There are different types of clothes dryers available and it is better to understand the different types of dryers, to be able to decide which one would be ideal. The most commonly used clothes dryers are the conventional vent dryers and the latest Condenser Tumble Dryers. They are both electric dryers. Both these dryers have their advantages and one may be better suited than the other depending on certain conditions.
A brief understanding of both these clothes dryers is essential to understand how the dryers function. A conventional vented clothes dryer uses air from the room to dry the clothes. The air from the room is drawn into the dryer even as the clothes spin inside it. The air is heated in the dryer and the heated air is blown through the clothes. The heated air helps to evaporate some of the moisture from the damp clothes spinning in the dryer. The heated air which is now laden with moisture is dispelled outside from a vent duct.
What is a Condenser Tumble Dryer Putting it simply, a Condenser Tumble Dryer is also a clothes dryer. It dries clothes just like a regular tumble clothes dryer, however the only difference is in how it functions. Unlike the conventional tumble dryer that is often used at home, the Condenser Tumble Dryer does not have an external vent through which excess water from the clothes is released.
There are two rings in a Condenser Tumble Dryer, both independent of each other. The inner ring has air that remains inside, away from the external environment. This air within the Condenser Tumble Dryer is heated and blows through the clothes. Moisture from the drying clothes mixes with the air which passes through a heat exchanger; where the water re-condenses. This cycle is repeated again as the dry air is once again heated and it blows through the clothes in the Condenser Tumble Dryer. The whole Condensing Tumble Dryer process is continuous and carries on until the clothes are totally dry.
The outer ring in the Condenser Tumble Dryers holds either water or air. There are very few Condenser Tumble Dryers that use air for cooling. These models use the air in the room for heating the dryer. The warmer air in the room is blown on the outside of the heat exchanger. This results in the air in the laundry room getting heated up significantly. In these dryers there is no release of moisture. Only heat is released and the moisture is trapped within the machine. The water collected from the condensation can be released through a drain pipe or collected in a storage area within the Condensing Tumble Dryer and released later, but all models do not come with both these options.
The Condenser Tumble Dryers that are air cooled, significantly heat the indoor environment and are hence suitable for moderate to cold climates. They can serve as heating equipment too, while they are in use. The biggest advantage of a condenser dryer is that they do not pump out any hot air in to the atmosphere. They are better in this respect to vent dryers, as a condenser dryer heats the air indoors but at the same time does not affect the HVAC cool indoor air.
Condenser Tumble Dryers need regular maintenance at home to keep functioning properly. The condenser unit in the dryer has to be cleaned, at least once a month. The cleaning procedure is easy and does not take much effort or time. The condenser module has to be removed from the unit and the lint that has collected on it needs to be removed.
A Condenser Tumble Dryer is a better option for someone who has the laundry room located far from an exterior wall. Running a Condenser Tumble Dryer is efficient as it effectively dries clothes and the overall expense is not too high either. However, when it comes to energy efficiency the vent dryer may have an edge. The Condenser Tumble Dryer is however preferred over the vent dryer because it does not require a vent and permits simple installation almost anywhere. The design is well suited for those living in apartments or rented homes where modifications are not permitted.