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Any recommendations for a vented dryer?
I’ve had an ISE 1607w Washing machine for the last three years – going very nicely thank you – and I agree with ISE’s philosophy of good value over the long term.
I’m looking for an equally simple, reliable, efficient and durable dryer.ISE used to do a vented dryer – any chance I could get one from somewhere?
Failing that, which dryers would you recommend for a dirty family of four who want something that will keep going and going and going, and not cost too much to run?
I was thinking of the AEG T65170AV Vented Tumble Dryer, 7kg Load, C Energy Rating, which gets good ratings on ‘Which?’
I like the look of the ISE T25WC Condenser dryer but isn’t it always better to go for vented if you can? (That’s what I’ve gleaned from the forums and advice here, including this comment by kwatt in the long thread four years ago, ‘Vented Tumble Dryer – ISE, Maytag, or Miele?’: “My advice is always the same, if you can fit a vented dryer, do so.” I wonder if his advice might have changed in the last four years with new technology?). Our dryer would sit against an external wall, so venting is possible.
Wouldn’t a vented dryer like the AEG above be more efficient and just as durable as the ISE Condenser?
Isn’t Condenser technology still relatively new and bound to get more efficient over the next few years?
By the way, I’m also looking to buy the ISE Dishwasher – big ISE fan.
Re: Best vented dryer 2014?
The AEG dryer you mentioned is an updated version of a well established design and pretty reliable overall. Likewise White Knight have a vast range of dryers they’ve been producing for years also a reliable make. Bosch vented are also worth a thought.
The problem with vented is that the vent outlet positioning is not standard. Neither is the size and shape of the outlet. Knocking a great hole through the cavity wall for the vent can also be something of a structural nightmare. And poking a hose out of the kitchen window hardly a practical option.
Condenser dryers are complex and high maintenance. Lots to keep clean and if user maintenance is overlooked can cause problems in the short term. And condenser dryers do need lots of ventilation as they are a major source of, guess what? …….condensation. 😉
Sorry, no idea about ISE, I’ve never ever seen one! 🙁
Re: Best vented dryer 2014?
Cheers for reply and advice. Bring on good drying weather!
Have you any experience drilling through cavity walls for the vent? Do people do anything to maintain the structure of the wall?
The AEG vents left, right and back. Are you saying that the back vent for a future machine could be in enough of a different position as to mean we’d need a new hole?
Best vented dryer 2014?
The position over the wall vent does not need to coincide directly with the dryers outlet. The joining vent hose links the two but you need to comply with the specifics of each manufacturers installation instructions to ensure the location is correct. What’s good for one make may not be for another. Also the shorter the vent hose the better. Height above the ground outside important has to be considered.
Your friendly local builder or plumber could fit a purpose made cavity wall dryer vent. B & Q, Dewsons Or any plumbers/builders merchants sell the kits, and the drill bits to DIY come to that!
Re: Best vented dryer 2014?
In some respects, sadly vented dryers are more or less a thing of the past.
I like them but, the public voted and apparently I’m wrong, condenser dryers and now heat pump dryers (condenser by heat pump) are the “thing”.
Like anything, there’s pros and cons.
With vented dryers they tend to be less complex, less susceptible to some extent of their environment, expel the hot air outside and tend to be easier to maintain generally.
Condensers and heat pump dryers are more susceptible to blockage, they need more care to a degree and the expelled heat and moisture is vented back into the room in part. The idea being that the condenser “condenses” the moisture in the laundry and pumps it away or stores it up in a bottle if you will.
Both heat pump and condenser will expel the heat back into the room so, again arguably, that’s a benefit when it’s colder (when you should be using a dryer) as the heat isn’t lost to atmosphere but reclaimed if you will back into the home.
The big plus is that, assuming that the conditions are okay, you can install them virtually anywhere without the need for any services bar power.
As condensers have become more and more commonplace manufacturers have concentrated on them and more or less left vented dryers be, not that you can do that much with them technology wise other than add sensors to auto dry. Or, I guess you could add yet another completely pointless internet connection.
Now condensers are becoming “done” in the same respect, they are all pretty good. The build quality varies hugely of course as usual and, the old caveat of, you get what you pay for, still largely stands but, the new “thing” is heat pump.
Heat pump is good as far as energy use goes but it’s new.
It uses a heat exchange in much the same way as your fridge does to get low energy heat and due to the nature you have to use a self condensing system so, you get all the trappings of a condenser but with a much lower energy use.
The trade off is, they take a bit longer to dry once again over condenser, which takes (arguably) longer than vented. Most people likely wouldn’t care in any event.
The big issue I have with heat pump is the huge increase in cost to achieve it and the addition of many, many additional points of failure. As well as being a lot harder to work on and, at a guess, a lot of people will struggle to get their heads around how they work.
So, hugely more expensive.
In my opinion, in normal domestic use, the additional cost and resources required to make them simply isn’t worth the trouble. I doubt many people would ever get even the financial cost back let alone much else. In commercial use, a wholly different proposition.
So whilst there’s no clear cut “this is better”, on balance, a quality condenser dryer is probably about the best option for most people these days when all things are considered.
K.
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