Conflict over tumble dryers

[Savethem]

We are a family of 7, constantly doing laundry and we need a new tumble dryer.

Partner is insistent on a heat pump tumble dryer but I’ve read they take forever which is putting me off and want to stick with a condenser.

Needs to be either a condenser or a heat pump as it won’t be plumbed in. What’s best to go for? Any recommendations on brands/models?
Budget friendly if possible!

Thanks!

Heat pump all the way. I did research for this recently and they're way more efficient and cheaper to run.

It's a really good kind of topic to use AI to do your research on, as you can then go verify the sources they are using, but it's very quick to collate the info and give you the models which are getting the highest ratings from many sources. I'll leave you to do your own research, as the factors that are important to me might be different to you, so best to put your own in.

We switched to a heat pump after having a vented one for years. Had it about 2 years now and been pleased with it overall. It’s a mid priced Beko (not sure on model).
Main points to consider:

Don’t buy a super cheap one, worth spending a little more (but doesn’t need to be crazy expensive either)

They don’t work as well if they’re somewhere cold like a garage so if they are at normal room temperature should be fine

They do take a little longer than vented but ours is maybe 3h for a full load, so not insane. They use less energy so cheaper overall even if they do take longer.

They are much better for your clothes and I’m drying lots of stuff in it I wouldn’t have chanced before

Heat pump definitely. Yes it takes longer but so much cheaper and clothes don’t seem to shrink. Ours is Hisense.

I wouldn’t give up my heat pump drier. I’m assuming you wash laundry every day so I’d put that on a timer so that as soon as I got home it could go straight in the dryer. A second wash load could go on then if you are able to be up late enough to tumble dry it. I wouldn’t leave a drier unattended.
I do tend to put bedding on a heated airer, also rubber backed bath mats so that type of load could be second wash of the day.

Heat pump all the way. I got a Beko. I can get 2 loads of washing in mine and it costs 25p a load - its fantastic! I would recommend this one - it has short cycles too

Beko

My heat pump one is useless, quicker to dry on racks! I only use it to fluff up the towels or in emergency. 5 hours to dry 8kg of clothes

My heat pump one is useless, quicker to dry on racks! I only use it to fluff up the towels or in emergency. 5 hours to dry 8kg of clothes

My heat pump one is useless, quicker to dry on racks! I only use it to fluff up the towels or in emergency. 5 hours to dry 8kg of clothes

@hahagogomomo that is too long! Was it always this slow? What spin speed is your washer? Do you ever do an extra spin (I don’t tbh)
Do you wash the secondary filter? Mine gets very fluffy so needs regular de fluffing and less regular washing. DH does this for better efficiency and reduced fire risk (Having seen the effects of a tumble drier catching fire we are extra careful)
I can understand why you feel yours is useless. 5 hours is really only acceptable if you don’t have many loads each week.

When I looked into it a couple of years ago I was put off by the cycle length. I've a 12kg washer and my vented dryer does it in 80 minutes, a heat pump said it'd be something crazy like 5 hours.

I often get on a roll with washing so really need a dryer cycle to be a similar length to the wash cycle.

We have a Hoover H-dry heat pump tumble dryer and it is brilliant

That's bizarrely long and doesn't sound quite right. Ours is heat pump and has never taken anywhere near that.

"They do take a little longer than vented but ours is maybe 3h for a full load"

How long!!!!? My very old (probably 20 years or so) vented one does a full load in 45 minutes or so...

No way would I want one trundling itself around for three hours!

We got a condenser as I couldn't be arsed waiting hours for the heat pump load as we're a family of 6 so need a couple decent loads done at a time. It lives in the shed and works great still.

I have to say, I do miss my wee white knight 3kg first tumble dryer, dried things so damn quickly.

We love our heat pump dryer. It takes a good couple of hours sometimes more to dry a load of cottons but it dries things gently and doesn't cost much to run.
We keep the filters really clean and also researched which one to buy.

Wouldn't be without it now and also don't want a regular condenser as more expensive to run and harder on clothes.

My experience is that you need one with a really good filter system though. Our current one has 3 (Miele). Had one before that only had 2 not very good filters and the fins of the condenser got all linted up and were tricky to clean.
That tumble dryer ended up breaking and when we opened it up to see if we could fix it, it was full of lint in the inner (and was probably a fire waiting to happen).

So my opinion is heat pump all the way but do your research and get a good one.

Like most things nowadays I suppose.

Have you considered a dehumidifier as an alternative?

I would never have a heat pump again. Took ages to dry anything and even then everything felt damp when meant to be dry. I just love cheap condenser dryers. I usually just use the 30 min dry function and repeat a couple of times until things are dry. We do 2-3 kids of washing a day.

Really? I’ve had vented ones for years before now and never managed a full load in anywhere near 45 mins! Do you have a trusted old Bosch or something?

Hotpoint Aquarius... Bought it second hand from a neighbour's son at least 20 years ago if not earlier...

I do give the washing a second spin though before I put it in the tumble dryer...

I also keep checking the Hotpoint website for models that they are recalling due to dodgy electrics but mine is ever on there - shame - it would be good to get a new one after all this time!

A heads up, I read somewhere that condenser dryers are being phased out, and from this year (or next) the only dryers being manufactured will be heat pumps.

But maybe I dreamt that!

Ours is a Samsung and has lots of settings but the 2 I always use are the super speed and quick dry 35 so a load of washing including towels, is dry in around 2 hours.

I love ours, the electric bill went down too.

Like others have said, do your research. It tells you how long cycles are in the blurb on them. Took me about 3 weeks to sort through them all and reading about them and narrow down and buy.

I was wary of a heat pump dryer but recently made the switch and wouId not go back to a traditional one.

It dries really well and I have not had any issues with the washing still feeling damp. There are loads of different options including iron dry or cupboard dry.

We bought the one that matched our Hisense washing machine on a Black Friday deal.

https://markselectrical.co.uk/dh5s102bb_hisense-heat-pump-tumble-dryer

Yes, my friend only had hers for a month and got rid of it as it took so long to dry.

I read this thread intrigued as to what a heat pump dryer was. Turns out we’ve had one for four years. Doesn’t take any longer to dry clothes than other dryers I’ve used.

We both work FT in really busy jobs with young kids. Personally speed is an absolute priority. So we have a condenser one.