Please talk to me about tumble dryers.

[Summerholsdoingmyheadin]

After 20 years I have finally caved in and decided that we can no longer manage without a tumble dryer. It's fine on days like today when we can get the washing outside but with 3 children and limited spare space indoors we struggle to dry all the washing on wet /cold days.
I know nothing about tumble dryers.

Is vented or condenser best?
Are vented and condenser similar in size?
How expensive is a dryer to run? We do around 10 loads of washing each week so running costs are important.
What else do I need to consider?

TIA.

I think that vented are meant to be best but a condenser can go anywhere. We have a condenser and it is great - it has a sensor so it knows when the stuff is dry.
I have no idea about running costs but it is better for your house than the damp created by drying 5 peoples stuff inside in winter. I don't think it is bad

Modern dryers cost pence rather than pounds to run - and we save money by not needing so many clothes, as they can be washed and dried the same day if need be

Depends where you are going to put it whether you can vent or need a condenser. Either is fine, just remember to empty the condensing unit regularly before it is nearly overflowing.

Religiously clean the fluff filter after every use (this is the bit that can be prone to bursting into flames)

We have an under stairs cupboard with electric where we could put a condenser dryer.
If we go for vented it would have to go in the rear porch stacked on top of the shelf that sits above the washing machine (very strong built in shelf).

Would a condenser dryer be safe to have in an understated cupboard?

We have a dehumidifier which we currently use every time we dry clothes indoors so no real concerns about damp, we just lack space for multiple airers and they look so untidy.

Put it in the porch because the nearer to the washer the better.

Understairs (not understated)

Vented are usually cheaper, and you can get much smaller ones - all the condensers I've seen have been the same size as a washer.
Where are you going to put it? If it is somewhere you can easily vent to outside, so in a utility room/garage where you can knock through an outside wall to fit the vent permanently, I'd go with that. Vents can be a nuisance if you have to open the back door in the middle of winter/pouring rain to stick the hose out. Try to have your dryer next to/above your washer, if you have to cart loads of wet washing across the house to get to it, you'll be more reluctant to use it and probably end up sticking stuff on the radiators anyway.

If you are looking at condensors, look at where the water tank is, and how easy it is to empty.

You need to look at the capacity compared to your washer - if you've got a 9kg washer and a 4 kg dryer, and always do full loads, you will need to do twice as much drying as you do washing.
The newer heat pump dryers are supposed to be more efficient than the older ones, and a lot of them have more capacity.

the porch because the nearer to the washer the better.

Very good point. Either type could go in the porch.

Vented are better
Do not under any circumstances but a Hoover model

Get one with a sensor so it turns off when the clothes are dry- much easier than ones with a timer.

Does anyone with a vented one stick the house out of the window? If so, is it a real faff? I am trying to avoid the need to employ a builder to make s vent hole in the wall so we might have to go for a condenser.

Does anyone with a vented one stick the house out of the window?

Used to. If it's in your kitchen or an attached utility room without a door, it can be bloody cold in the winter, and depending on your windows can let loads of rain in. I also had one of those ice-box condensers for a while but that was even more faffing.

If you can shut a door between you and the dryer and only open the window a small amount, then it will probably be ok.

Opening the window is a faff. It also lets in cold air and rain

I'd get a tradesman to put a hole in as it's better longer term.

I had a vented, I now have a condensor and I know what I'd have again. Hint, I'd drill a hole!

I've got a washer-dryer at the moment, which means it condenses and drains away like the washer. That's pretty much the only good thing about it (although it's markedly better than the Hoover one before it which was the least reliable appliance I've ever owned), but I don't have space for separates without the dryer going in the garage which is on the other side of the house and has no internal door. If I can ever afford to rip out the kitchen and start again, there will be space for a vented dryer built in to the plans from the start.

Just a thought- if you've got a porch with room for a tumble dryer, is it sunny, and if so could you fit a Pulleymaid system in there? We have one of these in our unheated but sunny conservatory where we dry stuff when it's wet or cold outside. Much cheaper than a TD and no running costs ( which can add up quite quickly with a TD).

Yes we have a door between the rear porch and the kitchen (as the rear porch is an extension so the original external door is between the two rooms). Draft wouldn't be a problem. It is a top opening small window so some rain might get in but not as much as with other window types. I might just go for vented and use the window on a temp basis until we get a builder to sort it properly.

The porch is small and the roof height isn't great so a pulley maid would be no good.

We have to put the vent hose out of the window in the kitchen, I got around the cold air coming in by getting some thick transparent vinyl and some sticky velcro, cut it to size, cut a hole for the vent, worked fine last winter.

I managed without one for nearly 20 years, I love it now, although it has made me lazy, it's so much easier to just stick it in the dryer instead of hanging it outside. I know it has increased our electricity bill, but I figure I will save a bit on the heating which was on constantly when we had washing to dry in the winter.

If there's a door and it's a small top window, you'll most likely be ok. It is by far the easiest option.

Thanks everyone. It looks like we will go for a vented one as the general consensus seems to be that these are the better option.
You have all been helpful.

If you whip things out of the dryer soon after it has stopped, you'll have less ironing needed too. I wouldn't be without a tumble dryer or a dishwasher.

Yes and t ds are excellent for towels So long as you remove just before they are finished ie a tiny bit damp they should come out soft and fluffy. Meanwhile hanging them on a clothes line or airer can leave them all hard and stiff.

We have a vented one
The builder bought a special window section with a vent in it