Tumble Dryers!

[Tallulahbella]

Sorry, long post and very first world problem!

AIBU to replace an expensive Samsung heat pump tumble dryer with a cheaper condenser dryer?

I previously had a cheap condenser dryer and was I used to the quick drying of towels/bedding, accepting the compromise that they didn’t come out smelling laundered (smelled of nothing) and I had to be careful what I put in to avoid shrinking/damage.

Since last year I’ve had the Samsung heat pump and the benefit is it’s so gentle on clothes, I can put literally anything in it and it comes out smelling as nice as if it’d been line dried, however it takes FOREVER.

Its definitely got worse. As an example I put towels in at lunch time yesterday, they were on until we went out for dinner/cinema last night at 6pm. Back on at 11pm and I had a notification it had completed at 5am, got up this morning and still wet so have been on since 8am, it’s now 9am - that is 13 hours!!!!!

I have tried a small load - 6 hours to dry a duvet cover and 2 pillow cases. 12 hours for 4 bath towels.

I am still in warranty so had someone out yesterday who said the heat exchanger at the bottom needed to be “immaculate” before he’d be allowed to do anything and there were no faults on the machine. He suggested cleaning by scraping with tweezers?! I have cleaned as instructed, at the frequency instructed with the brush provided. After his visit, I DID lie on the floor for an hour scraping each of the metal grids and to be fair, some gunk did come off but I since then has been this 13 hour towel marathon.

I don’t believe for a minute that people are lying on the floor scraping vents with tweezers as part of BAU maintenance in 2025 🫣

I don’t know whether to get them out again with my shiney vent, knowing I may be charged this time for “non-fault” call out or just cut my losses and replace.

Everytime it does it’s little song to tell me it’s finished and I open the door to wet stuff, I feel like taking a sledge hammer to it 😭

Also, if I didn’t WFH I literally wouldn’t be able to use it as I wouldn’t run it when no1 home and wouldn’t have 12 hours a day at home!

I’d get rid and just buy a condenser dryer. Mine is a cheap Candy 10kg and dries most things in 45 mins or less.

I'm sure for the money you've spent you're entitled to a working tumble dryer OP.
I would push for a return - sounds like you've had it less than a year and they are trying to fob you off.

It’s not old technology. That poster has no idea what they’re talking about.

I’d never have anything but a vented dryer again as they’re so much better than condenser and heat pump models.

I think your machine has a fault. We have a Samsung heat pump machine, maybe even the same model. It takes longer than a normal dryer but nothing like the times you say. If its still in warranty I'd push back if I was you

I had a condenser dryer that worked well for nearly 8 years and then one day packed up about 2 years ago.
Where I live, near sea, it is easy to get clothles dry on the line and finish off indoors if need be. As a result haven't bothered to get a new one, Tim, the tumble dryer still sits in a cubby hole in the kitchen and looks after onions and potatos as it's cool and dark. Nothing sprouts and keeps for months.
Nice work Tim 😄

I’ve owed a lot of Samsung stuff, washing machines, condenser dryers, fridges, freezers etc,never again.
Had someone come out to a brand new washing machine that dripped water from the front door seal, engineer while apologetic said to live with it, it was a known fault and Samsung didn’t give a monkeys, and even a new replacement would have the same fault, stick a tea towel under it and make do.. I shit you not, nope never buy Samsung now.

I am dreading my integrated white knight vented dryer breaking down. It's 10 years old and brilliant as it dries a whole load in an hour. I don't understand why they don't sell integrated vented driers anymore.

My white knight is older than that runs on bottled gas I dread it dying

Our old vented dryer broke a couple of weeks ago. I called the engineer but while waiting for him (he was away for a week) I did some research to decide if it was worth getting fixed vs getting a new dryer. With research on drying times, and realising that we're close to out of time on getting a new vented dryer, we just got a new vented dryer. There are very few still available to buy due to EU energy regulation changes in July (which the UK is following despite not in the EU). I know you're talking about a condenser dryer but someone above commented on them..

Definitely something wrong with it with those times, probably the moisture content sensor. Get another engineer to it..

They may take longer but the technology uses less energy overall.

Totally agree, I've been taking towels to the laundrette to get dried as this house is humid and some things end up musty if not dried 100%! I'm glad you started this post because I am definitely investing in a wee tumble dryer for our new house. X

I know you say you turned it off when you went out but please also don’t sleep with it running, just not worth the risk

Team tumble dryer here.
we have a hotpoint condenser. Condensed into a pipe and out the same drain as the washing machine.
we tumble most things and hang what can’t be, in the utility, using the residual heat from the tumble dryer. I have a dehumidifier too - but on the occasions I turn that on it doesn’t seem to collect much water if any.

have an expensive heated rail with cover thing from Lakeland … used it for about two weeks. Dried about three loads of laundry, because it took that long to dry. School shirts washed on Friday night had to be tumble dried on Sunday afternoon - notable spike in electricity usage. Should have taken it back, but bunged it in the pile of doom in the garage instead. 🫣

How do u get your washing dry in winter

Thanks everyone for the comments. Samsung don’t really care, said they can send the engineer back but if no fault found then I’ll be charged a no fault call out. That’s basically what will happen because the engineer has already plugged it into some sort of machine that said no fault so it feels a waste of time/money.

I don’t think it’s fair/acceptable but I’m done with the machine and the customer service.

It’s 3pm on Saturday now and the towels I’ve been trying to dry since 12pm Friday are still damp.

I know its faulty and I know there seems to be a lot of good experiences here with heat pump but I feel a bit stung so am accepting it as an expensive lesson for now and have ordered a beko condenser to save my sanity and move on.

I liked the previous posters comments about residual heat drying what is on the line in the utility as that’s my set up too so hopefully the best of both worlds.

Appreciate the fire safety comments as well, I’d never leave it on when I’m out and was at the end of my tether leaving it on overnight last night - I am abandoning all laundry until the new one arrives on Wednesday so that was a first and last occurrence.

It will be picked up as scrap metal and I will never have another Samsung appliance (although I’m happy with the washing machine for now 😆)… I might try heat pump again in the future, once I forget this experience

Has it always been like this? It doesn't sound right at all tbh. Our beko had a phase of similarly not drying stuff for hours and we cleaned filters, wiped a cloth around the inner rim to clean the sensors, cleaned around all the seals and the area where the lint collector sits. All ok now. Still not entirely sure which one of those actions fixed it but I don't think it had been happy with me putting wetter than normal stuff in it.

The majority of stuff will try within the 3 hr 15 cycle, which I'm ok with as I've never known any different as we used to get by without one.

I live in Scotland so dry days are few and far between 😆

I’ve got a Samsung head pump condenser dryer - we’ve never had any issues with it!

I hate cleaning the vent at the bottom- my tip iss use the hoover… it’s very good at getting it out. Ours never takes as long as that though so yours must have a fault.

Weve also got the washing machine and I love it.

if you’re going to get another condenser dryer I recommend Beko. Our previous house builder gave us Beko appliances in our old house. 6 years of use by us and no issues and it’s still going strong being used by my nan! It’s fantastic.

We've got a Bosch 8kg heat pump dryer, which is 8 years old and has never missed a beat although we probably only use it once a fortnight these days.

For those questioning the efficiency of heat pumps, a few years ago I dug up the the actual specifications for ours and Bosch's 8kg condenser. For a full load cotton cycle the condenser uses 4.63kWh, but the heat pump one only uses 1.86kWh. At the current energy price cap for electricity of 26.35p per kWh that's a 73p saving every single full load.

You do you, and stick with your "current" technology that is so up to date it's being phased out.

I'll do me, and stick with the modern and energy efficient drier that I selected after weeks of very geeky research into the options available (and to be honest, vented was my default starting point before I researched extensively, so I didnt go in biassed against it). I'm quite happy that my desicion is better for the planet and better for the humidity etc inside my house, and I'll continue to feel unbearably smug about my choices.

I've never considered a condenser dryer as I've only ever heard less than favourable reviews (they're OK but don't completely dry). I have a very basic, cheap tumble. Nothing takes longer than 90 minutes to dry, and that's on the low heat setting. I do, however, set the washing machine to its max spin setting for anything that's going in there. I can't begin to imagine how much running a dryer for 12+ hours must cost!

I've a Samsung heat pump condenser and a full loads of towels is probably 2½ hours at the most.

I bought a Miele heat pump dryer after the Bosch condenser finally died after 10 years. I read all the reviews and wasn't sure it wouldn't take longer. However, it has been brilliant and takes a lot less time than the clapped-out Bosch. I realise it's a big investment to make upfront and I could only afford it because the kids have grown up but it's definitely worth it if you can.

Might be a long shot but did you pay on a credit card for the dryer? Might be worth looking into whether there's any way you can report it to them as goods not fit for purpose, and have them do the chargeback?

Just buy a cheap condenser

I had a Miele dryer for about 15 years until it died. I replaced it with a Beko - about £250 - and no significant difference in the drying time. The Miele replacement would have been well over £1000. I doubt the Beko will last as long but time will tell.

I also have a basic AO dryer in my other house - Electra is their own brand I think- again about £250. Dries absolutely fine.

No way on God's green earth would I leave a dryer on when I'm out.

You must have the patience of a saint to be putting up with that for a year!