Tumble Dryers – A Quick Guide

During the cold and wet weather, drying your laundry outside isn’t always possible, and for families living in homes without a garden, it can be difficult to get the washing dry quickly. This is where a tumble dryer can be a godsend. Not only do they dry clothes quickly and quietly, but they also leave you laundry smelling fresh, feeling soft to the touch, and quite often there’ll be no need for any ironing. 

You’ll find some fantastic offers on tumble dryers from ASDA, but before you buy, it’s important to take a look at the two types of dyers available – vented and condenser – and examine the pros and cons of both.

Vented

A vented tumble dryer takes the warm, damp air produced when drying your clothes and discharges it through a 2m plastic hose. You’ll need to install the machine near an outside window, or some models come with a venting kit, which means the hose can be fixed to a vent in an outside wall.

Condenser

Condenser dryers separate water from the moist air into a container, which is emptied after drying. For added convenience, this can also be pumped out via the washing machine plumbing if possible.

Pros and cons

As a rule, vented machines are cheaper to run than condenser models. On average they normally use less energy, but you will need the space to install a vented tumble dryer near an outside window or wall, which may not always be possible if you live in a flat. It may also be inconvenient to have to keep a window open while you’re using the machine - especially in winter.

Condenser dryers have the advantage over vented machines in the fact that they can be installed in any well-ventilated room in your home. However, they are more expensive to buy, and you need to remember to empty the plastic reservoir and service the condenser chamber regularly too.