Tumble dryer in an uninsulated outbuilding: what works long term?

[Duckiewasthefirstniceguy]

We’re thinking of putting a tumble dryer in an uninsulated summer house/outbuilding and wondering if anyone’s actually done this successfully long-term.

We’re in SW London, so not Scotland-level freezing, but the building definitely gets cold in winter. Probably close to freezing overnight during cold snaps.

I’ve been trying to work out what actually works in cold rooms and it’s surprisingly confusing. Some manufacturers seem to say heat pump dryers need ambient temps above 5 or even 10 degrees, but then loads of people online seem to keep them in garages anyway.
So:

• Has anyone successfully kept a dryer in an uninsulated outbuilding year-round?
• Did you go vented, condenser or heat pump?
• Any issues with performance, damp, error messages, etc?
• Does it massively increase drying times in winter?
• Any specific models you’d recommend or avoid?

Would really appreciate real-world experiences before I spend hundreds of pounds on something that throws a tantrum every January.

My mum has her tumble drier (condenser) in her shed and has done for about 5 years with no problems.

Mine is in the garage. Never even thought about it. I lift the roller door and pop the vent out when it's running. Been there a decade. Seems fine.

Thank you. Do you happen to know what make/model? I appreciate that this is a weird question!

So, a vented one? And I assume you’ve a standard (not heated) garage?

Mine ( nothing fancy, Creda condenser) is in an unheated conservatory/porch and before that at our previous house it was in an unheated lean-to. Never had an issue and it's still going strong after 20+ years. I just open the transom windows in there.

A full load of sheets/towels/underwear takes about an hour.

I have a Beko condenser drier in my very cold garage. I think they used to be the only company who specifically stated it could be outdoors to -10 temperature. Towels take about an hour. It’s my second Beko and never had a problem

Heat pump dryers don't work in cold out buildings

Yes it’s a Bosch Series 4 - may not make that model now. To show you how basic my mum’s set up is I’ve attached a photo.

Thanks so much.

Thanks all!

Yep. Single brick, no heating....apart from the tumble dryer 😁 Actually I also have a heated airer in there but never have them on at the same time. Not enough sockets!

The heat pump ones don’t work in cold environments very well but we had a condenser in the garage for years before we moved and it was great

Friends had one in a Keter store for years with no issues.

We had a beko tumble dryer in a brick outbuilding and then our garage when we moved and it's only just packed up on is after over 10 years. We had no issues with it at all.

I am like Kangarude above - a Beko condenser that is now several years old. It’s in an unheated conservatory and if it died tomorrow I’d get another one straightaway.
I do hang washing out whenever possible but over the last 12 months or so I’ve taken to drying all my towels in the tumble dryer because they come out soft and fluffy rather than like a rock when they’ve been on the line

Another vote for beko!

We've got a heat pump one out in the garage, it's one specifically for non heated rooms. It's crap, sometimes you have to but it on 3 dry cycles to get the bastarding clothes dry and each cycle takes 3 or 4 hours. It's ok for small items like kids clothes but if you dare to put a towel in then you're looking at a two day project! Can you tell I'm not happy with it!!?

Have lived in several places where the dryer is in the shed/garage and have honestly never thought about it before. Currently have a beko condenser one in the garage 🤷🏼‍♀️

I had mine in an old brick built shed with wooden door, it did 10 years the 10 years in the house before it died 😭 it was the old fashioned type.

I have a heat pump dryer (Meile) that is housed in the garage. The central heating boiler is also in the garage so there is some protection from frost since the boiler has frost protect.

The heat pump doesn’t vent so no water vapour or water draining ( it has the option of draining into the same drain as the washing machine but it would have meant plumbing it in ) we just empty the reservoir. I think that the dryer is well insulated to stop heat loss since it recycles the hot air.

The garage is well insulated, if you are using an outdoor shed or outbuilding it may be worth adding insulation. We have air compressors at work that have to be in outbuildings, it’s safer, and they would frequently struggle to work in cold winters so we added polystyrene sheet insulation with reflective surface. It was easy to fit. Since heat pumps don’t need venting and the moisture is condensed in the reservoir, so less likely to cause mould or rot the wood in the shed.

Heat pump no condenser will work but not as well when it’s cold go vented

We have ours on the garage.

Only issue we used to have when ours was in a shed was the water freezing in the condenser bit. It’s in a garage now and no issues.

I've had a basic White Knight vented tumble dryer in our shed for 13 years - and we live in north Scotland.

I keep it off the ground on a bit of old kitchen worktop (ours is a half size). Think this helps.

I find it handy as I peg all year round so if it's just for finishing off and I pass it on way to house. Keeps all the condensation away from the house.

I grew up in a S London terrace. We, and pretty much everyone else, had their washer and dryer in the old outside loo. No problems. In fact that particular dryer, bought c. 1990 only gave up the ghost a couple of years ago, having also survived 2 house moves.

I live in rural West Yorks now. Washer & tumble are in the garage. No probs.

I now