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Original poster

To hate my heat pump tumble drier? *title edited by MNHQ at OP's request*

93 replies

MarkRuffaloCrumble · 23/02/2021 00:06

After reading on here how amazing they are, I sold my trusty old £20 Facebook marketplace tumble dryer and bought a fancy £400 condenser one, as YOU LOT convinced me it would change my life!

I took the airer to the tip, as apparently you can tumble anything in this bad boy and it won’t shrink or ruin it, so no need for washing hung all over the kitchen.

Well several shrunk t shirts and many creased loads of sheets later I’m thoroughly pissed off with it and would happily swap it for my old £20 one. I could have cried when I got my new white hotel style bed linen out to put on the bed tonight and it looks like a screwed up tissue Sad. I HATE ironing even more than having washing hung up all over the place - this thing was supposed to make my life easier, not make me hours of extra work by having to iron it all.

What am I doing wrong?

OP posts:
NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 23/02/2021 06:11

I'm baffled about the people who tumble dry by choice, even when they could line dry or use an airer.

I don't have any time whatsoever to stand outside pegging out or bringing in washing. It's much much faster to transfer things straight to my tumble drier (proper heat pump one). When used properly they can eliminate the need for most ironing too.

Line dried towels are often hard as cardboard whereas mine come out of the tumble drier gloriously fluffy.

BettysButtons · 23/02/2021 06:16

I'm baffled about the people who tumble dry by choice, even when they could line dry or use an airer.

I have both an airer (Sheila maid) and tumble dryer. I use the airer to dry stuff that can’t be tumble dried.
I would tumble dry everything if I could.

WhatWouldPhyllisCraneDo · 23/02/2021 06:17

I've got a condenser dryer and never had any problems with it. It's the same size as the washing machine (8kg iirc) so a load of washing goes straight from one to the other.

Deereamer · 23/02/2021 06:22

Yanbu. I hated ours. I was so happy when it stopped working and I had an excuse to buy a proper one Grin

Clymene · 23/02/2021 06:24

I have a full time job and am a single parent. I don't have time to dry stuff on a washing line.

InvincibleInvisibility · 23/02/2021 06:25

I love my condenser tumble dryer.

No window in that room but no need either.

I don't tumble everything and don't use it in summer. But we are in a flat with nowhere to hang outside so the airer is in the lounge which is a pain.

Haven't noticed any shrinking either.

RampantIvy · 23/02/2021 06:32

My Bosch condenser tumble dryer is excellent, and doesn't cause the issues that some of you have.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 23/02/2021 07:12

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

Oh and certain items aren't suitable for tumble driers.

Knickers and socks shrink like mad, never put leggings or woollens in. Read your washing labels.

We have a washer dryer and I put everything in it - I've never once shrunk anything!

What are you doing with yours that it shrinks leggings and underwear?!

Oysterbabe · 23/02/2021 07:13

I have a heated airer that we use during the winter. I find it fine. It does take a good couple of hours and you can't overload it. Stuff goes in it on hangers so come out pretty uncreased and go straight in the wardrobe.
Things go on the line as soon as the weather is good enough

Divebar2021 · 23/02/2021 07:23

I don’t really understand why the way the dryer eliminates water would make a difference to whether an item shrinks or not. If something is going to shrink in a dryer it will shrink in either sort. My condenser is great... you can set items to be cupboard dry or ironing dry etc. Sheets will be creased unless you remove them shortly after it finishes and fold them. As soon as the weather improves it will be back out with the washing line which is much better for the clothes, household bills and the environment. It’s really depressing the amount of people who use dryers all year round when they have access to a garden.

Boxerbinky · 23/02/2021 07:26

I had my vented tumble dryer for more years than I care to admit. As the door had fallen off and it was decidedly worn out, we replaced it just before Xmas. I was so worried that the new condenser dryer we purchased was going to be rubbish.. I'd seen mixed reviews, but mine is great!

Honestly less time to dry and less creasing. I always remove certain items that may shrink based on previous experience anyway. Though the one sweater my husband wants shrinking refuses to Grin.

RampantIvy · 23/02/2021 07:59

It’s really depressing the amount of people who use dryers all year round when they have access to a garden.

I must admit that I find it odd that tumble drying is more popular than line drying for some people. I do like to tumble dry towels before line drying them though, as I don't like sandpaper towels.

I love the smell of clothes that have line dried in a cold wind.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 23/02/2021 08:02

I’ve only ever used them in a relative’s large holiday home, where there are 2 in the laundry room. There are a lot of different settings (in French) - ready to iron, etc. - and everything’s always been fine.

As for heated airers, I bought the bigger Lakeland one nearly 10 years ago for dds, when they were in a house with no TD and no space for one. It would dry even jeans overnight.

Dd1, now with 3 little dcs, still uses it all the time in winter or when it’s wet. It’s never had a cover.

Stickytreacle · 23/02/2021 08:11

I found exactly the same. I had a cheap and cheerful white knight drier that dried things brilliantly for about twenty years. Was swayed by the blurb about condensers and ended up with part dried or shrunk clothes and delicate settings hardly dried at all. After a year I cracked and bought a vented. It does a miles better job. I'd never have a condenser again.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 23/02/2021 08:12

It’s really depressing the amount of people who use dryers all year round when they have access to a garden.

Just because you have a garden, doesn't mean it's suitable for drying outdoors.

I live in one of the wettest parts of the country. It rains A LOT and the weather is really changeable. I don't want to have to hang clothes up outdoors only to bring them in and put them in the dryer anyway because they've been soaked while I've been at work.

RampantIvy · 23/02/2021 08:14

Why would a condenser be different from vented in terms of shrinkage? They both heat and remove moisture from clothes. The only difference is how the moisture is disposed of. Isn't it?

CrazyKitkatLady · 23/02/2021 08:21

We got a condenser one recently and I like it, haven’t ever had another king for comparison though.
That being said we only really use it for towels / bedding / emergency lack of drying space. When possible I prefer to dry outside and most of winter we use a dehumidifier to dry inside which works really quickly.

Merryoldgoat · 23/02/2021 08:24

My condenser was cheaper than £400 and it’s fab. Big drum, don’t overfill - nothing shrinks (provided it’s supposed to be tumbled) and my sheets are fine.

Are you overfilling?

Original poster
MarkRuffaloCrumble · 23/02/2021 08:31

@Caspianberg

Heat pump dryer is what you need. Ours isn’t vented at all as no need to, all plumbed in to drain so no emptying needed. Super king size bedding is dry within an hour.

We also have various wool settings for it, but I don’t trust dryers and wool so delicates are always hung up

Think I used the wrong term - heat pump is what I meant!! Yes, everyone said heat pump was the answer so that’s actually what o bought, sorry Grin
OP posts:
Original poster
MarkRuffaloCrumble · 23/02/2021 08:33

@RampantIvy

Why would a condenser be different from vented in terms of shrinkage? They both heat and remove moisture from clothes. The only difference is how the moisture is disposed of. Isn't it?
Sorry I used the wrong name - I meant heat pump. Apparently those are the ones that don’t shrink stuff. Will ask HQ to edit my title.
OP posts:
Original poster
MarkRuffaloCrumble · 23/02/2021 08:34

It’s also supposed to be more energy efficient, so although it takes hours to dry a load, it’s a lower heat so apparently uses less electric.

OP posts:
Molecule · 23/02/2021 08:35

I think it’s the action of the tumble dryer rather than the fact it’s a condenser. Last year I had to replace my Miele vented dryer; a perfect machine, overloaded for years, everything came out beautifully, but sadly a pipe burst above it and effectively drowned it. It was around 15 years old.

I replaced it with a Samsung heat pump one and it is crap, not only takes ages, but also does the screwing everything up, adds extra creases and I hate it. As I have a large holiday let I have to get 12 sets of bedding washed, dried and ironed in a finite time, so bought a cheap Beko condenser to supplement the Samsung. It is brilliant, works as well as the Miele (might not last as long) and doesn’t do the “screw everything up into a hard ball action.”

And before anyone berates me for tumble drying I do have 4 massive clothes lines, west facing on a hillside, but when it decides to rain for a week I need the dryers!

Original poster
MarkRuffaloCrumble · 23/02/2021 08:36

It had the option to vent or to collect the water inside, but AO couldn’t fit it as vented when they delivered. Wonder if that would make any difference?

It seems that when it says it’s finished, after 3-4 hours, there’s always at least one thing still very damp and anything cotton so screwed up. It’s meant to sense when stuff is dry and stop then. So disappointing.

OP posts:
crystalcherry87 · 23/02/2021 08:38

I've never had a problem with condenser dryers. I like my heated airer too as it cuts down on drying time and it's good for drying towels when they're damp after use but don't need washing.

wewillmeetagain · 23/02/2021 08:38

I had one, bloody awful things! Got rid of it and got a vented one, much quicker to dry.

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