Hi all, I'm looking into getting a heat pump dryer and am wondering if it's realistic for this to replace the majority of my 'air drying'?
Ideally, I'd like to just dry most of my clothes (except for the ones that can't go in the dryer e.g wool) on a weekly basis using the dryer as opposed to having to go outside and hanging them.
Is this realistic? Thanks!
@Dejy: Yep, that's pretty much it. The Samsung heat pump dryer I have does have a reverse tumble but as you said, doesn't do it for long enough.
I thought heat pumps were way more efficient than vented.
Exactly. Do what's right for you.
Live in Melbourne. Weathers horrible. Some of us don't leave in big spaces so an indoor clothes airer takes too much real-estate. Some of us live in apartments with no gardens. Some of us don't have good heating in rooms so the clothes don't dry completely.
The one's calling others "lazy" probably live in the Mojave.
My recent approach is to use a dehumidifier inside to dry. Very gentle on clothes. It does take a few hours though, and requires a bit of space. This is in Canberra where drying outside over winter can be tricky. I honestly haven't looked into running cost though.
I bought one of the Haier models 12 months ago and love it. Has definitely been very handy the past few months where it's been cold and wet.
Really great for towels (come out super fluffy) and bed sheets/covers (even though we have spare sets can do a complete swap same day now - wash dry and back on the bed in ~4 hours).
Put most of my clothes in (except wool) and never have any issues. Do children's clothes/delicates on the baby care or delicate cycles. Takes a very long time (~2 hours) but never had any issue with shrinkage or clothes damage.
Have a few Esatto heatpump dryers in the family. Great value and with solar panels essentially drying is free whilst saving me plenty of time. With kids we go through about 6 - 7 8kg loads a week and with the dryer I can easily do 3 - 4 loads a day just saves so much time! Now, if only it could fold clothes too, because the washer and dryer combo results in clothes banking up unfolded.
clothes rack indoor heating is freer
That's what I do, dry the laundry while heating the house, is the ultimate saving. Also saved the $1000 not buying a dryer.
best invention in recent times, seeing my mom not have to do laundry hanging and go rack em up in cold ass weather is worth every dollar, id pay double for what i got it for and its still worth it. that and air fryer oh did i mention if you have solar its free
I recently purchased a 9kg series 8 Bosch HP dryer, I'm finding my clothes aren't 100% dry is this normal? They feel either slightly damp or cold (hard to tell). I select the "cupboard dry" option too
Try adjusting the drying level to be higher. It’s next to drying target setting
put it in for longer, the more packed it is the longer it takes, you just have to select a program that has a longer timer
Made the change 6+ years ago. Haven’t looked back. Family of 5. Live in Tassie. I prefer saving the time from not having to hang everything out to dry. The space saved from not having it on the line or airers in winter. Drier takes 2-3 hours depending on the load. Don’t really notice it on the power bill. Bosch serie 8.
Hmmmm. Been using a vented one all this time because thought that was the fastest, has anyone going from a condenser to a heat pump one noticed much difference?
Having both a vented and a heat pump dryer and as well as air drying… I’ll say invest in a heat pump dryer an energy efficient one and air dry sometimes. It has changed my life significantly with a heat pump, it cost less than a dollar to run and doesn’t come out too dry compare to a vented. It’s a definitely a must get if you hate air drying or don’t have the space outside to air dry
Yep we basically don't use our washing like at all. The irony is I find myself using the dryer on hot days as we have solar 😜
Is this realistic? Thanks!
I would say no. Enjoy minimalistic. Enjoy the exercise and money saving. Buying, running and replacing the machine for such a small amount of work is nonsense to me. If you had loads per day with the threat of rain etc, sure but in your case? Makes no sense.
Easy to say from QLD where everything dries in an hour at all times of the year. Heat pump dryer has been a godsend in Vic where even after a full day in direct winter sun the clothes are still damp, it's now feasible to wash my sheets every week.
Easy to say from QLD where everything dries in an hour at all times of the year.
Funny you should mention that; it's raining here this whole week. :)
I personally don't like my Bosch heat pump dryer. It seems like you can barely put anything in it before it is overloaded and doesn't dry properly. Often it runs all day and by the end everything is still damp. Cost a fortune too.
Australia is a big country, whether or not a dryer makes sense will be dependent on where you are, how much laundry do you have daily, how much drying space you have.
Waste of power and takes too long.
Are people so lazy these days that hanging out washing is such a chore?
I understand completely on WHY a dryer is handy. Family of 5, living in Canberra. Nothing dries in winter outside. Dryer is mandatory in winter. But to completely replace all your drying year round?!? Nup!
What's wrong with a clothes horse inside? In Canberra we have the heater on. Hanging your clothes inside and using the dry heat inside your home isn't hard to do.
Yes the dryer is also used to supplement, but to use it entirely as a replacement as OP has suggested? Waste of money!!
Maybe using the heater to dry clothes is more of a waste of money?
Pump dryers don't use as much power as other dryers and are ctually cost effective.
People have different houses and families, and towels dried in the heat pump are soft and nice, not usually the case for towels that hang inside.
We have a fisher and Paykel heat pump dryer.
3 young kids.
Best machine in our house alongside the dish washer.
We plumbed ours in, so one less thing to empty, just need to clean lint filter.
I ran it at night once to see the effect it has on power usage using my electricity app, and I could hardly notice a change. Our solar during the day completely covers it easily.
So for us it is life changing. Saves us so much time.
I can't speak for others who don't like it. Possibly overloading? It does take a much longer time but that's the price paid for energy saving. For us it's not a problem, just start and walk away. If you need clothes dried quickly then it's not for you. If the machine is close to a living or working area that might be annoying due to prolonged period of rumbling sound, but luckily for us our laundry is at the back of the house.
Edit: I've also noticed that washing machines' spin cycles are not equal. I have a Bosch front loader and it does a good job wringing out water during its spin cycle. My parents have an older top loader and the clothes are noticeable more wet after it's done. That will definitely make it longer for a heat pump dryer to work.
My LG is great, but I do feel it takes a bit longer, particularly using the delicate function (less heat), which I always do to avoid shrinking.
I do avoid using the dryer for more delicate clothes as I've lost shrunken clothes before. That happened using either the heat pump or the vented.
Towels, sheets, underwear, socks… They all go in the pump dryer, but I don't risk new pants and shirts.
It's a must have in my house. I can't live without my dryer.
As I am allergic to dust mites, I need it for everything.
I dry everything on the line first, and then finish it off in the dryer.
@akyeeeahdude: Thank you for the info, yea I did some more research and it seems to be because the Samsung's don't have a reverse tumble in their cycles or at least not a long enough reverse cycle to stop the tangling and it's the same as a few other brands but it sounds like F&P do. I think Miele, AEG, Asko, Electrolux and a few others have a good ratio of reverse tumble so it stops this issue. I'm currently leaning towards a Miele heat pump dryer which seems to be better at doing bedding and also has a cool auto fragrance system that makes your clothes smell great after a dry cycle, will try look out for a deal on them in the coming weeks.