Condenser vs heat pump

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Not really a AIBU. Following my previous thread on the endlessly riveting topic of laundry drying, I will bite the bullet and take out a kitchen unit to accommodate a tumble dryer.

I have to keep moisture in the room to a minimum and want clothes to actually get dry. Not warm and damp then requiring the radiator routine. Is it too much to ask?

So starting a new thread on the question of condenser or heat pump?

I've just seen something on Which saying that a recirculation heat pump dryer is more efficient than even a heated air dryer!

I’ve had both and my heat pump (Samsung eco bubble) was the worst thing I’ve ever had. So many call outs, took forever and never got anything really dry. I have had cheap ish £270ish Hoover dryers since (condensers) and much prefer them. Our current one has been going for years now and is super quick. I tend to just use the 30 min cycle to finish stuff off after it’s been on the airer.

I've got a Samsung heat pump dryer which works well and doesn't make the room damp (it's in a small utility room so I think I'd notice if it did). It does take longer than the vented dryer it replaced, but it's much more efficient.

Bosch series 6 heat pump condenser tumble dryer is great. It takes a massive load too.

Heat pump. Cheaper to run.

Ive just moved to a house with a combined washer/dryer and it seems good, but the dryer is expensive, so I’m using the heat pump one we brought with us that’s in the garage.

My Zanussi condenser one is fast and efficient & a lot less to buy in the first place than the pump version, there also a lot less to go wrong.

I think it depends on how use it will get, pump is cheaper per load.

I chose a heat pump because of the difference in running costs, they are much more energy efficient. Mine's a budget friendly Logik and I love it. Quiet, efficient, does what's needed.

I have a condensor which is coming up 9 years old, had one issue with the sensor going a couple years back which was fixed and haven't had any more problems. It's quick and efficient and dries properly - nothing comes out slightly damp.

We have just had a heat pump and have had a vented and a condenser in the past.
Heat pump is very slow and only takes half the advertised 8kg unless you are using the cottons cycle. Despite that it does get stuff dry eventually if you make sure to choose the extra dry option. It’s much cheaper to run but you are likely to find it painfully slow if you are used to a vented or condenser. Plus I am confident putting more stuff in it as it’s gentler and doesn’t cook your clothes to a crisp! It’s reasonably quiet.

I've got a Bosch heat pump and it's brilliant. Costs me no more than it used to cost to run a dehumidifier and I don't find it painfully slow (I do wfh though so am usually not up against the clock to get a load dry).

I recently got a heat pump dryer and I'm really happy with it. It's so cheap to run and everything comes out toasty every time. Mine has a fast 40 minute setting if you're in a hurry which is really handy as some of the standard ones are quite long.

Heat pump, more expensive upfront but costs very little to run. I have a Samsung condenser Heat Pump drier.

Here’s its stats for this month and this week. I’ve done loads of drying this week as I’ve been doing towels and bed sheets in it.

I have it set for the average cost for electric for East Anglia which according to the app is 26.43p /kWh. That should give you a good idea of the running costs.

I have a heat pump by Beko and it's great. Gets things perfectly dry as long as I use the cupboard dry option with the + setting.

What I did find while researching was that if your heat pump dryer is to be in an unheated room, then it's no good because the air that comes out cools too quickly to be of use for heating the drying clothes. We've had ours in the bathroom and kitchen and it's been fine. If you want it in a garage or outhouse, get a condenser instead.

I don't find it takes long. About 90 mins to dry a 7kg ish load. It always estimates 2h40 but it always takes much less time than that.

Our heat pump one is amazing. We replaced a condenser and the heat pump is so much more energy efficient, plus it's far gentler on clothes. They don't come out steaming and it doesn't shrink them like standard ones too. I can chuck everything in the heat pump one now, even jumpers that the old one would have shrunk a lot.

Takes about 2-2.5 hours to dry an 11kg load, sometimes less depending what kind of stuff is in it.

We recently replaced a condenser dryer that we had worn out (in multiple ways and it had already been repaired - we have an incontinent and messy adult DS so lots of laundry) with a heat pump and while it is much cheaper to run, cycles are taking forever with the colder weather and it seems to be on all day, just to keep up with the laundry.

I found that when I was researching them, the better the energy rating, the longer the estimated cycle length.

The only time I have things coming out damp is when I've mixed a lot of thinner fabrics with something thick like a pair of jeans or a hoodie. But i just take everything out and then put the damp things back in to go through the next cycle and then they're fine. If I'm not running another cycle straight away, stick them on on the same cycle and the sensor kicks in and will stop it after 15 mins or so. Or hang them over a banister/stairgate to finish them off.

I like the sensor because it's not keeping drying things longer than necessary. I've also done stuff like paused the cycle with 5 min to go, taken 90% of it out, put in the stuff from the next wash load and pressed play and it adjusts the time and fully dries it all.

Thanks for the suggestions please keep them coming.

The idea of a heat pump running for hours on end seems like torture! I want dry clothes quickly!

I hate our heat pump, takes forever to dry anything, is a hassle to clean and seems to leak a lot from the condenser bit.

i really want an cheap old style vented one but I don’t even think you can buy them anymore. I know they aren’t energy efficient and cost a lot to run but they dry a load in less than an hour.

I have a new heat pump in the garage and I hate it. The old one was vented but the heat pump needs emptying as it can't be plumbed in where it is. A stupid mistake and expensive to boot.

We used to have a Hotpoint heat pump dryer which I hated. The sensor didn't work so it stopped with the clothes still damp even though it had been running for an eternity. Replaced it with an Indesit (also heat pump) with some trepidation but it's so much better. A large load dries fully in 2-2.5 hours which is plenty fast enough for us. Much cheaper to run than a condenser but I guess it depends how often you use it whether it's worth the extra purchase price.

I have this one it’s brilliant has lots of drying programmes even one for down,towels, mixed fabrics & lots of drying levels & not that expensive to run.

For a large load usually takes between 90/120 minutes & that’s cupboard dry, also have a small load programme that takes forty minutes.

Heat pump is just a mindset change. I can’t dry something in twenty mins but then stuff doesn’t come out frazzled and roasting. Ours takes about 2.3-3 for a load (12kg capacity) and leaving it in for thirty mins after makes it work best or it can be a bit moist. I love it though and do less last minute washing. Big running cost savings

I love my heatpump dryer - it holds the water in a drawer so I can empty it down the sink rather than a pipe outside. It's mega cheap to run and drys well - usually if finishes and I restart the cycle for 30 mins for maximum straight into drawers dryness. I will never go back to condenser.