Advice for a New Dryer Please - Budget $1500

LShaquille Oatmeal on 24/07/2022 - 16:38
Last edited 24/07/2022 - 18:34 by 1 other user

Hey folks.

We have a dryer that’s probably about four or five years old, and it’s giving us a bit of grief. It’s a vented Simpson dryer, and it lives in the garage of our brick house.

At first, if you were using the dryer and then boiled the kettle or used the microwave at the same time, we would lose power because it would trip the circuit breaker in our power box.. (I think that’s what it’s called) 😂

Now, it seems it doesn’t even need another appliance on, as we lose power after only 10 minutes of the dryer on, without any other heating appliance.

We are in the market for another dryer, and we want to be sure that the next one doesn’t give us the same trouble.

I’d really appreciate it if someone could please give me a steer in the right direction for what type of dryer I should be getting, that will help with our situation.

I’ve been hearing about heat pump dryers, and how they are more energy efficient, but I don’t know if they would give us similar issues.

Our budget is $1200 to $1500, but happy to spend a little more/less if it fixes the problem

Thank you in advance

Electrical & Electronics Clothes Dryer

Comments

  • websterp on 24/07/2022 - 16:55
    +3

    Any Bosch Heat pump model would do. You'll be winning if you could score a German made one within your budget but unlikely.

  • Kongzi on 24/07/2022 - 17:42
    -7

    Nature

    • Shaquille Oatmeal on 24/07/2022 - 17:47

      That’s great.. But what about when it rains for two weeks ?

      • Kongzi on 24/07/2022 - 17:50
        -3

        Leave it longer. It's not rocket science. People have been doing this for centuries.

        • Shaquille Oatmeal on 24/07/2022 - 18:12
          +3

          I don’t think you really commented to be of any help..

          Have a good one

        • srhardy on 25/07/2022 - 13:14

          Clothes that don't dry quickly get MOULD and the futher north and the warmer you go the worse and quicker it happens

          DONT be penny thrifty and pound foolish!

  • iamherenow on 24/07/2022 - 17:49
    +3

    You might have more appliances (rooms) on the same circuit as the dryer than you realise. Next time the power goes, I'd test each room to see what else has gone out. It might give an explanation for the issue you are encountering.

  • jaybo on 24/07/2022 - 17:51
    +9

    tbh it sounds like the electrical circuit you've got it plugged into has issues… you might be better off getting a sparky to test & tag the dryer and check the power box & circuit it's on.

    sounds like something's not quite right, good chance you'll end up with the same problem with a heat pump dryer :|

    • Shaquille Oatmeal on 24/07/2022 - 18:13

      Yeah might be worth a call to a sparky.

      Thanks legend

  • Dominus on 24/07/2022 - 18:13
    +3

    I had a similar problem 4-5 years back, and it turned out there wasn't anything wrong with the dryer, the previous owners of my place had installed either cheap or lower capacity circuit breakers. Upgraded the breakers (they were $40-50 a pop from memory) and all my power trip problems went away.

    That being said, I've since upgraded to a heat pump dryer and never looked back - grabbed an Esatto 7kg one for about $580 delivered from Appliances Online.

    • Shaquille Oatmeal on 24/07/2022 - 18:15

      Cheers mate..

      I was thinking about changing the circuit breakers to higher capacity ones, but I didn’t want to cause any issues with having things not trip when they should be

      • Dominus on 24/07/2022 - 19:11

        That's fair! In my case the sparkie told me they'd used some really weird or non-standard amperage…memory is a bit fuzzy on it now but it might've been they were 14A instead of 16A and he said there wasn't any real reason not to use the more common higher standard. It's been fine ever since thankfully!

        In your case it could also just be that there's either too many/too high a load devices on the one circuit. My issue was the dryer was on the same one as the microwave and a heater, so if using either of those at the same time as the dryer that circuit would trip every time without the upgraded breaker.

        • Shaquille Oatmeal on 24/07/2022 - 21:16

          You’ve been a huge help mate.

          Im going to upgrade the circuit breakers tomorrow as Plan A, and then Plan B will be a sparkys checkover

  • Bonsaichop on 24/07/2022 - 18:17
    +6

    Sounds like your dryer is putting out 'dirty' power and the RCD is tripping out because it is detecting variations in the power supply. It is actually an easy problem to solve, but also a hard problem unless you're an electrician or electrically minded.

    Basically there's a thing called capacitor/starter capacitor which directly connects to the motor running your dryer. This capacitor helps start the motor spinning but also filters and stops the power demand from the motor effecting how much power is at the outlets of your other power sockets in the house. Another symptom you may be noticing is that when you start the dryer it's super slow to start and makes a pretty strong electrical hum.

    The problem you're encountering when running the kettle or microwave at the same time is that the power demand is so great that it drops the voltages out of the normal range and the RCD/breaker thinks there's a power overcurrent or supply problem and trips.

    If it is the case, the part itself would be no more than $20-$40 depending on where you're looking, getting someone to fix the problem though, that's the hard part.

    Disclaimer - I'm an inquisitive idiot that repairs old electronics, i've dealt with this same problem before but before you do anything- get professional advice!

    • Shaquille Oatmeal on 24/07/2022 - 18:31
      +2

      Mate, I can’t thank you enough for your detailed explanation

      Really helps !!

  • Macgic on 24/07/2022 - 18:19
    +1

    I picked up the LG DVH5-08 8kg heat pump for $1500ish at TGG at one of their recent 10% off sales. I can't speak more highly of it, gentle on clothes and barely noticed it on the energy bill.

    • Shaquille Oatmeal on 24/07/2022 - 18:33
      +1

      A mate of mine actually just mentioned that identical one to me, and swears by it

  • Stewardo on 24/07/2022 - 19:02
    +1

    Is dryer plugged directly into powerpoint? Or are you using an extension lead, double adapter.

  • Eatslikeacat on 24/07/2022 - 19:30
    +3

    Too much power going through the 1 electrical circuit. If you add another dryer it'll likely trip again even if it's an energy efficient one because the kettle and microwave put a big surge load on the circuit. The problem is the power draw. To fix it get an electrician to rewire the property so that the kettle and microwave are on different circuits to the dryer. If you don't own the property then you'll need to ask the landlord for permission.

    • Shaquille Oatmeal on 24/07/2022 - 21:18

      Thanks legend.

      You guys have been awesome 👏

      I’m gonna change the circuit breakers tomorrow and then get a sparky to give it a once over

  • Vote for Pedro on 24/07/2022 - 21:26
    +4

    The simpson machines are the ford falcon of dryers. Nothing special but go forever.

    Heatpump way to go. Check out appliances online

    https://www.appliancesonline.com.au/product/esatto-8kg-heat-…

    • Shaquille Oatmeal on 24/07/2022 - 21:35

      Haha ! Love your analogy

      Yeah, she’s done the job but definitely time to go.

      Do you use the Essato ?

      • Vote for Pedro on 24/07/2022 - 21:52

        I do. Saves a gazillion in electricity. But be aware clothes take longer to dry.

  • achew on 24/07/2022 - 21:41
    +3

    Check periodically on homeclearance.com
    Scratch and Dent sales with free delivery. You can generally get a good deal

    achew
    'scuse me

  • xylarr on 25/07/2022 - 09:17

    If you're going to replace the dryer, definitely get a heat pump. I have a Samsung. I know someone else with a Bosch. They're all about the same - though the particular Bosch one has a neat self cleaning facility where it uses the water pulled from the clothes to flush through the condenser to push any lint out that has escaped the filters.
    The heat pump dryer will definitely pull less power - if that is indeed your problem.
    It has the bonus of not steaming up the place, though if you have your dryer in the garage that may not be as much a concern for you.
    One thing to be aware of is that drying times can be significantly longer - like at least double. What helps here is to have a washing machine with a high spin speed so your clothes come out of the machine dryer to start with.

  • Dslrfirst on 25/07/2022 - 09:50
    +1

    Get a Meile & get the circuit looked @.

  • ColtNoir on 25/07/2022 - 10:48
    +1

    Heat pump all the way.

    I just bought the 8kg haiar and it’s been great. The only downside of a heat pump (at least a cheaper one) is that you can’t do ‘cold’ air drying like you can with a vented.

  • bamzero on 25/07/2022 - 12:23
    +1

    Is it the circuit breaker or RCD that's tripping?

    A heating element on its way out can cause the RCD to trip.

    • Shaquille Oatmeal on 25/07/2022 - 14:03

      Hey mate.. It’s the little switch in the fuse box

      There are about six of them and it’s one particular one

      • bamzero on 25/07/2022 - 15:57

        An RCD will have a test button on it, and you'll prob lose power to all your GPOs as one usually covers all the GPO circuit breakers.

        If it's just one circuit breaker tripping and you've still got power in other rooms then it's an over current problem. I'd say plug the device in to another GPO that you know is on a different circuit to test but guess a dryer is a little hard to move around :) (and extra long extension cords probably not a good idea)

  • srhardy on 25/07/2022 - 13:14
    +1

    google shopping, heat pump dryer, 8kg starts at $800

  • LFO on 25/07/2022 - 17:54

    I’d really appreciate it if someone could please give me a steer in the right direction for what type of dryer I should be getting, that will help with our situation.

    Fisher & Paykel condensing dryer (~$1,300)

    Similar to Heat Pump systems but not as sophisticated and a lot cheaper. And, IMHO, they work better, more like a vented dryer.

  • user27 on 25/07/2022 - 22:07
    +1

    we've had our Aldi heat pump dryer for a year now and absolutely love it. Apparently it is an Esatto dryer which you will also find is rebadged as akai and kogan.

  • Shaquille Oatmeal on 26/07/2022 - 00:01

    Aaaarrgh !!!!

    Bosch ?? Nope only 2 year warranty
    LG ?? Nope only 2 year warranty (and Chinese)
    Beko?? Nope, apparently they suck
    AEG ?? Never heard of them
    Miele ?? Expensive and mixed reviews

    This is driving me crazy

    • bamzero on 26/07/2022 - 01:02
      +1

      You may have seen AEG in the toolshop at Bunnings ;)

      Tools are decent, no idea about their appliances but the prices are up there…

      • Shaquille Oatmeal on 26/07/2022 - 08:43

        I honestly thought they were a budget brand

    • Jethro1 on 16/08/2022 - 20:13
      +1

      I've got an Electrolux 8kh heat pump. It's AWESOME. Make sure you read the instructions!. There is a way to change how dry each dryness setting dries to. Once you change it to max, it works perfectly.
      Also, a queen size fitted sheet, top sheet and 2 pillow cases do not tangle and dry perfectly.

  • kobeduck on 26/07/2022 - 00:03
    +1

    Essatto heat pump dryer EHDP7 or something is good enough and cost half your budget. This is Ozbargain after all

  • Kapitoshka on 22/08/2022 - 13:16
    +2

    Originally (around 8 years ago) I purchased Samsung heat pump. It slowed down significantly, but still working well.
    A a bit over a year ago I purchased Esatto EHDP7 and can't recommend it higher to all of those who value a great (relative) heat pump on very tight budget.
    I'm not good at videos, but after creating a couple and seen community response I kept going… For those, who is interested:
    1. Esatto EHDP7 heat pump unboxing and first impressions: https://youtu.be/ADYYwRQ3deI
    2. Esatto EHDP7 heat pump drainage and plumbing in: https://youtu.be/3eem7F2XMJ8
    3. Esatto EHDP7 heat pump first use and stacking: https://youtu.be/4oP6CEXOPY4
    4. Esatto EHDP7 heat pump common faults, tips and tricks: https://youtu.be/YtRo1QayxAE
    5. Esatto EHDP7 heat pump cleaning the dryer and filters: https://youtu.be/zuZOMPdUwRQ
    6. Esatto EHDP7 heat pump one year review: https://youtu.be/7Sevl4Wg-8Q
    7. Esatto EHDP7 vs Samsung heat pump: https://youtu.be/Xu4PDRbEDZA

    Hope it helps.

    • Shaquille Oatmeal on 22/08/2022 - 14:53

      Wow !!

      You’re a legend

      • Kapitoshka on 22/08/2022 - 15:24
        +1

        You're most welcome. Hope it helps. Feel free to share with those who may benefit. Not easy times. Every dollar in your pocket matters especially if you are not about to sacrifice much. All the best!!

    • bamzero on 23/08/2022 - 10:56
      +1

      Well you can't be accused of not being thorough. Nice work.

      • Kapitoshka on 23/08/2022 - 11:04

        Thank you, really appreciate it. With all seriousness, would you believe how many people would send nasty comments e.g. learn to speak, your video is boring, get a proper camera dude. I'm trying very hard to keep focus on how much it helps other members of community and stay positive.
        People like you always help me to continue with what I'm trying to do (help others). HUGE THANK YOU!

        • Jethro1 on 24/08/2022 - 20:45

          Don't listen to the haters. Your videos are informative and well done

          • Kapitoshka on 25/08/2022 - 08:40

            @Jethro1: Thank you, it means a lot to me. I'll keep going as long as I feel that some people do benefit from what I create. Again, big thank you!

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