Tumble Dryers: Types, Cost and Fire Safety

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Tumble Dryers: Types, Cost and Fire Safety

Vented, condenser and heat pump, running costs, lint and drying without one

Tumble dryers vary enormously in running cost, and one maintenance job on all of them is a genuine fire safety matter.

Clean the lint filter every single cycle

Lint is highly flammable and a blocked filter makes the machine work harder and run hotter. Tumble dryers are a recognised cause of house fires, and the overwhelming majority of those are preventable.

Clean the condenser unit or heat exchanger on the schedule in the manual too, and keep the area around and behind the machine clear.

Do not run a dryer overnight or when leaving the house, and never dry anything that has been in contact with oil, solvent or cooking fat, which can self-heat after the cycle ends.

The three types

Vented dryers expel warm moist air through a hose to outside. They are cheapest to buy, need a vent route, and are simple.

Condenser dryers collect moisture in a tank or drain it away and need no vent. They are convenient and use a similar amount of energy to vented.

Heat pump dryers recycle heat and use roughly half the electricity or less. They cost more, take longer per cycle and are far cheaper to run over a few years.

Running cost

Multiply the stated annual consumption by your unit rate. Over the life of a machine, the difference between a heat pump and a conventional dryer is usually larger than the difference in purchase price.

Drying without one

Spinning at a higher speed removes far more water before drying starts. Outdoors is free. Indoor drying releases a great deal of moisture into a house, so ventilate the room.

Buying

Measure the space including door clearance and the route in, check the noise rating in decibels if it sits in a kitchen you use, and confirm whether installation and removal of the old machine are included.

Check whether the drum reverses, which reduces tangling and creasing considerably.

Washing machines and drying together

A higher spin speed removes far more water and cuts drying time and cost considerably, which is worth more than the dryer specification for many households. Check the spin speed when buying a washing machine.

Washer dryers dry a smaller load than they wash, which catches people out.

Maintenance

Run a hot maintenance wash monthly on a washing machine, leave the door ajar between washes and wipe the seal, since neglected door seals are the usual cause of smells.

Looking after clothes

Heat is what degrades elastane, shrinks cotton and cracks prints. Use a lower heat setting and remove items slightly damp.

WHERE TO BUY

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