Making the switch

[washmeup]

I bought this top of the line Miele Front Load Washer & Heat Pump Dryer a year ago and have decided to replace both with a new Speed Queen TC5 Washer & DC5 Dryer. I loved the Miele Washer but the Heat Pump Dryer not only tangled all sheets and blankets, it took forever for items to dry? A blanket took at least a hour and a half and even then came out slightly damp? I am going back to a Vented Dryer and will never buy a Heat Pump Dryer again. Miele does not offer a vented dryer anymore hence the switch to Speed Queen.

 

[qsd-dan]

I would keep the washer and find a different dryer.

The Miele washer is better than the Speed Queen FF7, TC5, and TR series in all areas except for service and repairs but that shouldn't be a problem in Scottsdale. Not sure what vented dryer to recommend, most new ones are cheaply built with a short lifespan these days.

 

[combo52]

Giving up on Miele Washer and dryer

I think you’ll like the new Speed Queen’s the dryer is certainly far superior as well as the washer and if you haven’t had problems with the Miele pair yet your wise to get rid of them while still work when things start to go wrong it’s expensive and very difficult to get them repaired.

I just installed a new Speed Queen front load washer for a customer this afternoon and after hearing the horror stories of trying to get his Miele Built in wall oven and microwave repaired, he said he would never buy another product from them. They’re very neat appliances, but they’re like buying a Mercedes-Benz with no service.

The Speed Queen’s will do far bigger loads far quicker and give you minimal if not no problems for the next 20 years. John

 

[henene4]

Not saying your concerns aren't valid, but these are typical compact dryer and typical heat pump dryer complaints.

The tangling is a very typical compact dryer issue, especially ones that don't reverse much.
I think a full size heat pump dryer (especially the ones from the likes of Samsung or LG) wouldn't hurt as bad in that regard.

The "damp" feeling is related to how these dry.
What a vented dryer effectively does during cool down is air clothing out. The very well sealed HP units can't do that.
As a result, you kind of need to over dry stuff a bit to get normal dry feeling straight from the dryer.
Many manufacturers in the EU set normal dry levels beyond 0% residual moisture. Mieles "Normal" dry is on the not so dry side.
When I had my T1 I went into the settings and set the dryness 2 notches up, which usually did the trick.

Dry times however are what they are. Very few conventional heat pump dryers are very fast.
Some models have inverter heat pumps which can speed things up dramatically.
Some have an added heater to jump start drying.
Either thing eats into efficiency.

I totally understand why with American electricity prices the slight loss of comfort (speed & typical results) many wouldn't take that trade off.
But I just couldn't see myself using twice the electricity (or more) if all I have to trade in for it is taking laundry out 30min later.

 

[combo52]

Slow compact dryers

Heat pump dryers can be excellent, but they need to have a much stronger refrigeration system then they have been typically using, you need a minimum of 12,000 BTUs and 18,000 wouldn’t be ridiculous.

And then you have the size issue even 27 inch wide dryers aren’t always big enough to do a great job, my partner and I wear 36 inch inseam jeans and I can sure see the difference even when I use one of my old combos with a smaller drum compared to the 29 inch whirlpool.

It will be long time before heat pump dryers catch on in a big way in the United States unless they can improve them. It currently cost only about $.15-$.25 to do a huge load in a natural gas dryer so there’s not much incentive to change and electricity only costs twice that per load.

John

 

[washmeup]

Update

I am taking your advise and keeping the Miele Washing machine and only replacing the Dryer with the Speed Queen DC5. Happy Friday everyone!!!!

 

[magic_clean]

The

Bed Linens cycle in the additional programs menu, should dry blankets, sheets and other large flat items well. It also helps to dry the fitted sheet alone as with any dryer.

-LP

 

[gelaundry4ever]

smart move

Smart move! No comment.

 

[appnut]

glad you're keeping the wsaher at lest.

 

[peteski50]

Miele!

Happy you are keeping the washer

 

[askolover]

Love my Miele washer (and asko) but I wouldn't trade anything for any of my gas dryers!

 

[qsd-dan]

Couple of suggestions using the Speed Queen dryer:

Make sure your vent is fully cleaned. The heating elements in these are very sensitive to restrictions and die easily.

When using the timer, turn the dial clockwise ONLY, NEVER counterclockwise!!



These dryers run on the hot side, you'll probably want to use delicate for clothes.

The automatic cycle isn't most precise design out there. You'll have to fool around with it.

If you ever have a no heat issue, it's probably a burned wire at the heating element (if not the heating element itself). Common problem with these and easy to inspect by removing the front cover and using a flashlight at the back left hand side (looking at the machine) of the machine.

Speed Queen likes to obsolete parts on their stuff that's 10 years old, sometimes even less. Just an FYI on their bullshit 20+ year lifespan promises when they don't back that claim with parts availability.

 

[panasonicvac]

Dang

That's another thing it makes me appreciate about the older mechanical models including the commercial TV2000WN. From what I recall, those never did let me rotate the timer counterclockwise. I thought at first the DC5 was an improvement because that timer looked like you could move it counterclockwise which you can but now I realize that's definitely a design flaw.

 

[launderess]

Our AEG Lavatherm has reverse tumbling. However, with or without bed linen often tangle into a ball. Only solution then is to open the thing up, take things out, untangle, return to dryer, hit start.....

Issue with that is energy wasted in letting all that hot moist air out of dryer when door is opened. Then there is matter of handling what could be quite warm and moist items.

Happily one tends to line dry bed linen saving energy use for ironing (by rotary or hand iron), so haven't been really bothered.

Do think much of tangling in these dryers be they vented, condenser or heat pump lies in comparatively small size of drum against larger American standard vented dryers.

Bed linen never seem to tangle or ball up in any standard vented dryer one has used over years. Same for laundromat dryers as well.

 

[henene4]

There are definitely dryers in compact format that can dry any size item perfectly well.
Usually, it's dryers with very good reversing algorithms or just plain 1 to 1 reversing.
Some stuff like 3 instead of 2 lifters, inverter motors for extra stable drum speeds etc. help as well.

But otherwise, it's a pretty simple equation.
If an item is so large it can easily land on itself while tumbling, it will tangle.
And if the drum is smaller, more items fit that description.
If items don't tumble as high as they could, it's easier as well.

My partner currently has one if the very first heat pump dryers that has a separate blower and drum motor, yet has a very small drum. Basically never tangles anything.
Current ELux heat pump dryers have very good cycles for bedding, which barely ever tangle either.

You can compensate a lot, but yeah, a bigger drum is just better in that regard.

 

[bewitched]

Comparisons between a washer that seems belonging to the flintstones era and a Miele which has the best of technology is a bit unfair. The speed queen looks like is its granny! Speed Queen has no leakage protection, not heating element to decently warm water and , no offense but it''s quite ugly. I would love to know how many revolvings it does in a minute during the spin. or how much is the water consumption for a full white cotton cycle. Certainly it doesn' t reach the 1600 rpm the Miele does. I have the same set and i never had any problem. The tangling issue can be sorted out by choosing the right program. Here in Europe where Alliance machines are available, the smaller "family home is not imported. To cover that segment they have an Asko made machine rebranded Alliance.