What is a heat pump dryer?
Before we get into the pros and cons of the heat pump dryer, it’s good to know exactly what a heat pump dryer is and how it works. Heat pump dryers, like other types of clothes dryers, are designed to get your laundry dry after it comes out of the washing machine. This is done by heating the laundry and spinning it at the same time.
How does a heat pump dryer work?
Conventional dryers, such as the condenser dryer and the airflow dryer, use an electric heating element to create dry air that helps dry the laundry while spinning. The heat pump dryer works differently. A heat pump dryer dries using a heat pump combined with a refrigerant. With this, the heat pump dryer achieves a lower temperature inside the drum than other dryers.
Heat pump dryers also often have two options for draining condensation: the moisture is discharged with a hose to the water drain or it is collected in a tank. Most condenser dryers also offer both of these options. Only the extractor dryer uses a different way to get rid of the moisture; the moist, warm air is led outside with an exhaust hose through the window or a hole in the wall.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of a Heat Pump Dryer
Now that you know in broad terms how a heat pump dryer works, we can zoom in on the advantages and disadvantages of the heat pump dryer. Besides heat pump dryers, condenser dryers are the most widely sold. Therefore, in the case, we mainly compare the heat pump dryer with condenser dryers. Because the condenser dryer and the airflow dryer are very similar, but the exhaust dryer consumes much more energy and is less readily available, we leave the airflow dryer largely out of consideration in this.
Heat pump dryer advantages
- Better for the environment. Heat pump dryers dry much more economically than a regular condenser dryer, saving you a lot of energy.
- Energy efficiency. Heat pump clothes dryers, by using a heat pump and refrigerant, use less energy than clothes dryers that use a heating element. This keeps your energy bills low. An energy-efficient condenser dryer is hard to find.
- Washwear lasts longer. A heat pump dryer dries at a lower temperature which reduces the chance of your clothes wearing out or shrinking.
- Condensation drain via water drain or tank. Most heat pump dryers allow you to choose how you drain the condensation. This includes the regular condenser dryer, just not the air discharge dryer.
- Self-cleaning condenser. A new heat pump dryer today has a self-cleaning condenser in most cases. This means you don’t have to clean the condenser yourself.
Heat pump dryer disadvantages
- Longer drying time. Due to the lower drying temperature, the various drying programs on a heat pump dryer take longer than on a regular condenser dryer.
- Early to buy. A new heat pump dryer is more expensive to buy than a regular dryer.
- More parts. A heat pump dryer has more parts because it dries with a different technology. The more parts, the more it can break.
Conclusion
Want to get your laundry dried quickly and not spend too much on your new dryer? Then a condenser dryer might be the right choice for you. But if you need a new dryer and have a little more to spend, a heat pump dryer is definitely worth it! The heat pump dryer uses a low temperature while drying, which is good for your laundry, but also for the environment and your energy bill. In the end, you will often save money with a heat pump dryer.