Tumble Driers!

[xanthe]

Possibly a weird question, but having debate with other half about appropriate place for a condensing tumble drier.

The only two choices are in the cellar or in the large garden shed. Neither are handy for the washing machine, but one involves a quick dash across the garden which is even less handy.

If we put it in the cellar near to one of the ventilation grills, would that counteract any issue from having hot damp air in a rather damp cellar?

 

[mattice]

I've always thought of our condensing tumble drier as a heating source of hot dry air to heat an unheated corner of the house. I haven't seen any effects of the air having a moisture content but it could be that we have it in a draughty spot anyway. Vote for cellar from me!

 

[Feltwell]

From my limited experience of a condensing tumble dryer - a new one, in a rented house - I wouldn't bother with them and would always go for a vented one. No condensing tumble dryer will extract 100% of the moisture from the air it puts out. The one in our rented house, used heavily as at the time we had 2 kids in washable nappies, definitely caused condensation in the room it was in. I think you'll make your cellar even more damp.

Also, don't forget that in a cellar it will be pulling already damp air in, so your clothes will take a little longer to dry and it will use more electricity.

Here we have a vented tumble dryer in a very small utility room, all the moisture goes outside and actually the dryer does make the room warmer. We try to use it as little as possible though - whilst we wouldn't be without it (3 young kids!) we'd always want to dry clothes naturally if we can. If you've got a suitable outhouse, can you not set airers / clothes lines up in there and keep the tumble dryer for "emergency" or depths-of-winter use only? This works for us, and whilst a clothes line outside is great on the right day at least this way you don't have to worry about it raining!

 

[Tony.]

I have had a condensing tumble drier for 7 years in the cupboard between the lounge and dining room.
I have never had a problem with damp, infact it wams thst cupboard up nicely, we do ensure the door is kept open when in use and the 'spare' heat heats the rest of the house.
The tunble drier turns off when the front water chamber is full.
We use ours mostly in the winter, when its not possible to dry outside.

 

[Feltwell]

That's the great thing about asking for opinions on t'internet - the consistency of the opinions you get back :lol:

 

[xanthe]

Tumble drier is already in existence so the vented/re condensing is (until this one goes kaput) not in the debate.

Hmm, this lack of consensus thing is tricky!

After most of my life without one, the tumble drier is my all-time favourite appliance. If it can be made to heat the room, then that is even better - especially as the ceiling of the cellar is the floorboards of the sitting room and I quite like the idea of a heated floor in there!

 

[tobydog]

We used to have a condensing drier. Nothing fancy. Took ages to dry the clothes and still steamed the windows up. We now use our overly hot boiler room with the extractor fan on and it works a treat .

Given your scenario xanthe I wouldn't put the drier in an already damp cellar, however, have you considered running it there alongside a dehumidifier? Both units will put out heat and you'll have the benefit of drying your clothes, drying out the cellar and getting nice warm underfloor heating all at the same time. Our dehumidifier is an EcoAir desiccant type and doesn't cost that much to run. The benefits far outstrip the cost. Just a thought.

 

[noj]

Cellar is probably the best bet - I see from the JL site on some of theirs...

"Please note: This dryer uses a refrigerant that is condensed by a compressor. John Lewis recommends against situating this appliance in a garage, shed, lean-to or outbuilding, as the lower ambient temperature could affect operating performance and invalidate the warranty."

 

[mattice]

Thinking about it a little more, I suspect the moisture in the air out of the tumble dryer will be negligible, compared with the effect of the warm air coming out of the dryer, raising the room temp, and causing the natural moisture in the cellar to condense onto any cold surface. Improving general ventilation should help this as would the suggestion on a dehumidifier.

Or you could just run the tumble dryer with the door open and condense the whole room :lol:

 

[xanthe]

Or you could just run the tumble dryer with the door open and condense the whole room :lol:

 

[xanthe]

Annoyingly the tumble drier wouldn't go down the cellar stairs, so has been relegated to the shed. Which was fine - until darling husband bought the biggest washing machine in the world (it sings when it finishes which I am assured is a vital element in cleaning clothes) and so one load of washing requires multiple trips to the sodding shed!

 

[88v8]

Maybe it depends on the make and model.
Some are better than others.
Some condense well, some don't.

Ivor

(has clothes line)

 

[tobydog]

Annoyingly the tumble drier wouldn't go down the cellar stairs, so has been relegated to the shed. Which was fine - until darling husband bought the biggest washing machine in the world (it sings when it finishes which I am assured is a vital element in cleaning clothes) and so one load of washing requires multiple trips to the sodding shed!

Just to be clear xanthe, should that have been sodding sodden shed? Just wondering whether you now have a warm steamy shed rather than a warm steamy cellar, or is it condensing nicely?.

 

[LadyArowana]

Annoyingly the tumble drier wouldn't go down the cellar stairs, so has been relegated to the shed. Which was fine - until darling husband bought the biggest washing machine in the world (it sings when it finishes which I am assured is a vital element in cleaning clothes) and so one load of washing requires multiple trips to the sodding shed!

Wow, must be some shed to fit one of those inside

 

[Moo]

Or - Put a radiator in the cellar, hang a couple of drying racks from the joists, and leave the cellar door slightly ajar.

It worked for us for over a decade in our Norwich house ( mind you, it was a fair-sized cellar).

 

[mims&pip]

Or - Put a radiator in the cellar, hang a couple of drying racks from the joists, and leave the cellar door slightly ajar.

It worked for us for over a decade in our Norwich house ( mind you, it was a fair-sized cellar).

I think we may do this in the cellar at our new house, although currently between the aga and the large airing cupboard we've survived the winter (so far :wink: ) without needing to......

 

[xanthe]

The cellar is pretty big and has a couple of radiators down there, but tumble driers tend to make clothes feel nicer - plus husband and child seem to get through enormous quantities of clothes!

Strangely the shed seems to be working well - clothes take the same amount of time to dry as before and it's not even steaming up the windows. It is rather a large shed, but it's not totally dry in there, although it's on a slight slope so any water collects at one end.

Haven't yet worked out if there is a leak or whether the POs hosed it out or something. They did leave loads of rusted tins of paint and chemicals and lots of broken glass and pots everywhere so not sure what they did.

I need to go in and have a major blitz and possibly buy some duck boards if it is a leak.

Ah, washing machine was largest "domestic" variety!

Husband likes gadgets - he's also bought - apparently for me - a laser measuring thing that links up to some computer software and draws rooms for you. Imagine I will be in big trouble when he catches me with ye olde worlde tape measure!

 

[88v8]

Gardeners' Question Time today.. put some lavender cuttings in a muslin bag and add it to the tumble.
Scents the clothes.
At last a reason for using a tumble drier.

Ivor

 

[Moo]

husband and child seem to get through enormous quantities of clothes!

Ours coped happily with the clothes, towels, and bedlinen that were generated by the two of us and our adult daughter.

 

[Zebra]

Husband likes gadgets - he's also bought - apparently for me - a laser measuring thing that links up to some computer software and draws rooms for you. Imagine I will be in big trouble when he catches me with ye olde worlde tape measure!

Yes. Likewise! I have been bought a safety gas lighter for lighting the fire, but receive a frown when I obstinately persist in using matches!