I know this has come up many, many times before; I've spent the last
hour or so reading about it, nut I'm still no closer to an answer.

We will soon be purchasing a tumble-dryer. It will be installed in our
utility/leanto. This is a poorly insulated, unheated room. I have easy
access to an outside wall for venting, and to a drain for condensor runoff.

I'm trying to decide which to go for. Main argument for venting is that
it seems to make more sense. Evaporate water, blow steam outside, end of
story. It feels right and sensible.

But, a condensing dryer would chuck out lots of heat into the room. This
is very desireable in this situation, since it would warm up the utility
room. My only concern is performance, they seem to get rather mixed reviews.

So, has anyone experienced both types, of a similar quality? Which one
performed better? By how much?


TIA

--
Grunff

Grunff wrote in message ...
I know this has come up many, many times before; I've spent the last
hour or so reading about it, nut I'm still no closer to an answer.

We will soon be purchasing a tumble-dryer. It will be installed in our
utility/leanto. This is a poorly insulated, unheated room. I have easy
access to an outside wall for venting, and to a drain for condensor runoff.

I'm trying to decide which to go for. Main argument for venting is that
it seems to make more sense. Evaporate water, blow steam outside, end of
story. It feels right and sensible.

But, a condensing dryer would chuck out lots of heat into the room. This
is very desireable in this situation, since it would warm up the utility
room. My only concern is performance, they seem to get rather mixed reviews.

So, has anyone experienced both types, of a similar quality? Which one
performed better? By how much?


TIA

I bought a Hotpoint IWD12 (integrated condesning washer dryer) because
it looked like it took one of the largest loads and the wash load and
dry load seemed closer to each other (so I wouldn't always have to
remove part of the wash prior to drying cycle). I'm not overlee
impressed with it, normal wash cycle seems to take ages...shortest
cycle is about 50 mins. I don't know whether that's a sideeffect of a
Washer Dryer (never had one combined before).

Also the drying takes a long time and you have to take the stuff out
pretty promptly when it completes to vent the steam of everything
otherwise the load just gets damp again...which may be a sideeffect of
a condensing dryer...certainly never had that problem with my mums
Dryer. Incidently, as an integrated appliance, it looks like the door
is beginning to show affects of steam which escapes from the soap
drawer, so it's best to leave the door open during a drying cycle.

Ant.

Both myself and my mother have excellent quality tumble dryers. I have a
Bosch sensor condensing integrated dryer, whilst my mother has a Miele
sensor vented freestanding dryer.

I would go for the condensor every time. Both dryers perform superlatively.
Nothing to choose between them. The sensing is reliable and the clothes dry.

However, the condensor has some advantages:

1. The dryer provides more heat to the room, without compromising energy
efficiency.

2. There is no need to core drill an ugly hole in the wall.

3. When you get a replacement model, you can be sure that the old hole is
the wrong size.

4. You can rearrange the appliances and move rooms and still run the dryer,
without needing to drill a new hole and fill the old one. You can even
install in a bedroom, for example, provided you use the collection tray
instead of plumbing in the drainage.

5. The vented dryer ALWAYS gets its hose in a twist, meaning you are
constantly attempting to remove the machine and untangle the hose. It is
impossible to keep it untangled whilst pushing it back and the machine juts
out 15cm, as otherwise, it would crush the hose between the machine and the
wall.

Christian.

Christian McArdle wrote:
Both myself and my mother have excellent quality tumble dryers. I have a
Bosch sensor condensing integrated dryer, whilst my mother has a Miele
sensor vented freestanding dryer.

I would go for the condensor every time. Both dryers perform superlatively.
Nothing to choose between them. The sensing is reliable and the clothes dry.

However, the condensor has some advantages:

1. The dryer provides more heat to the room, without compromising energy
efficiency.

2. There is no need to core drill an ugly hole in the wall.

3. When you get a replacement model, you can be sure that the old hole is
the wrong size.

4. You can rearrange the appliances and move rooms and still run the dryer,
without needing to drill a new hole and fill the old one. You can even
install in a bedroom, for example, provided you use the collection tray
instead of plumbing in the drainage.

5. The vented dryer ALWAYS gets its hose in a twist, meaning you are
constantly attempting to remove the machine and untangle the hose. It is
impossible to keep it untangled whilst pushing it back and the machine juts
out 15cm, as otherwise, it would crush the hose between the machine and the
wall.


Super, thanks for the detail.

Are you saying all vented driers have to sit 15cm forward of the wall?
I've seen this mentioned before, but thought maybe it was just a one
off. That kind of rules out under-worktop fitting, right?

--
Grunff

ANt wrote:


I bought a Hotpoint IWD12 (integrated condesning washer dryer) because
it looked like it took one of the largest loads and the wash load and
dry load seemed closer to each other (so I wouldn't always have to
remove part of the wash prior to drying cycle). I'm not overlee
impressed with it, normal wash cycle seems to take ages...shortest
cycle is about 50 mins. I don't know whether that's a sideeffect of a
Washer Dryer (never had one combined before).

Also the drying takes a long time and you have to take the stuff out
pretty promptly when it completes to vent the steam of everything
otherwise the load just gets damp again...which may be a sideeffect of
a condensing dryer...certainly never had that problem with my mums
Dryer. Incidently, as an integrated appliance, it looks like the door
is beginning to show affects of steam which escapes from the soap
drawer, so it's best to leave the door open during a drying cycle.

I must say, not too many good things have been said about washer/dryers
over the years, so I'm not amazed by your experience. Thanks for the
feedback.

--
Grunff

Are you saying all vented driers have to sit 15cm forward of the wall?
I've seen this mentioned before, but thought maybe it was just a one
off. That kind of rules out under-worktop fitting, right?

Well, you could remove the washing machine adjacent and then get behind the
machine to ensure that the hose concertinas up (rather than sags down) to
get the tumbler right next to the wall. However, I usually find it easier to
install the washing machine with the tumble dryer removed (as the washing
machine is heavy and having a missing appliance next door makes it easier to
jiggle into place).

Christian.

On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 09:51:11 +0100, "Christian McArdle"
wrote:


I would go for the condensor every time. Both dryers perform superlatively.
Nothing to choose between them. The sensing is reliable and the clothes dry.


Having used both my preference is for the direct venting type. The
condensing type produce quite a lot of (damp) heat in the room which
may be a good thing in winter but not so smart in summer. Depending
on where you install it this can be a significant issue. The
condenser also takes quite a lot longer to dry the same amount of
clothes (about an hour longer for a full load, this wasn't a problem
for us as we ran it overnight) and uses about 15% more energy than a
vented type.

Most condensing driers use a collection vessel rather than a drain so
you have to empty the thing every time you use it and also clean the
condenser coils every month or do.

However, the major issue for me was the amount of water vapour the
condensing dryer vented into the room. The best driers only extract
about 80-90% of the water vapour which still leaves fair bit getting
into the room but some manage significantly less. I don't think
extraction effectiveness is quoted by manufacturers. It was the
escape of water vapour which I found most irritating. How you use
the dryer might affect your perception of the problem. If you do the
drying while cooking is going on its unlikely you will notice
particularly (although in the summer it makes the room both hot and
muggy) but if you dry things at night it is more apparent.

5. The vented dryer ALWAYS gets its hose in a twist, meaning you are
constantly attempting to remove the machine and untangle the hose. It is
impossible to keep it untangled whilst pushing it back and the machine juts
out 15cm, as otherwise, it would crush the hose between the machine and the
wall.

Our tumble dryer has hose about 6 inches long which mates with the
dryer and concertinas when you push it back against the wall. The
dryer sits nicely under the worksurface. I do accept the point that
if we get a replacement some innovation might be needed :-).


--
Peter Parry.
http://www.wpp.ltd.uk/

I have just bought a new tumble dryer and discounted the condensing
type because they cost a lot more and because of the reported problem
with condensation. The model we bought was White Knight and I think the
quality is very good and the price was outstanding, especially as it
made in Britain.

I think the model was a White Knight 447WV Tumble Dryer and cost about
=A3130

We bought our first tumble dryer in 1981 and it cost about the same,
but it did last nearly 20 years. This was a Zanussi. This was replaced
by another Zanussi which was crap and didn't last very long at all.

Peter Parry wrote:

Having used both my preference is for the direct venting type. The
condensing type produce quite a lot of (damp) heat in the room which
may be a good thing in winter but not so smart in summer. Depending
on where you install it this can be a significant issue. The
condenser also takes quite a lot longer to dry the same amount of
clothes (about an hour longer for a full load, this wasn't a problem
for us as we ran it overnight) and uses about 15% more energy than a
vented type.

Most condensing driers use a collection vessel rather than a drain so
you have to empty the thing every time you use it and also clean the
condenser coils every month or do.

I got a very expensive Bosch condenser drier (the most expensive model)
in place of a simple vented Hoover tumble drier.
I'm very pleased with the change.
The venting went through a cat-flap in a door,
which was unsatisfactory in the winter.

It isn't necessary to empty the water container after each drying -
maybe every 5 sessions.
One also has to take fluff off a filter - very simple,
as the filter simply lifts out of the door -
also every 5 sessions or so.
The manual does not suggest that one should "clean the condenser coils".

There is certainly a small amount of humidity,
but this is in a utility room, and does not cause any inconvenience.

The main advantage of the new drier is that it has a sensor
which turns it off when the clothes are dry -
I'd say that is more important than the kind of drier,
particularly if you want to save money.

--
Timothy Murphy
e-mail (80k only): tim /at/ birdsnest.maths.tcd.ie
tel: +353-86-2336090, +353-1-2842366
s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland

It isn't necessary to empty the water container after each drying -
maybe every 5 sessions.

Also, it can be plumbed into a nearby drainage point, to save the bother.

Christian.

Grunff wrote:
I know this has come up many, many times before; I've spent the last
hour or so reading about it, nut I'm still no closer to an answer.

We will soon be purchasing a tumble-dryer. It will be installed in our
utility/leanto. This is a poorly insulated, unheated room. I have easy
access to an outside wall for venting, and to a drain for condensor runoff.

I'm trying to decide which to go for. Main argument for venting is that
it seems to make more sense. Evaporate water, blow steam outside, end of
story. It feels right and sensible.

But, a condensing dryer would chuck out lots of heat into the room. This
is very desireable in this situation, since it would warm up the utility
room. My only concern is performance, they seem to get rather mixed
reviews.

So, has anyone experienced both types, of a similar quality? Which one
performed better? By how much?


TIA

If you do go for a condenser, avoid the Bosch WTL6003. We bought one at
the beginning of the year - plagued by a mysterious and intermittent
leak. Had it swapped out and the replacement does the same thing.
Disinterested Bosch customer service hasn't made me feel any happier...
tony

If you do go for a condenser, avoid the Bosch WTL6003. We bought one at
the beginning of the year - plagued by a mysterious and intermittent
leak.

We've got a 6920 and we've not have any problems with it, so can't vouch for
customer service!

Christian.

Tony wrote:

If you do go for a condenser, avoid the Bosch WTL6003. We bought one at
the beginning of the year - plagued by a mysterious and intermittent
leak. Had it swapped out and the replacement does the same thing.
Disinterested Bosch customer service hasn't made me feel any happier...


No, I have every intention of avoiding Bosch washers and dryers after my
washing machine experience (other thread).


--
Grunff

On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 13:23:08 +0100, Peter Parry
wrote:

Having used both my preference is for the direct venting type. The
condensing type produce quite a lot of (damp) heat in the room which
may be a good thing in winter but not so smart in summer.

Hi,

Would have thought it's possible to use a washing line or airer in the
summer, or even open the window if it's too hot.

What would be handy is a condenser that can use hot water from the CH.

cheers,
Pete.

Having used both my preference is for the direct venting type. The
condensing type produce quite a lot of (damp) heat in the room which
may be a good thing in winter but not so smart in summer.

That depends on the model. My previous one was a horrible Hoover, that did
raise the humidity. It would take many cycles to fill the container. The
Bosch could fill its huge container after drying one wash. And that was
after the clothes came out of a 1600 spin washing machine. There is no
noticeable increase in humidity when it is running, although the room does
get warmer. It is now plumbed in, so I don't have to empty the container.

What would be handy is a condenser that can use hot water from the CH.

The condensor would work best with cold water, not hot. I suppose you could
use it as a heat source on the CH, but this would fail as cost-benefit
analysis. You already get the advantage in that the room with the dryer
warms up, causing its TRV to turn off, saving on CH costs.

Christian.

snip

I think the model was a White Knight 447WV Tumble Dryer and cost about
£130

We bought our first tumble dryer in 1981 and it cost about the same,
but it did last nearly 20 years. This was a Zanussi. This was replaced
by another Zanussi which was crap and didn't last very long at all.

snip

Croslee dryers (White Knight) make dryers for Bosch Zanussi Whirlpool
Tricity Bendix amongst others.

Peter

On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 17:41:58 +0100, "Christian McArdle"
wrote:


What would be handy is a condenser that can use hot water from the CH.

The condensor would work best with cold water, not hot.

Hi,

I was under the impression that the condenser models used the lower
temperature air of the room they are in for the condensing.

What I meant was, to use the hot water from the CH to heat the air in
the tumbledryer. This would require an extra heater matrix but would
mean cheaper gas is used for the heating instead of electricity

You already get the advantage in that the room with the dryer
warms up, causing its TRV to turn off, saving on CH costs.

True, but if gas is used indirectly and the room would be heated
anyway by a radiator, then the only cost incurred is for the removal
of water from the laundry.

More 'green' too as gas is used directly instead of indirectly through
less efficient generation.

cheers,
Pete.

I bought a Creda model T622CW last year and am delighted. Drying takes
the same time as my old vented model. There is no hint of moisture in
the room. It is the quietest dryer I have ever had. I could highly
recommend.
Regards
Bob


Thermostats havent gone yet then, they will.

Peter

On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 00:39:50 +0100, Grunff wrote:

I know this has come up many, many times before; I've spent the last
hour or so reading about it, nut I'm still no closer to an answer.

We will soon be purchasing a tumble-dryer. It will be installed in our
utility/leanto. This is a poorly insulated, unheated room. I have easy
access to an outside wall for venting, and to a drain for condensor runoff.

I'm trying to decide which to go for. Main argument for venting is that
it seems to make more sense. Evaporate water, blow steam outside, end of
story. It feels right and sensible.

But, a condensing dryer would chuck out lots of heat into the room. This
is very desireable in this situation, since it would warm up the utility
room. My only concern is performance, they seem to get rather mixed reviews.

So, has anyone experienced both types, of a similar quality? Which one
performed better? By how much?


TIA

I can't comment on condensing dryers because I've never had one, but I
understand that the air vented tends to be somewhat humid, even so.

To answer your positioning question, I can comment on the Miele vented
dryer that we've had for over ten years - you're not surprised that
this is what's in use are you? :-)

Four good things.

We have the washer with the dryer stacked on the top. Because of the
weight of the washer, there is no movement of the stack, even when the
machine spins with a load of towels.

The stacking kit is excellent and has a very solid pull-out shelf,
which is really useful for parking a bowl when loading and unloading
the dryer.

The vent pipe is a tee arrangement at the bottom - i.e. you can vent
directly out of the back by aligning the port with a hole in the wall,
or you can have the vent on either side open instead so that you can
vent sideways (if in a corner).

The washer has similar good pipework arrangements and the result is
that you can put the entire stack right back against the wall so that
it doesn't project in front of a 600mm worktop.




..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

"Grunff" wrote in message
...
I know this has come up many, many times before; I've spent the last
hour or so reading about it, nut I'm still no closer to an answer.

We will soon be purchasing a tumble-dryer. It will be installed in our
utility/leanto. This is a poorly insulated, unheated room. I have easy
access to an outside wall for venting, and to a drain for condensor
runoff.

I'm trying to decide which to go for. Main argument for venting is that
it seems to make more sense. Evaporate water, blow steam outside, end of
story. It feels right and sensible.

But, a condensing dryer would chuck out lots of heat into the room. This
is very desireable in this situation, since it would warm up the utility
room. My only concern is performance, they seem to get rather mixed
reviews.

So, has anyone experienced both types, of a similar quality? Which one
performed better? By how much?


TIA

--
Grunff

I bought a condenser a while back and put it in a small 1m x 1m pantry with
no heating and a crap metal window. It generated loads of condensation.

Knocked pantry down so the dryer is now part of the much larger kitchen and
no condensation problems at all.

The one I have is a Hotpoint ultima. I have to say that the performance is
good. It dries probably faster than the old vented dryer and has a sensor
that stops the process once the clothes are dry enough. Can't say much
about the longevity as it's still only 2 years old.

On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 20:46:30 +0100, wrote:

On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 18:31:43 +0000 (UTC), "Peter"
wrote:

I bought a Creda model T622CW last year and am delighted. Drying takes
the same time as my old vented model. There is no hint of moisture in
the room. It is the quietest dryer I have ever had. I could highly
recommend.

Thermostats havent gone yet then, they will.

Oh really? Do they go on them all or just some and what percentage
fail with this fault.? After how long?

Failed on my Creda dryer within the first 2 years, so John Lewis fixed them
under warranty. I think the engineer said it was a common fault and
replaced both, although only one had failed. Symptom was rotation but no
heat. Have had no problems since, which must be 3-4 years or so. (Perhaps
a bad batch used during manufacture at that time ?)

Very happy with the dryer otherwise. Wouldn't go back to a vented model if
you paid me.

--
Like I said before, I don't repeat myself!

Mail john rather than nospam...

John Laird wrote:

Wouldn't go back to a vented model if
you paid me.

Why? Because you like the heat output, or because you believe it
performs better, ot both?


--
Grunff

Peter Parry wrote:

You are lucky, that particular model is one of the worst performing
ones of all releasing about 1.5L of water into the room air per full
load.


Peter, where did you get that figure from? I didn't realise they were
published. Do you have any for other manufacturers/models?


--
Grunff

"Pete C" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 17:41:58 +0100, "Christian McArdle"
wrote:


What would be handy is a condenser that can use hot water from the
CH.

The condensor would work best with cold water, not hot.

Hi,

I was under the impression that the condenser models used the lower
temperature air of the room they are in for the condensing.

What I meant was, to use the hot water from the CH to heat the air in
the tumbledryer. This would require an extra heater matrix but would
mean cheaper gas is used for the heating instead of electricity

You already get the advantage in that the room with the dryer
warms up, causing its TRV to turn off, saving on CH costs.

True, but if gas is used indirectly and the room would be heated
anyway by a radiator, then the only cost incurred is for the removal
of water from the laundry.

More 'green' too as gas is used directly instead of indirectly through
less efficient generation.

cheers,
Pete.

You seem to be suggesting adding a tumbling mechanism to your airing
cupboard...

On Wed, 15 Sep 2004 00:30:19 +0100, Grunff wrote:


Peter, where did you get that figure from? I didn't realise they were
published. Do you have any for other manufacturers/models?

They are not - but Which did a report on driers in Nov 2003. Can
send you a copy if you like.

--
Peter Parry.
http://www.wpp.ltd.uk/

On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 23:43:30 +0100, Grunff wrote:

John Laird wrote:

Wouldn't go back to a vented model if
you paid me.

Why? Because you like the heat output, or because you believe it
performs better, ot both?

Because it does what it says on the tin (dries clothes) without the faff of
a hose, which in 99% of cases I doubt is run to a proper vent but instead
hangs out a window. My dryer is in the cellar so heat is welcome but
moisture is not.

--
Junk: stuff we throw away... Stuff: junk we keep...

Mail john rather than nospam...

On Wed, 15 Sep 2004 09:18:19 +0100, "Neil Jones"
wrote:


You seem to be suggesting adding a tumbling mechanism to your airing
cupboard...

Not quite, not everyone has or wants space dedicated to an airing
cupboard.

Also removing all the water from the clothes with an airing cupboard
could cause problems with damp and condensation in some properties.

A condensing tumble drier is quicker plus a large proportion of the
water removed from the clothes is recovered, and in doing so the heat
used to dry the clothes is recovered and returned to the room.

The only disadvantage is the higher running cost of using electricity
for the drying.

The same method could be used for washer driers, in fact the heat
exchanger could also be used to heat water for low temperature
programmes.

cheers,
Pete.

Peter Parry wrote:

They are not - but Which did a report on driers in Nov 2003. Can
send you a copy if you like.


Would be very much appreciated. Email address is valid.

--
Grunff

The same method could be used for washer driers, in fact the heat
exchanger could also be used to heat water for low temperature
programmes.

Unfortunately, most washer dryers use a condensing mechanism that uses a
medium sized reservoir's worth of cold mains water to condense. This
laziness in design is an environmental disaster, and a financial one to
those with water meters.

Christian.

"Pete C" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 15 Sep 2004 09:18:19 +0100, "Neil Jones"
wrote:


You seem to be suggesting adding a tumbling mechanism to your airing
cupboard...

Not quite, not everyone has or wants space dedicated to an airing
cupboard.

Also removing all the water from the clothes with an airing cupboard
could cause problems with damp and condensation in some properties.

A condensing tumble drier is quicker plus a large proportion of the
water removed from the clothes is recovered, and in doing so the heat
used to dry the clothes is recovered and returned to the room.

The only disadvantage is the higher running cost of using electricity
for the drying.

The same method could be used for washer driers, in fact the heat
exchanger could also be used to heat water for low temperature
programmes.

Maybe you missed my invisible smilie... :-)

"Pete C" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 17:41:58 +0100, "Christian McArdle"
wrote:

What would be handy is a condenser that
can use hot water from the CH.

Or dump its waste heat into the DHW circuit.

The condensor would work best with cold water, not hot.

I was under the impression that the condenser models used the lower
temperature air of the room they are in for the condensing.

What I meant was, to use the hot water from the CH to heat the air in
the tumbledryer. This would require an extra heater matrix but would
mean cheaper gas is used for the heating instead of electricity

I like you, unlike most here, you are creative thinker.

Environmental aspects apart, gas is approx 2 to 4 times cheaper per kW than
electricity. So, it would be cheaper using a basic gas tumble dryer than an
electric condenser dryer, White Knight do them and I believe another maker.

You already get the advantage in that the room with the dryer
warms up, causing its TRV to turn off, saving on CH costs.

True, but if gas is used indirectly and the room would be heated
anyway by a radiator, then the only cost incurred is for the removal
of water from the laundry.

More 'green' too as gas is used directly instead of indirectly through
less efficient generation.

In homes with forced air, a dedicated grill can be installed inside an
airing cupboard. Filters are sometimes used on the return air from the
airing cupboard so as not to clog the ductwork, and sometime heat exchangers
are used to reclaim heat with the air being dumped outside. They are very
efficient and work very well. Just hang the clothes on the rails and they
dry. The airing cupboards tend to be large walk in jobs to be effective.
This is common in the USA.

In the UK it is probably best to put your cylinder in the loft, or get a
combi, and install your tumble dryer in the airing cupboard. It is square
and take less room than a cylinder and the top can be used for storage
making it more practical. The extract can be taken up into the loft and out
to the eves. A grill in the cupboard door will be needed to bring in air
from the hallway, or another supply air flexible duct from the eves again.

On Wed, 15 Sep 2004 11:10:13 +0100, "Christian McArdle"
wrote:

The same method could be used for washer driers, in fact the heat
exchanger could also be used to heat water for low temperature
programmes.

Unfortunately, most washer dryers use a condensing mechanism that uses a
medium sized reservoir's worth of cold mains water to condense. This
laziness in design is an environmental disaster, and a financial one to
those with water meters.

True. Another possibility for exhausting heat to the room is that by
adding a CH feed to the heat exchanger via a solenoid valve, it could
double as a kind of 'kick space' heater to heat the room when the
drier or washer/drier is not being used.

This could save on wall space for a radiator which may be at a premium
in small kitchens.

cheers,
Pete.

On Wed, 15 Sep 2004 11:19:39 +0100, "Neil Jones"
wrote:

Maybe you missed my invisible smilie... :-)

No worries... =)

cheers,
Pete.

IMM wrote:


Environmental aspects apart, gas is approx 2 to 4 times cheaper per kW than
electricity. So, it would be cheaper using a basic gas tumble dryer than an
electric condenser dryer, White Knight do them and I believe another maker.


IME only the gas heated US externally units work satisfactorily as
dryers. Their larger drum seems more effective and clothes which have
been dried in one, most of the time do not need ironing. I have yet to
find a European unit which is comparable. I believe Maytag/Whirlpool
units are available in the UK, but you need the space available to fit
one. There is now a unit from Maytag, which is electric(6KW) combining a
tumble drier with an over the top drying cabinet for woolens etc which
need to dry flat.

http://www.appliances.co.uk/Maytag_W...and_Dryers.asp

Regards
Capitol

IME only the gas heated US externally units work satisfactorily as
dryers.

But then, US appliances tend to use about 3 times the
energy/water/detergent/whatever per cycle.

Christian.

In article , Pete C
writes

True. Another possibility for exhausting heat to the room is that by
adding a CH feed to the heat exchanger via a solenoid valve, it could
double as a kind of 'kick space' heater to heat the room when the
drier or washer/drier is not being used.

This could save on wall space for a radiator which may be at a premium
in small kitchens.

Are you're talking about it just to heat the room? What about using a feed
from the CH loop to heat the clothes drying air - anyone tried that?

A quick look at my own drier shows the air intakes to be front & bottom.
Looks like it could be modified to take a ducted flow from a kickspace
heater, maybe siting underneath it. Obviously this would increase the
height, but ok for those who don't have theirs under a counter.

Opinions?
--
fred

On Thu, 16 Sep 2004 10:05:37 GMT, fred wrote:

In article , Pete C
writes

True. Another possibility for exhausting heat to the room is that by
adding a CH feed to the heat exchanger via a solenoid valve, it could
double as a kind of 'kick space' heater to heat the room when the
drier or washer/drier is not being used.

This could save on wall space for a radiator which may be at a premium
in small kitchens.

Are you're talking about it just to heat the room?

Yes, in addition to:

using a feed
from the CH loop to heat the clothes drying air - anyone tried that?

A quick look at my own drier shows the air intakes to be front & bottom.
Looks like it could be modified to take a ducted flow from a kickspace
heater, maybe siting underneath it. Obviously this would increase the
height, but ok for those who don't have theirs under a counter.

Opinions?

Sounds doable, some shower fan ducting could be used to carry the
airflow from the drier to an adjacent heater and back rather than
siting it underneath.

The best place to connect in the drier would be after the lint filter
to stop the heater getting clogged with lint, and a fairly powerful
mains duct fan connected across the drier thermostat would regulate
the heating.

Might be easier to use the element from an old kickspace heater or a
couple of car heater matrixes from a scrapyard instead of hacking into
the existing one.

As long as the external heater can provide a couple of kW from the CH
it should do a good job.

cheers,
Pete.

Christian McArdle wrote:

IME only the gas heated US externally units work satisfactorily as
dryers.

But then, US appliances tend to use about 3 times the
energy/water/detergent/whatever per cycle.

For a dryer, the energy consumption should be the same or less. The
efficiency is a direct function of heat transfer between the source and
the clothes. IME the US products work better because of their larger
drum.
At the end of the day, drying efficiency is not the total story, clothes
which you do not have to iron are worth paying for(she tells me)!!

The new low temperature washing cycles are being used in the US as well
as Europe and their spin cycle is IMO more effective at extracting
water, so the efficiency is potentially more or less equal. Anyway, if
you want clean bug free clothes, you need high temperatures and lots of
clean water( or something toxic in it). If anybody tells you otherwise,
they have never tried measuring the results of diluting acid with water,
the more water, the weaker the acid concentration.

Regards
Capitol