Heat Pump Tumble Dryers - anyone using one?

[not done it yet]

How I hate this phrase Whatever happened to "catching fire?"

That’s OK. I’ll remember to use it more ‘offener’.

 

[not done it yet]

I wonder what difference in power consumption might be for the clothes on a rack above a dehumidifier in a confined space. Compressor type - cheaper to run; desiccant type more expensive to run but would warm the damp clothes, so dry quickerer?

 

[JOEPRO]

Tumble dryers are amongst the high-risk category for going on fire. Running at night is not the best idea, anyway, gor this reason. No very hot elements mostly removes the fire risk with these heat pump items, although fluff can build up within the machine. Miele have clearly addressed the issue, others less so.

But I'll already be dead anyway from my China Diesel Heater intake fumes remember?

 

[Shox Dr]

I wonder what difference in power consumption might be for the clothes on a rack above a dehumidifier in a confined space. Compressor type - cheaper to run; desiccant type more expensive to run but would warm the damp clothes, so dry quickerer?

I asked the same question a while back. My son was looking at buying a Condensing drier. I suggested he used a Dehumidifier in the small room they currently dried cloths in (heat from rad), for a while to see on how long it took and a cost. At least he would have some figures to compare against Manufacturers claims. His GF wasnt for this so they have a drier.... Only to be used when really needed. Apparently its been on since he bought it, and now regrets the purchase. I have suggested breaking it, bar it been under warranty he also but he took out Nut and Bolt insurance for it

 

[Seadog]

That’s OK. I’ll remember to use it more ‘offener’.

Unfortunately, the use of the phrase makes me think of a four year old that hasn't quite grasped the use of the language.

 

[Rrobson]

Where’s it going, in the house? If so then I’d go with a heat pump dryer. As others have said they are cheap to run but choosing the right one is difficult. Either splash out and get an expensive one in the hope it lasts years, or buy a cheap one and budget changing it every couple of years.
Because ours lives in the shed down the garden we had no choice but to get a conventional dryer because neither condensing or heat pump dryers are meant to work at all under 5 degrees centigrade.

 

[fizzy]

I have found an old vented dryer much better than condensing ones. One of the biggest fire risks now is because they have to recirculate the heat instead o pumping it straight out.
I always give clothes an extra spin - then hang around the AGA. Just stick them in the tumbly for the last 20 minutes to fluff them up and save ironing.
Oh and my Hotpoint is 10 years old and still going strong. It did fail once but could have happened with any make. A little thermocouple costing about 80p which I soon fixed.

 

[jonclancy]

Miele heat pump machine here. Sits in the hall. Expensive to buy, cheap to run. Large capacity and works well if time is not an issue.

Our washing machine is an 18 year old Miele. Last legs now, more due to it smelling like an old pond than mechanical (new shocks to be fitted when I have a mo, springs to be adjusted. Bearing a little noisy, but got another 100K in it, Guv). It’ll be another Miele that replaces it. DW and vacuum are Miele, too. I think I have become a FanBoi!

 

[JOEPRO]

I went ahead and ordered a £275 Bush Heat Pump dryer from Argos should do the job.

I have bought premium white good before and its a waste of time. They are all designed with a limited life span. For example a £500 odd washing machine that needed bearings and ended up they had sealed/ welded the drums to PREVENT anyone from replacing just the bearings and instead needed a while new drum assembly at £250 ish IIRC.

So cheap from now on, get a couple of years and dispose of it if required is the reality.

I will report back in the heat pump dryer as a heavy user of a traditional one!

 

[JOEPRO]

Got the Bush heat pump TD today. Appears very well made, heavy unit to be fair.

Installed and running.

I did also attach a special decal for my other half who thinks electricity grows on trees

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I did also attach a special decal for my other half who thinks electricity grows on trees

I hope you like grapes....and/or hospital food.

 

[Blobber]

Be interested to see how you get on and if there is any saving to be had, Lady Blobber loves her conventional dryer!

 

[JOEPRO]

Have put 3x loads through this new cheap Bush Heat Pump TD.

Initial impressions:

Quiet machine.
Easy to clean the filter and empty the water drawer out. It collects a surprising amount of water.
Runtime doesn't appear vastly longer to me although I wasn't in a rush today

It's set delay time tonight now that laundry has caught up.

Never had a TD with a light inside before- fancy!



Thinking about it- the way it collects water is of course more efficient! Otherwise you are paying to boil that water out the vent.

Stuff comes out dry like normal machine.

Again I didn't check exact figures just yet but I have a prepayment meter and it's showing very little change today. I would guess its about 50p a load for 2 hours or so running.

If it proves reliable this is a great machine and upgrade. The electricity savings alone would pay for its £275 purchase cost inside 24 months giving our usage.

 

[JOEPRO]

Running a test on the actual power consumption and cost during daylight electricity costs

 

[not done it yet]

Running a test on the actual power consumption and cost during daylight electricity costs

View attachment 391217

Perhaps you might elucidate on that pic? Tells me nothing, indicates something - but may be irrelevant, anyway

 

[JOEPRO]

Perhaps you might elucidate on that pic? Tells me nothing, indicates something - but may be irrelevant, anyway

It tells you it's using 600 watt load. Which is considerably less than a conventional tumble dryer at 3000 - 5000 watt consumption.

Don't worry I will report back with full and precise findings including cost when it completes its cycle shortly

 

[JOEPRO]

RESULTS:

Full Load - Extra Dry Cycle Full dry setting also selected.

Total Run time : 1 Hr 54 minutes
Power consumed: 1.094kw/hr
Peak load: 706watts
Low Load: 9 watts
Cost to run: 30.83pence. (Based on my tarif of 28.19p inc vat)

Pretty damn good very pleased with that. My Econ 7 cost per load is then about 10p!

 

[JOEPRO]

We do roughly 1 load a day. Sometimes 2 loads in winter.

Compared to the cost of running a conventional dryer at roughly £1.50 a cycle with the purchase cost of this heat pump machine at £275 it will pay for itself in about a year if used during peak times. Econ 7 pay pack time will be longer.

But still the running savings are very good much more than I expected.

 

[Colin Barron]

I went ahead and ordered a £275 Bush Heat Pump dryer from Argos should do the job.

I have bought premium white good before and its a waste of time. They are all designed with a limited life span. For example a £500 odd washing machine that needed bearings and ended up they had sealed/ welded the drums to PREVENT anyone from replacing just the bearings and instead needed a while new drum assembly at £250 ish IIRC.

So cheap from now on, get a couple of years and dispose of it if required is the reality.

I will report back in the heat pump dryer as a heavy user of a traditional one!

Another option is to buy Miele which last longer and don't tangle and crease clothes. Our Miele washer 9 years no problems (£650) and heat pump tumble drier 8 years (£770) only problem has been the drum sensor brushes needed replacing (£75 easy to fix). Dish washer 5 years (£500) no problems, which replaced a Bosch scrapped at 3 years old beyond economic repair.

 

[atomant48]

RESULTS:

Full Load - Extra Dry Cycle Full dry setting also selected.

Total Run time : 1 Hr 54 minutes
Power consumed: 1.094kw/hr
Peak load: 706watts
Low Load: 9 watts
Cost to run: 30.83pence. (Based on my tarif of 28.19p inc vat)

Pretty damn good very pleased with that. My Econ 7 cost per load is then about 10p!

View attachment 391230

Just jumped on this thread from the other one. We’ve got a heat pump one too and pretty unimpressed with it to be honest - no idea on the running costs but it’s the time it takes to dry that gets us. Sometimes up to 4 hours for a load. With family of 5 and often GPs staying too it’s a bit slow. We have heated drying rack too that actually seems really effective - again, no idea on the running costs though.

Isn’t your maths out above - wasn’t it nearer 2kW total use ? Or is it 1.09 rather than 1.09/hr maybe. But looks like a handy device plugged in there should start investigating some of our appliances.