Tumble dryer needed

[nickuk]

Greetings.

Appear to have sold current tumble dryer (Hotpoint condensor) to house buyers, so need to replace!

Dryer will go in airing cupboard upstairs, below the wall mounted combi boiler, infact at the site of hotwater tank before it was ripped out.

First question - am I better off getting a condensor (disadvantages - more expensive, noisy, faffing about emptying things) or a vented (disadvantages, have to run pipe to outside wall or loft)

Second question - I am absolutely not interested in paying Miele tumble dryer prices, anyone got opinions on the cheaper models like White Knight for example ? I'd probably avoid stuff from Indesit Company, Beko, GIAS (Hoover Candy) but am I prejudiced? I've heard some mgativity here about Zanussi dryers too, but people seem quite positive about White Knight in a `does what it says on the tin' sort of thing.

Third question - there's an LG washer-dryer on a stupendous offer at Currys - £699 to £460 web exclusive (8kg washer 4kg dryer), the lazy side of me is saying stick that in ya kitchen and make do. That would mean no Miele though :-( Hate washer dryers but maybe the big drum on the LG means this one may be alright. I rarely have both machines on at once anyway, I organise my laundry to do a load a day.

Any input gratefully received.
Right, over to Super Forum for some Hoover advice.

Cheers folks

 

[nickuk]

Oops, forgot - sucking machines are no longer discussed here. Guess that's one decision I'll have to go and make for myself then LOL

 

[newwave1]

Nick,
I quite like my washer/dryers, i mean its fine for me as i'm only washing for myself. now owning 2 of them i don't have the issue of waiting for one function to end before you can do the other.

The LGs look interesting, though i can see you being driven insane by the out of balance sensors on them. The appealing thing is the large drum.

Darren

 

[2drumsallergy]

Hi Nick,
I bought a Bosch Logixx Condenser dryer WTS86516GB about 8 months ago, I am delighted with it, very quiet for a condenser dryer, huge drum, perfectly even drying and despite its being a unidirectional drum it does not ball or tangle anything. It is very well made, looks good and has a glass door. I like watching clothes tumble in the dryer it is kind of relaxing LOL.

David

http://www.boschappliances.co.uk/products-range-wm.aspx?td=yes&id=4

 

[lavamat_jon]

Nick, we're also in the same situation as you at the moment and in the process of buying a new dryer. Unfortunately the heater element went on the Bosch dryer and the part alone cost £100, so after the Bosch dryer going wrong 3 years down the road as well as our old washer doing the same I'm not sure I can recommend Bosch - plus I'm not too convinced on their unidirectional system, two people I know who have had these dryers have said it has been a bugger for tangling sheets. We can't afford a Miele at the moment (we would otherwise), but we've been looking at a White Knight and Creda dryers and for the price they both seem to be of an OK quality, but from what I've gathered the Creda dryers are quieter than the White Knights, and also the Creda dryers reverse more evenly than the White Knight dryers, which only reverse every 10 minutes for 5 seconds. My AEG dryer employed the same sort of system, and although alright for most things it was a bugger for sheets.

I think, from my experience with the mid-range Bosch stuff, that your best off either getting a basic cheap dryer if not a Miele when it comes to tumble dryers.

Pics of our new one will arrive after our trip to Comet/Currys tomorrow, whether it be a WK or a Creda

Jon

 

[lavamat_jon]

BTW, I would advise against a condenser dryer. Too many cons outweigh the pro of it being ventless. Their noisier, take longer, have considerably more maintenance (you have to not just clean filters like on a vented dryer, but empty the water too and clean the heat exchanger on a regular basis). Vented just seems much more convenient, efficient and quicker, IMO, and the DIY job of setting up a vent over the years would be considerably less maintenance time then emptying the water, and cleaning the heat exchanger added up over the life of the dryer.

Jon

 

[nickuk]

Thanks for the comments, guys.

Jon - let me know which one you go for. Thanks for the inf about WK vs Creda, Creda looks more likely then though can I asssume it'll be the same as any cheap indesit or hottie, and can consider those brands too?

The Creda TVR2 is available on ebay for £133 delivered (I haven't looked that thoroughly on the net) whereas it's £150 from one of the C words, the WK are cheaper but not as nice to look at IMO

Let me know what you decide

Nick

 

[rolls_rapide]

Vented driers are more efficient, cost less to run, less to go wrong and easier to repair. (My brother still has the old Hoover 'Logic' tumble drier, that our Mum bought in 1987! It required a new timer within the 5-year guarantee period).

Conversely, both Mum and I have Zanussi Condenser driers. Her's dates from 1996: a TC470 Mk1; mine from 1998: TC470 Mk2. Both have worked extremely reliably. Mum's timer dial recently cracked, but was easy to fix. You do have to make sure that they do have a flow of fresh air coming into the room to prevent the room becoming too warm; and regularly de-fluff the condenser and the associated air-ducts, but they seem to have been excellent value.

The current Zanussi condensers might be a bit more awkward, as they seem to have cosmetic grills over the condenser area.

 

[lavamat_jon]

Nick - I'm not sure if you have a local Co-Op department store near you, but ours sells the Creda TVR2 for about £130/140. We were going to get one today at the local JTF Warehouse for cost price (£90) however they had ran out, and I'm not surprised at that price!

I'm still deciding between the two - the Creda has a nicer finish to it while the White Knight's look more plasticky but more industrious. I have heard my boyfriend's Indesit IS60V going though and it is relatively quiet, but as it's in the back of his garage I haven't been able to use it much.

But yes - we'll all know (me included) what I'll bring home when I've been to the C-shop tomorrow - we would have gone to the Co Op but they never have anything in stock, and we need a dryer yesterday. I have a huge load of towels needing to be done, but can't do them until we have a dryer! And scratchy towels are not an option hehe.

To me, after doing a lot of research, I really don't think it's worth spending more for a dryer when the basic ones seem to do the job well. The only real difference between Miele and cheaper brands IMO are in the washers, and they really do show there, but I don't think there is as much a difference with dryers.

Jon

 

[rolls_rapide]

Lavamat-Jon

Hi,

I was looking at your profile, and noticed that you have a Miele washer with Honeycomb drum. Have you had any problems with items becoming snagged, stitching on T-shirts becoming caught, etc.?

I ask because, apparently, there have been such reports in Italy, according to a poster on the 'ukwhitegoods' forum.

http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=22929

 

[nickuk]

Have just found the LG washer dryer combi at Co-Op for £399 delivered, this seems like a very good offer considering RRP is £699 - and given that I have a worktop depth (front-back) of 640mm at the new place, would slot under just fine. An 8kg wash 4kg dry sounds like the drum may be large enough to be a respectable tumble dryer. It's direct drive and I know that these are fairly quiet washers, and whilst they have their faults and are not on a par with Miele I'm seriously considering this compromise.

Anyone have any experience with LG washer dryers? Washer dryers used to just heat up the clothes but not actually dry them properly - is that still the case? I also used to find that they got blisteringly hot and age clothes prematurely.

Nick

PS Come on Jon, tell us - which one did you get in the end?

Help - I need input - have to make a decision within a few days!

Anyone have any experience of LG

 

[robm]

Hi Nick

I bought my sister an LG washer dryer about a year ago as wedding present. She's got a little boy and uses it all the time. she also uses the dryer a lot. She has had no problems and really likes it. Also because her machine is on floor boards she prefers to spin the machine on 800rpm. Even so the clothes come out nice and dry. BTW it is stable, it's just the floor isn't. It is nice and quiet and doesn't seem to faff too much.

Not a Miele but not bad either.

Rob

PS on the drier front, I think Jon said it all and I agree with him. I don't think I would spend a fortune on a drier because the expensive ones are pretty much a con some of them. After all they don't do half of what a washer does and can be just as expensive.

 

[kirk280980]

Hi all,

My brother has an LG 7.5kg washer dryer, and so far they haven't had any issues with its drying performance. In wet weather they tend to keep on top of things a little more, and wash/dry a single load each day in the LG. When the weather is good, they go back to washing as and when they get round to it, and hang everything out on the line in one go. Overall they're pleased with it, and don't mind not having a separate dryer. Just involves thinking ahead a little sometimes when planning laundry.

My Zanussi recently started playing up, and originally I was considering the 8kg LG washer, amongst others, as a replacement. However, when you consider that some online vendors sell the combo version for the same price or less, might as well go with that instead. £399 is an excellent price, is proving to be hard to resist. Already have a separate dryer, but when it's already running and another load is waiting to go in, I think having a little extra drying capacity could come in very handy. Plus I don't have a clothesline, so if the dryer ever broke down, the combo would also act as a backup too.

 

[lavamat_jon]

Hi Nick (and others),

Bought a Hotpoint VTD20P at Comet today... we're picking it up on Wednesday so photos & first impressions will come about then . We were planning on picking up the Creda TVR2 for £150, but the Hotpoint VTD20P was only £30 more and offered sensor drying programmes along with the standard 120 minute timer, a 12 hour delay timer (which admittedly will never be used), and a buzzer (which I like to use on a dryer if its available). Seemed better put together to me than the White Knights, and at £180 I think it was excellent value for money. But so far (without having using it yet), I would recommend it for a budget dryer.

If it only lasts 3 years before needing a repair, then so be it, but at least it'll be able to be repaired affordably rather than the Bosch which wanted £180 spending on it after labour.

Jon

 

[lavamat_jon]

almost forgot

Rolls_rapide... not had any problems at all with the Honeycomb drum so far, and have actually become more confident at washing delicates in it. I wouldn't say it's any more delicate than a standard washer, but one thing I really like about it is that towels don't stick to the sides after the spin, the just flop off after 1 or 2 anti crease tumbles.

I've had problems before with snagging with my AEG washer, but holes mysteriously stopped appearing in clothes when I switched to using the Miele all the time when the AEG was put in storage.

Jon

 

[nickuk]

Congrats on your purchase Jon. I went to the stores (Comet/Currys) today and I have to say I didn't like the WK appearance, the door opening was too small too. The Hotpoint certainly looks a very smart machine. I do think it's essentially the same innards as the bog standard Indesit, but with a higher cosmetic finish. It may also have more sound insulation.

Hi Kirk! Yes, isn't that a low price for the LG!! I am going to the new house to take some measurements in a few hours, if it fits I think I'll get it. I am concerned that there only seems to be one drying heat (I can't spot a button which changes it) and that there is no dryer timer - it must be a sensor?? Would also like to have a `quick' option to use with standard programmes but the cycle times don't look stupid anyway. (90 mins for normal cottons wash, just over an hour for synthetics, press intensive for longer) Of course I shall miss 50 degrees too. Read on a review on the Currys website that if you tell it to `dry only' it does a fast spin first by default which takes 15 mins! Grrr. I reckon I could try to live with a washer-dryer, and if I really need `more' I'll buy a cheap dryer and put it in the shed or something. TBH I don't tumble all washing anyway and usually do only one load a day.

BTW, have decided on the Zanussi 2625 f/freezer and Dyson DC14SS. Current Dyson still going strong and love it, but need an `all floors' one so have sold it along with washer, dryer etc etc to purchasers of this house.

Will report back later - I must make my decision today and spend some serious money......

Nick

 

[nickuk]

Well I just went and measured, and the LG washer-dryer 8kg will fit in just fine. I am really pleased with this news.

Following info for Kirk, since you may be interested in buying one yourself......I phoned LG to ask them some questions about the machine, such as does it have different drying temperatures? = Yes. Can you wash a load without it automatically going to tumble dry mode? = Yes. Does it have time saver? =No. Is it cold fill only? = No, it takes both.

The only thing I forgot to ask is what the `cottons-eco' setting does, or more to the point, could I manipulate the machine to do a `50' wash by, for example, setting `Cottons-eco,60'. I suspect not, I suspect the machine simply `doesn't do' 50.

Also, Kirk, am still going with the `price' thing and have now found it at electrical123, delivered for £395. Only a fiver, granted....

So that's the choice. An LG washer dryer, total cost £395, or a Miele Premier 520 and Creda TVR2 dryer, combined cost about £600. It's not really about the cost though, it's about what's right for us, I just have to decide.

Cheers

Nick

 

[kirk280980]

Hi Nick,

Have never ordered anything from electrical123, but can highly recommend the Co-Op online electrical store. Generally they have good prices, and they deliver quickly and when promised, so that's why I always go back to them first when buying white goods. Discovered them after a mishap with QED/Miller Bros, and the difference between the two companies is like night and day.

The LG's lack of a 50 degree wash is a bit of a downer, but I imagine similar performance could be obtained by substituting the 40 degree cycle with the Intensive option selected instead. Truth be told I'm willing to compromise on this, because it's the only fly in the ointment that I could find with this machine, and nothing else currently out there really grabs me anyway.

By the way, it is possible to download user manuals from the LG service site. Although poorly translated in parts, they do show control panel layouts along with a description of the available cycles and options, which could shed further light on your drying query. See link below; click on Owner's Manuals, key model number WD-12311 into the search field, and a link to the pdf manual will appear.

Cheers,

Kirk

http://gb.lgservice.com/index_b2c.jsp

 

[kirk280980]

Nick,

One other thing: on machines that have it, the Cottons Eco programme (or equivalent) is normally the cycle used for energy label testing. Typically it will be longer and more economical than the standard 60 degree cotton wash, and is designed to give the claimed wash/energy performance.

Sometimes the Eco programme is used as a workaround to gain better energy label ratings, while the standard non-eco cycles can get away with using a lot more water and energy. That's because they are not subject to the same testing, and therefore the manufacturer doesn't have to publish their consumption figures unless they choose to do so. Of course this varies from one make to the next, and sadly LG isn't giving much away (.

Kirk

 

[chestermikeuk]

Dryers

Hi Nick, good luck with the move, always exciting being able to pick new appliances...I`ve heard good reports of the LG washer dryer, and being direct drive means quieter if in the kitchen.....one thing to note is about the water condensing usage, I know theres is low with the fine mist spray, but it might add up if you have a water meter...

If going for a seperate dryer I would recommend the Whirlpool sixth sense vented, sturdy, quiet & reliable, and is one of a few that has the backing of the Energy Savings Trust etc..

Cheers, Mike

p.s. Jon, I`ve just read Hotpoint in your mail,!!!! Wow!!!

 

[cbosch]

Buy Bosch

I have a bosch condensor dryer with a window. Fabulous dryer not onyl can I watch it it is quiet and very very fast. Don't be bothering with a washer dryer

 

[nickuk]

Thanks for all the advice guys.

In the end I bought the LG Washer/Dryer from Electrical 123 for £395. I will see if I like it and if not return it for a Miele Premier, but it seems a good price for an 8kg machine.

Also, just for interest - bought the Hoover Fridge Freezer HNMF206A as a second choice, the Zanussi ZENB225 being the first but everywhere had sold out! Also bought a Dyson DC14 Allergy.

Well, tomorrow is moving day! I have packed over 100 boxes so far. Because we are a tidy household I didn't realise how much stuff we had packed away in various places.

I'll post on the LG as soon as I'm in the new place / broadband is hoooked up etc etc

Cheers

Nick

 

[toggleswitch]

Hi Nick:

Sign in Irish Pub:
English spoken; American understood.

~Dryer will go in airing cupboard upstairs.
What is an airing cupdoard?

~Below the wall-mounted combi boiler, in fact at the site of hot water tank before it was ripped out.
I'l like to learn what this is as well.

~faffing about emptying things.
No clue I tell you at the meaning........

In the second panel, do you mean bad quality machines or vented ones? By chance is this something unrelated that offers a good time?

Thank you in advance for your assistance/guidance.