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