Tumble Dryers Buying Guide

Tumble dryer dashboard

One of the greatest advantages of having a tumble dryer is the fast drying times, particularly beneficial for parents with young children! They can be relatively cheap to run with large capacities and low price tags making them an attractive choice. But with so many types of tumble dryers available which one should you choose? Take a look at the tumble dryers buying guide…

Planning

Before you make a purchase you need to decide where your tumble dryer is going to go. You may decide it will be better in the garage rather than the kitchen for example and this will affect your choice. Free-standing tumble dryers give you the option of moving it from one location to another whereas integrated tumble dryers are designed to be installed within the kitchen units. Semi-integrated machines have a visible control panel with the dryer drum being concealed behind a door panel.

Selection

There’s a range of dryer types to choose from including:

Loaded washerVented dryers take the damp air produced by the drying process and gets rid of it outside the property through a venting hose. The hose can be hung through an open window or permanently installed through the outside wall – most models come with their own venting kit. Vented machines are often cheaper, use less energy, but the hose limits the location.

Condenser dryers can be conveniently situated anywhere in a well-ventilated room. They separate water from the moist air into a container which needs to be emptied after every use. The removable containers are easy to pull out and water can be emptied into the sink. Some machines will actually pump the moisture out through the washing machine plumbing. Most machines will have an indicator light to remind you that the reservoir needs emptying!

Heat-pump dryers are growing in popularity as they can use up to 50% less energy. They re-circulate warm air used in the drying process rather than letting it escape. You won’t be able to put this dryer in an outbuilding or garage as it needs to operate within an ambient temperature range.

Gas tumble dryers work in the same way as electric models but the air is warmed using gas mains. They are actually much cheaper to run but need to be safely installed by a Gas Safe-registered engineer which can be expensive.

Washer dryers have all the usual functions of separate appliances and are a practical space-saving solution if you don’t have room for both. The more you pay the more features you get, and most of them will help save energy. They tend to have a smaller drum size which may be restrictive in the size of the loads you can dry at one time.

Features

There’s a whole host of features including:

  • Woman taking out clothes from the tumble dryerHeat settings: settings may be available for cotton, synthetics, and delicates
  • Timers: to control the length of the drying cycle
  • Cool tumble: during the last 10 minutes the heating element will drop to room temperature
  • Sensor drying: will detect when clothes are dry and stops the cycle accordingly
  • Reverse tumble: keeps laundry separated and dries more evenly
  • Crease care: intermittent tumbles at the end of the cycle keep creases away

Broken Tumble Dryer?

Get tumble dryers repairs East London by searching online for a highly rated company. You’ll be able to get same-day and short notice appointments with local engineers. Your one-off charge will also include a return visit, and you’ll get a six-month guarantee on the work delivered.

Tumble Dryers Buying Guide was last modified: May 31st, 2023 by Mix Repairs