for Mexico, I opened at the back and doesn´t have a heating element which really disapointed me a lot. I got rid of another Ariston washer because of a burnt control panel and because Ariston left Mexico I couldn´t find the part, but the other washer did heat the water from 30 to 90 degrees, impresive. I´m now getting used to my new washer, which have a really short heavy cycle it only washes for 30 min plus the rinses and the spin, but this gets clothes really clean. The dryer has sorprised me so much because it takes almost the same time as a normal dryer.

 

[hoovermatic]

Hi Jon

...I am very well thanks - hope you are?

I have never found keping the dryer in the understairs cupboard to be a problem. I always keep the door to the cupboard open which, because of its location, does not impinge on my moving about the place. It has been in the cupboard for 7 years and never been a problem. It is a Zanussi model from 1999 and was end of line when I bought it in 2000.

My main gripe with it and with a lot of dryers is that although they reverse tumble, the 'reverse' is not long enough in my opinion and some items (big ones like sheets and duvet covers) ball together. When it breaks down I will do a little research into getting one that tumbles more in reverse. Best place to do the research is on here I reckon!!!

 

[lavamat_jon]

Hi Paul,

Glad to hear you're well, everything's alright here too if not busy!

Glad to hear you have no trouble with your dryer in the cupboard, though I have found a more suitable site for the dryer, still in the hallway but in opposite corner. Hopefully the dryer's move won't be much a while now, I've been too long without a dishwasher!

I got my AEG dryer end of line too, its one of the last German-designed dryers before they switched over to the Elux design. Even though the dryer does the short reverses, it does them quite frequently and stuff is never tangled into a ball. Interestingly, pressing special care (read low heat) will make the machine reverse more frequently, whereas if you select Quick it won't reverse at all until about halfway through the programme. Whatever cycle selected, it will reverse once a minute or so once its reached the coodown so pretty much tumbles like a washer would. Dries much more evenly than mum's Miele dryer, even though that one has the anti-tangle sensor which reverses the drum at irregular intervals depending how tangled it senses the load is.

Take care,

Jon

 

[supersuds]

"How about just letting it vent in the garage?"

I've seen the garage of a neighbor who did that and everything -- shelves, walls -- is covered in lint. He had some sort of device (maybe the water thing, didn't ask) but it built up anyway.

And there's no window for a vent, so other than running the flex vent out the garage door or using the filter box idea, a condenser is the only option I can live with.

 

[logixx]

Sheets and duvet covers

Newer AEG/Electrolux dryers have a cycle dedicated to bulkier items. It does reverse longer - I haven't timed it, though. Our regular Electrolux - without that cycle - has no problem with tangling things. The Bosch dryer I am using at another house is bad for tangling sheets into a ball. I does not reverse - it just tumbles clockwise, stops, tumbles clockwise for a second, stops, and continues clockwise tumbling. I though the intermittent tumbles were reverse tumbling but not so. This is an older model with the square door. The newer ones with the round door apparently never stop tumbling but they do have this thing in the back of the drum to keep items separated.