Whirlpool HybridCare Dryer Review

[mrb627]

Online Review

I saw an online review that complained this dryer heats up the room. Have you had the same experience?

Malcolm

 

[mark_wpduet]

Gosh

I just found this post. Hmmm, I noticed the OP said in his vented dryer it took 90 min's to dry a large load in a vented dryer. I don't think my vented dryer takes that long, unless it's a unusually large load of clothes...

I lived in a house where the dryer was a 110 v electric vented dryer. It took FOREVER to dry a load of clothes and that does become a major issue when trying to do laundry. I HATED it. So I am imagining I would not like those dry times at all, even though I think it's a really cool machine. (no pun)

 

[mrb627]

Original Post

The original video indicates that the load of towels that took over 3 hours to dry were passed through a centrifuge spinner beforehand. Makes me wonder what real world drying times might be if no spinner is available.
While I don't think adjustment to this type of dryer would be easy for most Americans, I would be more accepting of it if it had a really good timer delay function. That is, put your load of wet clothing in before bed and say complete drying at 6 am and actually have it estimate and hit the target.

Malcolm

 

[launderess]

110v vented dryer

Cannot speak for anyone else, but my harvest gold WP portable will dry a full 11lb load in one hour. Then again am taking laundry spun to death either from the Miele, AEG or spin drier.

My

 

[mark_wpduet]

@ Launderess

This was in a 2 story apartment and I was on the 2nd floor. The washer/dryer were stacked and in a small closet in the middle of the house. They were Kenmore. This was 1996. It was the small washer/dryer. It HAD to vent through the roof so God knows if the run was clogged that made the dry times in the 110v even longer than it should have been. At that time in my life, I gave NO thought to clogged vent runs, so I just thought it was the dryer not being powerful enough. I DREADED doing laundry because I knew the dryer would take forever. It was dusty too doing laundry with that dryer, almost as if there was extra lint on the load of laundry, so something must have been clogged somewhere. I was only there for approx 6 mos though.

 

[henene4]

Long drying times

Still puzzeled about these 3 hours as well.
Our heatpump dryer has a way smaller drum, how ever finishes a full load of towels in less then 2h. A typical load of jeans is just about 1 1/2h, both from a cold start (consecutive loads take about 10-20 minutes less), and this is after a year of use.

 

[jerrod6]

With my current natural gas dryer the average load time is 28 to 35  minutes.  The longest I have seen with a load of thick towels was 47 minutes.  I don't know what I would do if I had to wait 3 hours for a load to dry..I mean this is no better than 1 load a day at these times. I don't like running appliances while I sleep or when I am out of the house so..that can't work for me.   If this is vented  why would it take this long - a heat pump unit that is too small?

 

[henene4]

That dryer is not vented.

Just pulled a well sized load (1 pair of jeans, 1 pair of sweat pants, 3 pairs of khaki-like shorts, 1 thin cotton short, 2 sweat jackets, 3 T-Shirts) out of the dryer.
After a good 1400rpm spin (~50% residual moisture), I put them on Mixed cycle with low temp (that should be medium to medium low temp in America) and extended dry (adds 5 minutes of timed dry at the end of the cycle), which took a bit less then 1 1/2 hours. Perfect even drying on spot.

 

[joeypete]

I think he was drying his towels on the lowest setting, that's why it took so long.

 

[lakewebsterkid]

Calling Pulsator.....

I hate to bring this thread up again, however I am very interested to see just how this dryer is treating you and your clothes after quite a while. Any possibility you could give a review? Thanks!

 

[vacerator]

I guess

I'm not seeing any benefit to having this. Longer dry times, any energy saving from heating is used up in tumbling.
I know a few who tried the LG condensing combo washer/dryer. When they discovered one load took four hours, they returned them to the store.
Lesson learned, if it isn't broken, don't try fixing it.
The same with the VMW top load washer. If it goes off balance and you are not aware, it can continually try to spin, drain, refill, redistribute the load, drain, try to spin, until it can spin. I have returned home only to find soaking wet laundry in the washer. No trouble code flashing, but I've had to unplug the machine and plug it back in to get the lid to unlock.
My service tech says there is nothing wrong with it. The suspension is in tact, and when he activated the self diagnostic cycle, all was aok.
It also no longer slow spins when filling on Normal cycle. It static fills the same as on hand wash, only rather than 1/3 of a tub, a half tub of water, regardless of the load size. So it no longer saves water.
I suspect the motor is getting weak, but that's my educated guess. At going on 6 years old, it's not worth a second overhaul. Not out of warranty.
A shame when it's platinum or liquid silver cabinet looks nearly new. Unlike my mom's 1963 Kenmore model 70 that lasted her over twenty years and five kids with a few minor repairs such as a belt, pump, or a mix valve.

 

[murando531]

But, the HybridCare isn't a combo washer/dryer. It's simply a condensing heat pump dryer, which most of the eastern world has adopted as a primary dryer type. Not only that, the HC still has a traditional heating element, and when set to do so, can dry a load of clothes in the same quick fashion that a conventional vented dryer can, with the only exception being that the compressor still runs in order to pull the moisture out of the air and drain it away, rather than throwing heated moist air outdoors. Even in this mode, it saves more energy than a vented machine.

While I do agree that the vent grille could be mounted on the front of the machine, I don't see the fuss about grabbing your vacuum's extension tube and nozzle and giving it a few swipes. The only issue I can see with that are these "minimalist" folks who want their machines installed in premade cabinets as one would a dishwasher or refrigerator, which I find to bring up numerous other issues as well with any frontloading pair, but I just sit in the corner looking over thin-framed glasses sipping my tea in regards to that subject.

This is the first generation of this machine, and as Whirlpool has been known with many innovations of the past, will spark more competition from the other manufacturers. I won't be surprised to see LG and Samsung with copycat machines soon, where GE will follow suit, and etc.

 

[vacerator]

No, it isn't

a combo washer/dryer, but same long dry time.
Whirlpool once made an electric range called the "Polaris". It had a cooling unit for the oven so you could put cold meals and meats in, then keep them chilled until the start set time for the oven began cooking. It's design style matched the Calypso washer.
Sales must have been sluggish at best.
If I am away all day, I prepare the meal with frozen meat, season, and set the oven for start and cook time. By the time it begins cooking, it may be thawed, but still cold. Also, any selmonella bacteria which may have only began to develop is killed by a sustained roasting temp. of 275 degrees f.
Also, most who can afford fresh cuts of prime meat and do not freeze them are either able to be home the day they cook it, or have a cook, or housekeeper to tend to it.

 

[DADoES]

 
Polara.

 

[vacerator]

Ah! yes, of course,

I was confused on that. For some reason, thinking perhaps Chrysler still held a patent on "Polara".

 

[mrb627]

LG?

Was the LG a true heat-pump? I thought it still required a vent to the outside.

Malcolm

 

[vacerator]

Malcom,

no, the LG is a condensing dryer. It may need venting, I'm not sure. In either instance, 4 hours to wash and dry one load is too long.

 

[warmsecondrinse]

AFAIK, all LG washer/dryer combos are ventless condenser dryers. They're only suitable for people who want/need their own washer and dryer and only have a 120v outlet to work with and/or space for just one machine. 

 

If one has access to venting, 240v line, or gas there are likely better dryer options.

 

That said, I can see a lot of people living in older cities in the northeastern U.S.A buying these units.

 

Jim

 

 

 

[henene4]

The washer dryer combos are a complete different thing. They are watercooled condenser and as said run on 120V, thus takeing longer.

The heatpump units of the WP and LG units are only in the medium 1-2kW range I guess, but are further boosted by a conventional resistive heater.

The LG is vented, which confuses me a lot. Why and how would they?

 

[mrb627]

Whirlpool Sales?

I wonder how many of these dryers Whirlpool has sold in the US. They remain a special order item at the retailers I have checked. Further, there are still salespeople that don't even know what a heat pump dryer exists...

Malcolm