If you haven’t bought a tumble dryer for a few years, you might be wondering where all the old-style models have gone.
More and more of the tumble dryers you’ll see now are heat pump tumble dryers – and that’s only going to increase.
New energy-efficiency rules are moving the market away from older vented and traditional condenser dryers, with heat pump technology becoming the new standard.
But what does that actually mean for you?
So, what is a heat pump tumble dryer?
The easiest way to explain it is that a heat pump dryer reuses the warm air inside the machine.
Older dryers keep heating fresh air to dry your clothes. A heat pump model keeps recycling that warmth instead.
That means it uses far less electricity.
It’s a bit like keeping the heating on in a room rather than constantly opening the windows and starting again.
Why are tumble dryers changing?
Quite simply, older tumble dryers use a lot of energy.
New efficiency rules coming into force mean that older vented and traditional condenser technology is being phased out of the new-machine market, so you’ll increasingly see heat pump models instead.
If you already own an older dryer, nobody is coming to take it away! You can carry on using it.
This change is about the new tumble dryers coming onto the market.
Are heat pump dryers actually better?
For most households, there are some pretty big advantages.
They use much less electricity
This is the main one.
Heat pump dryers are considerably more energy efficient than older vented or condenser machines because they reuse heat rather than constantly creating more of it.
If you tumble dry regularly, that can make a real difference.
They cost less to run
They can be a little more expensive to buy upfront, but because they use less electricity, the running costs are lower.
So rather than only looking at the price on the ticket, it’s worth thinking about what the machine will cost you over the years you own it.
They're gentler on clothes
Heat pump dryers work at a lower temperature.
That means your clothes aren’t being blasted with as much heat, which can be kinder to fabrics.
Particularly handy for anything you’d quite like to keep looking nice!
They're a more sustainable option
Using less energy every time you dry a load is better from a sustainability point of view too.
It’s one of those changes where saving energy and saving money actually go rather nicely together.
There is one thing worth knowing…
Heat pump tumble dryers can take longer to dry clothes.
Because they work at lower temperatures, some cycles will take longer than you may be used to.
That sometimes surprises people when they first switch.
But they’re using considerably less energy while they’re doing it, so it’s really a trade-off between speed and efficiency.
For most people, once they understand why the cycle is longer, it makes much more sense.
Do I need a vent?
No.
A heat pump dryer doesn’t need one of those big hoses going through the wall.
Like a condenser dryer, the moisture is collected inside the machine, usually in a tank, and some models can also be connected directly to a drain.
So they’re normally pretty flexible when it comes to where you put them.
What size should I buy?
This depends much more on your household than on the heat pump technology itself.
As a rough guide:
- 7–8kg – smaller households
- 9kg – a really useful all-round size for families
- 10kg+ – useful if you regularly dry bedding, towels or larger loads
Bigger isn’t automatically better, though. The best dryer is one that suits the amount of washing you actually do.
Is it worth replacing an old dryer with a heat pump model?
If your current dryer is working perfectly well, there’s no need to panic and replace it just because the technology is changing.
But if yours is getting old, becoming unreliable or you’re already looking for a replacement, we’d definitely recommend looking at heat pump models.
They’re becoming the standard for a reason.
And because the technology, energy ratings and prices vary quite a lot between models, it’s worth comparing them properly rather than simply choosing the cheapest one.
Come and have a look
If you haven’t bought a tumble dryer for a while, come into the Avensys showroom in Crawley and have a look at what’s changed.
We have a range of heat pump tumble dryers in store and online, and our team can talk you through the different drum sizes, energy ratings and features without making it unnecessarily complicated.
Tell us how much washing you do, how often you use your dryer and roughly what you want to spend, and we’ll help you narrow it down.
Quick questions
-
Are vented and condenser tumble dryers disappearing?
Yes, older less-efficient technology is being phased out of the new-product market as energy-efficiency standards increase. -
Are heat pump dryers cheaper to run?
Generally, yes. They use much less electricity than older dryer technologies. -
Why do heat pump dryers take longer?
They dry at lower temperatures, which saves energy but means some cycles are longer. -
Do they need a vent?
No. They collect moisture internally, much like a condenser dryer. -
Are they better for clothes?
The lower drying temperatures can be gentler on fabrics than higher-temperature drying.
