Siemens tumbledryer does not dry

[paddingtonpear]

We have a brand new tumbledryer that does not dry. It’s a Siemens WT46W381 and we bought it because the man in the shop said it was fantastic and really efficient (it has A++ rating). We hang up most of our laundry but I wanted a tumbledryer for when someone’s ill and you have heaps of laundry or when you get back from holiday, and for when you’ve had washing hanging in the garden all day and just want to blast it for a few minutes so you can put it away. So when we were doing up our house I thought we’d splash out and bought this fancy one which the man in the shop recommended.

It does not dry things.

At first I thought I was doing something wrong so I read the manual and tried different programmes, put in different stuff, just a few pairs of socks or one duvet cover. Even on the “Cupboard Dry Extra” cycle it dries until things are a bit damp and then it turns itself off, occasionally giving things a little spin so they don’t crease but not drying any more. You can’t override it by selecting a different programme or trick it by turning things inside out, it just won’t dry any more.

I rang the shop and they said that wasn’t right and I had to call an engineer so he came yesterday, tested the machine, and said nothing was wrong but that they’ve had LOADS of complaints about this model (including some people who’ve insisted it’s sent back to the factory but each time it’s tested it’s fine) because, “It’s not designed to dry things completely. It’s designed to leave things a little bit damp.”

????!!??

So I rang the shop back and they refused to believe me, then they said the engineer must be wrong, then they took all the details including the visit reference and said they’d investigate and ring me back but they haven’t. I tried again this morning and asked to speak to the manager but he wasn’t working today.

I also rang Siemens customer services who said I had to email Customer Liaison because it’s not a fault with the machine—it does what it’s supposed to do, it’s just designed to be useless.

I feel like a complete mug because when you read about this machine online it has this review on the JL website:

“If you want a dryer which dries your clothes, etc, then this is NOT the product for you. It takes 3 hours to 'cupboard dry' a load and when it is finished the laundry is still damp. You then have to put the laundry in an airing cupboard or hang it on radiators to finish the drying. Siemens says this is being 'energy efficient' - actually the only reason it does not use mega amounts of electricity is because it only does half the job. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT OR YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED TOO.”

I can’t really put it better than that. If I have to hang up the stuff anyway then using the machine actually means I spend more time doing laundry, and it’s taking up the space where we could have a tumbledryer that actually works. Not to mention it was really expensive even though it was on special offer!

I’ve looked up trading standards and they say

“Goods should be … fit for any purpose that is made known to the trader - goods must be fit for their general purpose and any particular purpose that a consumer makes known to the trader at the time of buying the item For example if you buy a sleeping bag it must work as a sleeping bag. You are legally entitled to a refund, replacement or repair if goods do not conform to the contract.”

I did not say when I bought the dryer that I wanted it to actually dry things because I thought that was obvious.

What do you think I should do? The shop I bought it from is a local independent and I quite like them so I don’t want to cause trouble, but I do want a tumbledryer that works!

Dear mumsnet what shall I do?

[paddingtonpear]

Sorry bit of a rant I just feel stupid and powerless and cross.

[SwedishEdith]

I've got a heat pump one as well and it does take ages but I think that's a "quirk" of them. I find I must, must clean the filter out properly regularly. And that includes the bit below where you lift out the filter - where you open up the front of the machine. Discovering that (and it took me a year!) made a big difference. Can't remember the name of the cycle I use now but it's the heavy cotton or something one. I'm sure some of the others probably work ok but cba trying them out too much.

[paddingtonpear]

It's been like this since the first time we used it, even on the cottons "Cupboard dry extra" cycle. I don't mind it taking ages but I do mind it not drying at all! I clean the filter every time (including underneath the lint trap). We've only had it two months and I've been travelling for work so not even used it that often. My DH says we might as well throw it away but I couldn't afford another one. Very disappointed!

[SwedishEdith]

Oh, if it's not actually drying stuff then it's not fit for purpose so yes, pursue it with the shop. That's who your contract is with.

[paddingtonpear]

Thank you!

[caravanista13]

We had the same problem with our new dryer. Can't remember the make and am away from home tonight, but will check tomorrow as we did find a way to adjust it.

[paddingtonpear]

Shop says they might replace it with one that actually works. They are waiting to hear back from their Siemens rep, but said if I was really unhappy they might swap it for a different dryer. Just in case I am now doing research into better options! All advice very gratefully received.

[caravanista13]

Ok - ours is the identical model. On p6 of the operating instructions leaflet there's a section called 'Fine Adjustment of the Drying Result' - we adjusted it to the highest level and its dried fine ever since.

[paddingtonpear]

Thanks so much caravanista! I'll try it out tonight. Fingers crossed!

[davidlequesne]

Interesting to read comments as we too bought a Siemens iq700 on recommendation. My wife has insisted from day one three years ago that the dryer did not work properly, and only dried properly on certain programmes, cupboard dry etc.
We persevered and at last my wife was proven correct the machine tumbles but does not dry, as we had taken out the extra cover we called the repairer who diagnosed terminal failure of the compressor, adding that it was a common fault.
As my wife had no faith in the machine it has had very little use, now our insurers have now agreed to replace the machine.
I hope the next one is better.

[HalloToJasonIsaacs]

I also have a Siemens (but not a heat pump as all the reviews said that it takes forever and leaves things damp) and I needed to go into the complicated "Adjustments to the Dryer Level" settings in the manual in order to get it hot enough to leave things fully dry. It's a bit crap if the engineer didn't test that first.

The other thing is that you do need to sort your laundry into light weight synthetics and heavy cottons otherwise the sensors won't know when to stop. That's a feature of all modern machines unfortunately (it makes them more efficient and protects your clothes though) and you will eventually get into the habit of sorting your washing loads with that in mind. However my Siemens also has a "don't bother with the sending just blast it for half an hour!" option if you really can't face sorting.

[ExcuseMyEyebrows]

I have a similar Siemens tumble dryer which is about 5 years old now and after trying different combinations, I find I get the best results on cupboard dry extra (cottons) on low heat for everything. The washing feels a little damp when I take it out but a quick shake and it's dry.

It's an ok dryer but it's had a few major repairs during the guarantee period and although it's a condenser dryer, it makes the room very steamy (not helpful in my damp old house)

I think they've made it unnecessarily complicated - most of us just need one or two drying settings, not a whole host of options which don't even do the job properly.

[ExcuseMyEyebrows]

...and I've just noticed this is an old thread

[Oly5]

I have a Bosch that also doesn't dry - especially on cupboard dry plus! Everything is damp. It's also one of those AAA+ things

[HalloToJasonIsaacs]

Oh bugger, so it is. That's the problem with these new stealth zombie warnings.

[HalloToJasonIsaacs]

However, while I'm here - Oly, if you delve into the tiny print right at the back of the manual of your Bosch you will probably find the option to rebalance the heat settings of your machine to oomph it up a bit. Maybe I'm cynical but I suspect that they may turn the factory settings down deliberately in order to get their A+++ rating.

[ageingrunner]

I really wanted to know what happened!

[wizzywig]

I too have a seimens (dont know what model), the only cycle that seems to work is cotton cupboard dry extra. What i dont like about it is that it removes any washing powder/ lenor unstoppable fragrance. My clothes do smell machiney and not fragranced. So i use that machine for some things and my White Knight one for eveything else. Also the 'rapid cycle' is a pile of pants. Never works

[EllyAlee79]

I've just brought a siemans tumble dryer, worse thing I've ever done but I'm stuck with it now.I've been trying for a week now how to figure out how to get my washing dry and to be honest I'm ready to give up.can anyone tell me in detail how to sort this machine out

[user1477307675]

A lot of the new tumble dryers are like this. Heat pump dryers run at low temperature, so they take much longer to dry, and are sensitive to ambient temperature conditions. Also, "cupboard dry" refers to an airing cupboard - the setting is not designed to get your clothes dry. An old-fashioned dryer with a timed setting is more suitable if you really want to get your clothes properly dry. White Knight make these kinds of machines.
www.s21.com/white-knight-44aw.htm
They are cheap and cheerful, and get the job done.

[bellfarmcat6620]

I too have just spent a huge amount on a brand new Siemens WT46W490GB model,
and asked straight away why it does not work...
I was told that it did and was the best new
model in driers......
,I have tried it all ways, and cannot get anything dry at all. and now I just want it gone, and need to find my old one back .any suggestions what to do now, I also bought a Siemens Fridge/freezer and a as yet not unpacked Siemens dish washer, and am very frightened to do so, in case it is just like the drier!!!
I have just retired into a large old house, and wanted to make sure that I was well set up for old age!!

[maggiebgood]

Did you ever get your Seimen's IQ500 to work PB? We've just bought one and we are pretty devastated with it. It's rubbish.

[RTKangaMummy]

@maggiebgood I know this is a zombie thread but if possible I would try to send your one back and buy a WHITE KNIGHT one

They are cheap £140, they are a British company from Yorkshire that deliver for free and simple to use and they actually DRY your laundry!!!!!!

We had a very very old (20+ years old) TD that was very simple to use and when it finally broke a few weeks ago, I did research and found out about White Knight. We now have our new TD and it is deffo brill

Our clothes and towels etc are dry it also has a crease care in the end of cycle

The thing that put us off the expensive ones was that they had about 12 to 15 different options with sensors for everything - which seemed far too complicated (and that we probably wouldn't use them all) so for what we wanted which was dry laundry a simple cheap one like ours is excellent

Good luck with sending yours back

[RTKangaMummy]

When I say our laundry is dry I mean you could put it straight on and go to work or school straight away cos it also has crease care so no creases

[notangelinajolie]

Don't have a Siemens but have the same problem with ours Hoover one. Bone Dry, Cupboard Dry etc sensor programs but non of them dry anything. It switches off after half an hour regardless or how dry washing is. I've given up and just use the timer and set it to 60 or 75 mins depending on what I put in. That does the trick.