How does a tumble dryer get the laundry dry?
A tumble dryer spins the laundry in a dryer drum. This means that the dryer spins around by being driven by an electric motor. This happens at about 5 revolutions per minute, alternating left and right to prevent the laundry from getting all tangled up. The dryer also blows warm air through the drum which passes by the clothes. This air is heated by a heating element. Because the dryer has perforations, the condensation that is released from the clothes can disappear out of the dryer and be collected. How this is collected depends on the type of clothes dryer. There are three ways to collect the condensation: an external flexible hose that lets the condensation escape through the window, a drainage hose that is connected to a water drainage system or a condensation tank.
What are the differences in tumble dryers
There are different types of dryers: a duct dryer, a condenser dryer and a heat pump dryer. A duct dryer and a condenser dryer are already on the market, while a heat pump dryer is fairly new. The extractor dryer removes the condensation through a flexible hose to the outside, a condenser dryer collects the condensation in a tank or discharges it through a drain hose. A heat pump dryer extracts heat from the ambient air through compression with refrigerant. Simply put, the heat pump dryer extracts cold and releases heat through a cooling system. In this way, the dryer condenses moisture from the laundry.
One difference is the air and condensation drain. A condenser dryer and heat pump dryer do not expel warm air into the environment, while a extractor dryer does. In addition, a duct dryer needs a window to place the flexible hose to drain the condensation, which is not the case for a condenser or heat pump dryer. With these two methods, you can choose between a water tank or a water discharge hose, depending on the ability to discharge water.
A condenser dryer, for example, has more parts: an extra fan, a water pump and a condenser. The more parts there are, the more susceptible the dryer is to malfunction. A heat pump dryer has fewer parts, especially if it has a brushless motor. The dryers with a brushless motor are therefore recommended, because the motor is less sensitive to wear and tear or malfunctioning due to having fewer parts.
Energy consumption consists mainly of the electrical power required to heat the air and spin the dryer. The heating element consumes the most energy. Dryers with gas or heat pump technology reduce this energy consumption, making them better for the environment. Heat pump dryers also wash at lower temperatures compared to condenser dryers and clothes dryers, which is not only good for the environment and your pocket, but also for the clothes themselves. Washing programmes do take longer at lower temperatures, but the energy saved is outweighed by the savings at lower temperatures.
Additional functions to get the laundry dryer
Dryers are fitted with a door contact which means that the tumble dryer will immediately stop if the door is opened. This is a safety feature. Other models have a stopper on the door that only allows the door to be opened when the dryer is switched off, which is more common nowadays. In addition, almost all tumble dryers have a child lock. Nowadays, many tumble dryers also have self-cleaning functions or indicate when it is time to empty the water tank, to prevent flooding. There are also tumble dryers with a sensor that stops when the laundry is sufficiently dry (chest dry or dry to iron) to prevent clothing from being overexposed to hot air.
The appearance of a tumble dryer is different for each model. Because the model resembles a washing machine in size, the two appliances can be placed on top of each other. The washing machine is always the lowest device because of the heavier weight and the high number of revolutions. The appearance of the washing machine has not changed much over the years, except that the operation is nowadays more often with touchscreen.