• Please make sure you follow these instructions fully. If you have any problems with carrying out this maintenance, please contact us.

    A tumble dryer can be a useful addition to your home laundry equipment, but there are three different main types to consider, each with different benefits.

    Always check the user manual for precise details on your own appliance, but the steps below will give you some general advice.
  • 1. Condenser dryers with specialist ‘heat pump’ technology: these are the most efficient with regards to energy consumption. Their main operational points are:
    • The air used to dry your clothes is heated by the ‘hot side’ of a special heat pump.
    • As the heated air passes through the items being dried, it causes water evaporation.
    • The resulting water vapour is condensed by the ‘cold side’ of the special heat pump and it collects in a water tank which needs to be emptied after each load is dried (or the water can be drained directly away if the drainage pipe is plumbed-in like a washing machine).
    • The air is re-heated by the heat pump so that it can be re-used; this helps to keep a lot of the heat inside the tumble dryer.
    • Some of the water vapour and heat leaks outside the tumble dryer and increases the temperature of the air around the dryer and after a while of operating the dryer this can increase the drying time.
    • Heat re-circulation is a major advantage of this type of dryer and this helps to reduce overall energy consumption.
  • 2. Condenser dryers with a heater: these are next best in terms of energy efficiency Their main operational points are:
    • The air used to dry your clothes is heated by an electric heater.
    • As the heated air passes through the items being dried, it causes water evaporation.
    • The resulting water vapour is condensed by a heat exchanger and it collects in a water tank which needs to be emptied after each load is dried (or the water can be drained directly away if the drainage pipe is plumbed-in like a washing machine).
    • The heat exchanger is then cooled down by a stream of room-temperature air.
    • Some of the water vapour and heat leaks outside the tumble dryer and increases the temperature of the air around the dryer and after a while of operating the dryer this can increase the drying time.
  • 3. Vented dryers with a heater: these are often a popular choice due to their simplicity and cost. Their main operational points are:
    • The air used to dry your clothes is heated by an electric heater.
    • As the heated air passes through the items being dried, it causes water evaporation.
    • The resulting hot air and water vapour is pushed out of the dryer and vented through a large-diameter pipe.
    • An amount of heat is wasted, which can cause higher energy consumption and drying costs.
    • After a while of operating, the air in the dryer dries a little and this can decrease the drying time.
  • If you have misplaced or lost your user manual, you can download a replacement manual (please have your model number to hand).