Caitríona Redmond: On the hunt for a tumble dryer to save me money
Appliances break in threes, mark my words. I’m watching the oven and the washing machine like a hawk now that I've had to replace the tumble dryer. File photo
After a year of keeping my tumble dryer limping along with running repairs and deep cleaning, it finally gave up the ghost last week.
I’ve written about cleaning out a condenser unit and lint filter before but there was only so many times I could resurrect one of the hardest working appliances in my house. It was time for me to crack open the home contingency fund and replace it... only to find that replacing a tumbler dryer is not as easy as it used to be.
Firstly, vented dryers are no longer sold in Ireland. These are the dryers that include a bendy chute or duct which can be popped out the window or attached to a specialist outdoor vent.
That’s no surprise because there are some horrifying social media cleaning videos from the US of outdoor dryer vents being cleaned out using a drill and a brush. It’s enough to give a fire officer nightmares.
The next option is a condenser dryer. These are the cheapest tumble dryers on sale — but not the cheapest to run.
A condenser dryer heats the clothes in the drum as they tumble. The wet clothes emit steam and that steam is run through a condensing unit which rapidly cools the steam into cold water. That cold water is trapped in a water tank, which must be emptied regularly.
These type of dryers emit a lot of heat, and I believe that some Irish households keep these appliances in a shed or outdoor utility arrangement. This makes perfect sense to me, especially if you’re tight on space in the kitchen or find that a washing machine and tumble dryer is far too noisy. The condenser dryer will work in all temperatures, although it will use a little more energy to generate heat when the weather is cold.
The final type of tumble dryer on offer in the Irish market is the heat pump appliance.
This was a new one on me, because when last I bought this essential appliance it was only available in the higher price ranges (at least €1,000). Living on a budget dictates what I buy and yes, a dryer is a necessity but not at any price.
As we all try to make our homes more energy efficient and newer homes are being built, heat pump technology is becoming more commonplace. Households no longer need a gas or oil boiler to heat their homes, and heat pumps run only on electricity.
When it comes to drying clothes, a smaller version of that familiar pump is encased within the appliance and used to cut down on energy consumption. It initially draws heat from the surrounding area around the dryer to heat the clothes. The hot air that passes over the condenser unit is recycled using that heat pump to heat the clothes in the tumble dryer.
If placed in a colder area such as that shed, a heat pump dryer will cost a fortune and take far longer to dry clothes. Sheds or outdoor areas are just unsuitable for modern tumble dryers.
There are other considerations too:
- A condenser dryer is quicker to dry clothes and that can really make a difference to a household that needs clothes washed and dried swiftly.
- A heat pump dryer takes longer but uses lower temperatures, which help protect material fibres and reduces clothing wear and tear over time.
- A household appliance that is more energy efficient will save money on energy bills. In fact, a heat pump tumble dryer can save households quite a chunk of money.
Before I headed to the local electrical store, I did the sums and compared a 9kg condenser dryer to a 9kg heat pump dryer.
The annual energy consumption figure is one to pay attention to, and a condenser dryer uses 617 kWh (kilowatt hours), but a similar heat pump dryer uses 258 kWh. Those hours add up to your money.
Allowing for a rough electricity cost of 30c per kWh (excluding VAT), the condenser dryer has running costs of €185.10 per year, but the heat pump dryer costs €77.40.
My broken appliance, which was sent for WEEE Recycling, ran for five years and if I bought the same again, it would cost me €925.50 to operate in its lifetime. Whereas if I buy a heat pump dryer it would cost me €387.
That’s a big price difference over time, that can only benefit my household budget.
Now that the new tumble dryer is in place, I am so much happier that we have a lower temperature appliance in operation in the home. Having two teenage boys and an allotment makes for a lot of laundry. I’m very appreciative of any appliance that will help clothes and soft furnishings last longer.
The only thing left for me is to start building my contingency fund up again. Appliances break in threes, mark my words. I’m watching the oven and the washing machine like a hawk and have already priced spare parts!
A smart meter is incredibly handy for monitoring energy usage — no matter the energy provider. Simply sign up to an ESB Networks account with your MPRN and verify your details to access your historic energy consumption.
Using my account I can observe spikes in usage, and see how much energy is consumed during peak times.
And I want to remind you that an air fryer should never be used underneath an overhead cupboard. If you want to use an air fryer, pull it out onto the hob which is more heat resistant. Air fryers need loads of air around them to work efficiently and reduce fire risk.
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