Heat pump dryers are expensive
The technologies used in a heat pump dryer make this type of dryer on average more expensive than other clothes dryers. As the name implies, there is a heat pump inside the dryer and these are very expensive to produce. This price difference is earned back fairly quickly by the lower energy costs. This makes the dryers cheaper than an old-fashioned condensation dryer. Yet it is a hefty sum of money what must be invested in the device. Think of an amount between 500 and 1000 euros. To buy a heat pump dryer with the second highest energy label(A++), you often have to pay around 600-700 euros. The highest energy label A+++ is even more expensive. It is not unusual to be asked for 900 to 1000 euros for an A++ heat pump dryer. The difference in energy savings between an A++ or A++ heat pump dryer is not always worth the price difference. This depends on the quality of the heat pump dryer, but especially on how often you use the device. If you use it 10 times a week, it is often worth the upgrade in energy label.
Longer drying
The most common disadvantage of a dryer with heat pump is that it takes a lot longer to finish drying and to dry your clothes. Most programs with a reasonably stocked dryer take at least two hours and can go up to four hours. So, compared to other types of dryers, a heat pump dryer takes more than twice as long to really dry your laundry. It is very important not to overload the dryer, as this can add to the drying time. If you are not in a hurry to dry your laundry, this is of course not a problem and only cheaper. However, it can be annoying when you have to do a quick wash and the clothes have to be worn within a few hours. This is why it is important to run a wash in time so that the heat pump dryer has all the time it needs to gently dry all the clothes.
Lower temperature
The main reason for the longer drying time is the lower temperature at which the heat pump dryer dries the laundry. The temperature of the heated air is on average 20 degrees colder than a condensation dryer. This has many advantages, almost all types of clothing can be put in the dryer together. A heavy towel together with a fleece jacket can be put in the dryer without any problems, as long as you choose the right setting for the heat pump dryer. However, it also has many disadvantages. As discussed, not only does the program take longer, the dryer is also quickly overloaded. The moisture then cannot be blown out of the clothes quickly resulting in an even longer drying time. Also, the air is recycled in this type of dryer and of course lower temperature air cools down faster than hotter air. The heat pump must therefore work harder than with red-hot air to reheat the air from which the moisture has just been extracted. Very hot air is very bad for clothes and causes wear and tear quickly, it is another great advantage.
More noise
Heat pump dryers work no differently than a condenser or other type of dryer in many aspects. The laundry goes into a drum, the drum is driven by a motor and motors make noise. The movement of the drum itself is not silent either. In a heat pump dryer, the level of this noise is in many cases considerably higher than for example an air outlet dryer. If the bedroom is adjacent to the room where the dryer is located, the dryer can be heard in the bedroom. Especially with washes that are run at night this is a problem for many people. The vibrations of the device and the moving parts are the biggest culprits. However, there are several things you can do about this. The quality of the heat pump dryer is the main issue. There are also heat pump dryers with sound insulation on the inside. Some manufacturers of this type of dryer also use concentric circles in the housing. The lower temperature that the heat pump dryer uses to dry the clothes makes it essential that the heat pump dryer be placed in a warmer location. If the dryer is in a shed or cold basement, the time before the laundry is dry can quickly increase. Because the temperature of the air from a heat pump dryer is often between 5 and 35 degrees, it cools down too quickly in a colder room to remain truly efficient. Not only the costs and time of drying are higher, the wear and tear of the parts is also a lot faster. The heat pump has to work a lot harder to pump air of the same temperature into the dryer. This is why it is very important to check if there is a place for the device in a heated room before purchasing a heat pump dryer.
It is also important to check if there is a place for the device in a heated room.