What types of dryers are there?

Tumble dryers are practical household helpers that can be used to dry laundry regardless of the weather. Tumble dryers are also ideal for smaller apartments without a balcony or any other way of drying laundry in the open. If you decide to purchase such a device, you will quickly realize that there is a wide range of different models on the market . Therefore, it makes sense to get to know the different types of tumble dryers before buying in order to find the best model for your own household.

What types of clothes dryers are there?

Depending on the type of tumble dryer, there are corresponding advantages

Dry laundry with modern technology

Home appliance technology is constantly improving, and new clothes dryers (Wäschetrockner) keep coming out that work in different ways. While most dryers today dry the laundry gently and efficiently , the different types of devices each have different advantages and disadvantages. Some devices are particularly energy-saving , while other tumble dryers are characterized by particularly fast drying. A comparison makes it easy to find the right device. You can choose from:

• Condensation dryer
• Exhaust air dryer
• Heat pump dryer
• Gas heated dryer
• Washer dryer

Exhaust air dryer – first generation of tumble dryers

The exhaust air dryer is one of the first models of tumble dryers to be developed. As the name suggests, with such a dryer the hot air is diverted to the outside. The laundry is in a rotating drum and warm air flows through it, which then dries it. The warm, moist dry air that is created is directed outside through a hose. The exhaust air dryer must therefore always be located on an outside wall so that the hose can either be laid through a window or an opening in the wall.

The need to provide a device for the exhaust air is a major disadvantage of these devices. Such a dryer cannot be set up everywhere and heat can also escape through the opening for the exhaust air hose. A big advantage, however, is the low purchase price . You can get high-performance devices with numerous extras for a low price and quickly afford the luxury of a tumble dryer.

The condensation dryer: technology without exhaust air

The condensation dryer is a further development of the exhaust air dryer. During the development of this device, efforts were made to solve the disadvantage of the exhaust air. Thus, in a condensation dryer, the air is condensed and not discharged to the outside. The resulting condensation is collected in a special container. So this dryer can be set up anywhere in the house.

As with exhaust air dryers, there are many condensation dryers that have a relatively high power consumption. It is therefore advisable to make sure that you choose a device in a high energy efficiency class when buying. There are also some measures to be taken into account when using it that can help save electricity. This includes, for example, a thorough spinning of the laundry in the washing machine and optimal use of the correct load for the drum size.

The heat pump dryer – ideal for saving energy

If you want to use a tumble dryer at home without burdening your electricity bill too much, you should opt for a modern heat pump dryer . These devices work with a newly developed technology in which warm, dry air is first fed into the drum with the wet laundry.

A special coolant causes the air in the heat exchanger to cool down , releasing the moisture in the process. The thermal energy is stored and used to reheat the air before it is fed back into the drum. The condensed water flows into a container and has to be emptied from there regularly. This heat pump consumes significantly less energy than a conventional heating rod, which is usually used in conventional tumble dryers.

A heat pump dryer is energy-saving, environmentally friendly and easy to use . In addition, it does not need a fresh air supply and can be placed anywhere in the house. The disadvantages of these devices include a higher level of noise, a longer drying time and usually a higher purchase price. However, this can quickly pay for itself due to the energy savings.

Drying quickly and inexpensively with the gas tumble dryer

In Germany, tumble dryers that run on gas are less common . These devices also have some important advantages. They can be operated with natural gas and have high energy savings compared to exhaust air or condensation dryers . The dry season is also short.

The dryer can be connected to the gas line with a flexible hose. Electricity is only required for the ignition, the ventilation and the electronics to monitor the drying process. Similar to the exhaust air dryer, however, the exhaust air must also be led outside with such a dryer. Therefore, a gas-operated tumble dryer should also be installed on an outside wall .

The washer-dryer – the ideal solution for small households

In a small household, there is often not enough space to set up two large appliances such as a tumble dryer and a washing machine. In such cases, a washer-dryer can be a practical solution as it combines both devices .

Such a device can be washed in the same way as in a conventional washing machine. The drying function is mostly designed according to the principle of the condensation dryer. In some modern devices, however, the drying function is also offered as a heat pump dryer.

One should keep this in mind when buying

When shopping for a tumble dryer, there are a few considerations to consider regardless of the type of dryer you choose. The place of installation often determines the type of dryer that should be selected. If you want to set up the dryer in a room without an external wall, for example, an exhaust air dryer is not recommended.

It is advisable to match the capacity of the dryer to that of the washing machine so that a load of laundry can be dried completely. It should be noted that the capacity in kilograms for the washing machine refers to dry laundry, while the dryer refers to wet laundry that is known to be heavier. Therefore, the dryer should be chosen with a higher capacity than the washing machine.

When buying, it is always worth paying attention to the EU label with the energy efficiency class . Today there are quite a number of dryers that are rated “A”. Such devices consume less electricity and are therefore more economical. If you choose a heat pump drier, which is usually more expensive to buy, you should attach importance to an energy class of “A ++” or “A +++”.

Perfectly dried laundry from the modern tumble dryer

If you opt for a modern tumble dryer, the device offers various programs and degrees of drying that allow the laundry to be dried gently.

With the right program selection, you can keep energy costs low . For example, a load of blouses requires less electricity to dry than a load of towels. However, the right program also helps ensure that every fabric is dried as gently as possible. Therefore, today even sensitive parts, such as wool sweaters or silk blouses, can be put in the dryer.

Many dryers today also have anti-crease protection . With this function, the laundry is tumbled in the dryer at regular intervals after the program has finished. In this way you can prevent the laundry from creasing in the dryer if you cannot remove it immediately after the program has ended.

Many modern dryers even have special programs for items such as down , so that items such as pillows or jackets filled with down can also be dried perfectly without them clumping. By choosing the appropriate program, you can also prevent sensitive articles from shrinking due to excessive heat.

Most devices can also be set to the degree of dryness. A distinction is usually made between iron dry and cupboard dry . Iron-dry laundry still has residual moisture, which makes ironing easier if the laundry is ironed immediately after drying, whereas cupboard-dry laundry can be folded up and tidied up immediately.