Tumble dryers come in three types and the difference between them is mostly about how they get rid of the moisture. A vented dryer blows damp air out through a hose. A condenser dryer cools the damp air inside the machine and collects the water in a tank. A heat pump dryer does the same as a condenser but recycles the heat instead of generating it afresh, which is where the saving comes from.
Running cost
A typical 9kg condenser dryer uses around 5 kilowatt hours for a full cottons load. A heat pump dryer of the same size uses 1.5 to 2.5. At the current unit rate of around 25 pence, that is roughly 1.25 pounds against 50 pence per load. A household drying four loads a week spends about 260 pounds a year on a condenser and 100 to 130 pounds on a heat pump. The 150 to 250 pound price premium on the heat pump model comes back inside two years.
Cycle time and temperature
Heat pump dryers run at a lower temperature, around 50 degrees against 70 or more, so a cottons load takes two to three hours rather than one and a half. The lower temperature is kinder to clothes and lets the dryer handle wool and delicates safely, which is why Miele, Bosch and AEG certify many heat pump models for wool. If you need laundry dry in an hour, a condenser or vented dryer still wins.
Installation
Both condenser and heat pump dryers need only a 13A socket. Water collects in a tank you empty after each load or two, or runs to the waste pipe through a hose on most models. Neither needs a vent, so they can live in a cupboard, a bathroom with a suitable socket, or a utility room. A heat pump dryer does want some airflow around it and a room above 5 degrees, so an unheated garage in winter is not ideal.
Who should still buy a condenser
- Anyone drying one or two loads a week, where the saving is small.
- A second home or rental property where the purchase price matters more than the running cost.
- A household that needs fast drying for sports kit or uniforms every day.
What to look for in a heat pump dryer
- A capacity that matches the washing machine, so 8kg with an 8kg washer and 9kg or 10kg with a 10kg washer.
- Sensor drying with cupboard dry, iron dry and extra dry levels.
- A self-cleaning condenser, as on Bosch and Siemens, so the heat exchanger does not need vacuuming.
- A stacking kit if it will sit on the washer.
- An A+++ rating on the old scale or Class A on the new one.
See our full range of tumble dryers, or buy a washer and dryer together on a Multibuy list for one package price.