Heat pump tumble dryer

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About a year ago my old vented dryer broke and I bought a heat pump dry, sold on the energy efficiency. We are a busy household of 5 teens and 2 adults plus pets.
We have an 8kg candy model.

I can't tell you how bloody long it takes to dry the clothes.

Half a load rakes about 2.5-3 hours. A full load takes 5 hours to be properly dry.

Does anyone else have this issue? I know they are meant to be slower than vented and condenser dryers, but it's driving me mad. I can't get through the laundry quickly enough and it's constantly piling up.

Are there any hints people have?
Are condensers better? We have remodeled the kitchen and now couldn't have a vented one, but I need to do something...

Washer/dryer combos are always crap, heat pump or not. They take forever and can't do a full load.

I’ve got a Hotpoint heat pump dryer. It never takes longer than 2-2.5hrs to dry a full load. It does need to be kept maintained though, so cleaning all the lint out behind the filter in the door, I use a radiator brush, and making sure the sensor is clean. You have to, also, keep the “second filter” as I call it clean, it’s at the bottom behind a little door, otherwise it’s not as efficient.

I have a 9kg Beko heat pump tumble dryer - it was a Which Best Buy. It dries a huge load in two hours, so I think yours is just crap!

There are definitely better models! I’ve had an AEG for a couple of years and it’s brilliant. The longest it takes is about 3 hours on eco setting for bath sheets, otherwise I don’t see much of a difference in times compared to my old one, and it’s WAY kinder to clothes. I think it really is one of these things where you get what you pay for
The Cost was a bit eye watering at about £1200 but we got it on interest free credit from John Lewis, but I worked out it would pay for itself in about 3 years

We had a meile heat pump one-absolutely shit. Took literally all day to dry the smallest loads. Couldn’t ever put in towels or sheets as by the time it managed to dry them, they stank. Have just got rid of it and have bought a condenser; it’s bloody marvellous! Towels done in under an hour. Lush. Can’t tell you the difference it has made to my life. Doing the washing and getting it dry was literally the bane of my life and I had airers everywhere. I don’t understand how it’s better for the environment for a heat pump tumble dryer to be on all day Vs the condenser dryer for 40 mins…

I've got a Hisense 9kg one that I've only had a few months and I shove everything in together and we have a lot of heavy washing (wet bedding). Honestly it's fab and actually better than my old Candy condenser dryer. I put most stuff on the synthetic dry that takes 58 min and I think only once have I had to put it on for extra time.

@MrsElijahMikaelson1 Heat pumps are much more efficient and use less energy. It's not about how long something is on for, it's about how many units of electricity it uses in that time. Our old condenser took about 5 units to do a load, which is about £1.20 a load. Our heat pump dryer takes under 2, less than 50p.

I have a 9kg washing machine and 10kg condenser dryer- it dries a load in about 45mins

I’ve got one and all I use it for is to finish drying clothes that are just a bit damp after being hung outside. I tried using it yesterday to dry clothes that had just come out do the washing machine. Two hours later they were still wet and all tangled up so I hung them on an indoor rack. I really wouldn’t recommend them. I also found d the electricity bill shot up when I first got it and tried to use it regularly . So it’s just a waste of space.. literally.

What brand is the condensor dryer? I had one before the heat pump and it was fantastic.

I have always hated my condenser dryer, I find it ten times worse than when we had a vented! Saying that so many people I know find it fine it literally feels like I’m going mad!!!

Mine is a Beko .

I do my sheets and towels 60c wash on Sunday when the electricity is half price so a dryer needs to be quick to get them dry in the cheap time, no good it dragging on for hours and using the full price electric as there wouldn't be much saving, I'm looking to perhaps buy a new vented one to hopefully see me out before they are banned from sale.

Can't remember what make mine is, I think it's kenwood but mine doesn't take that long. It will say 2.5 hrs on starting but self adjusts.

If its a heavy load, jeans, towels etc. I put a small dry towel in....it helps to dry quicker but don't ask me how, I have no idea! Just know that it does work.

We've got a Bosch heat pump condenser. It has heat settings 1 to 3 and I tend to set it to 2. It usually estimates a 4hr drying time but it's always less than that - around 3 hours max. I'm very happy with it.

I’ve got mine plumbed in to the washing machine waste so I don’t need to empty it. Which makes it easier.

We have this one also. No complaints here.

For us a load in the the heat pump is less than half the cost of doing it in our old vented so we'd still be better off swapping. The vented machine you are looking at must be much more efficient than ours was.

We have a Samsung one. Over 5 years old now, takes about 3 hours on a 7kg load. I try to do at least one load a day (5 of us in the house) so it's not a problem. Make sure the filter is clear and clean as this slows down the drying time

Ours is in an unheated room so a heat pump wouldn't be very efficient anyway, room is an unheated storage room at back of house so probably similar to a conservatory

I also have a Candy heat pump dryer OP. The first one failed (sensor I think) and agree about the time and effectiveness of the drying.

Before buying it I never knew about the room temperature requirements, so now we have to make sure the rad is on in the utility just to make sure it doesn't conk out again.

Sometimes I put clothes on the airer & use the dehumidifier instead on laundry mode, I think it's way better at drying than the heat pump dryer.

Do they not work then in cold rooms, I thought they were just less efficient, the room is generally about 8c to 15c in the winter, it's 14 at the moment as it's quite mild out

Was just about to buy a heat pump. For the garage, not insulated and not heated. So this is a good thread to have read.
What's the better option for dryer for a garage please? We do lots of loads of towels and overall at least 1 load per day and I am so sick of the house having washing racks and it draped on every heater and sheets on doors.

A condensor.

I've got a Haier heat pump one. Is fine. When I start the load it has a long drying time and reduces right down after a few mins and has measured the load