Nowadays, a clothes dryer is a must-have for any household. If you live in a city and dry your clothes on the balcony or in the yard, car exhaust and dust are the main enemies of your clean laundry.
Clothes dry easily when left in the sun, but the sun’s UV rays can fade colored clothes and yellow white clothes. All of these problems disappear if you have a clothes dryer. Not to mention its usefulness when you don’t have a balcony or yard, but you still need to dry your freshly washed clothes.
Because, as I said, a clothes dryer is indispensable, all that remains is to decide which type of dryer is best for you. There is the option of a freestanding clothes dryer or a washer-dryer combination. Because there is no single and universally correct answer, the advantages and disadvantages of each type of clothes dryer must be presented, so that you can make the right decision in full knowledge of the facts and in accordance with your preferences and desires.
There are dozens, hundreds of different models on the market, all adapted to each person’s use, budget, and needs. Moreover, nowadays, a clothes dryer has become almost indispensable in every home.
The role of the clothes dryer in the household
The importance or real value of a clothes dryer in the household is more visible when a dryer is not available and things have to be done manually. In the particular case of winter or during the coldest periods of each year, even on rainy days, hanging clothes to dry outdoors can be an impossible task or, at best, inefficient.
Whether clothes are dried indoors in a dedicated room or hung outside, the chances of moisture creating dampness in the house or not drying the clothes properly are quite high. On the other hand, when you have a clothes dryer at home, the weather, rain, and cold are no longer a real problem.
Thanks to a clothes dryer, clothes are always kept completely dry, free of moisture and unpleasant odors, while saving a lot of time and preserving the materials of each item of clothing, as dryers were developed for this purpose, to protect fabrics.
The operating principle of a clothes dryer
The principle of operation of the dryer is very simple, moisture evaporates from the fabric in a natural way, the unit only speeds up the process. Today, device manufacturers offer several types of drying equipment for homes for purchase.
Drying cabinet . A self-contained unit, which is a chamber equipped with several shelves on which stacks of things are placed. Moisture evaporates from the fabric fibers by supplying warm air. Equipment of this type is relatively inexpensive, but the dimensions of the models are quite impressive, as a result of which there is little demand due to excessive volume.
Tumble dryer . Visually, the equipment resembles a conventional washing machine, as it has a similar hatch, a similar control panel. Things dry in it and under the influence of dry steam, but they do not lie in piles on the shelves, but rotate in a drum. Due to this, drying is accelerated.
Types of dryers
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The dryer with exhaust
This type of dryer works by pumping out the warm, moist air from the drum through a flexible hose that is usually mounted outside the house or in the water drain pipes. As such, it is necessary for the dryer to be mounted on an outside wall or near a window. The dryer can permanently ventilate the air through a ventilation kit, which is included with most dryers. Alternatively, you can hang the hose on the window when using the dryer. This is not ideal, especially during the cold season. The big advantage of these dryers is the price, as they are the cheapest on the market.
Advantages:
It is usually the cheapest model of clothes dryer,
dries faster and consumes little electricity.
Disadvantages:
It requires specialized installation, which involves connecting to the water drain pipes.
It cannot be placed anywhere in the house, but only near the pipes mentioned above.
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Condenser dryer
This dryer does not require an exhaust hose, so it can be installed in any well-ventilated area of ​​your home. It works by condensing the steam in the machine and turning it into water. This water is collected in a removable tank that needs to be emptied at regular intervals. The tank is easily removable and you can simply empty it into the sink when it fills up. Most condenser dryers have an indicator that tells you when it’s time to empty the tank.
Advantages:
Easy to install, can be used immediately after purchase, without specialist help.
Can be placed anywhere in the house, not just near water drain pipes.
Disadvantages :
More expensive than vented tumble dryer models,
Not as energy efficient.
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Washing machine with clothes dryer
It is a washing machine that also has a tumble dryer built into the same enclosure to reduce the space occupied.
Advantages:
The most convenient if you don’t have a lot of space and want to use it as efficiently as possible.
You no longer need to take the laundry out of one tub and put it in another.
The price is lower than a normal washing machine and a separate dryer combined.
Disadvantages:
In the long term, energy consumption is higher than other options,
Drying time is slightly longer than in the case of freestanding tumble dryers,
Drying efficiency is not very good, sometimes requiring several drying cycles for satisfactory results.
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Heat pump dryer
A heat pump dryer is the most expensive option of the three. The reason is that they use the latest technology to dry your clothes. Specifically, they use hot air to extract water from your clothes. This water is collected in a tank. Although they are more expensive, they are recommended if you expect to use your dryer often. They are the most energy efficient dryers, so over time they will pay for themselves.
