Guest blog by Steve Twiggs
My washing line just doesn’t seem to be working! It’s that time of year again when the weather is unpredictable and as soon as you’ve put out a line full of washing, it threatens to rain, or seems to come in as wet as it went out.
So what’s the answer? A tumble dryer of course! Clothes warm and dry in no time – AND it fluffs up your towels so you’ll feel enveloped after a bath, rather than an involuntary exfoliation with towels like sandpaper!
Once you’ve decided to get a tumble dryer, the next decision is which type? Vented? Condenser? And what is a heat pump dryer when it’s at home?
Firstly, a VENTED dryer is the simplest and cheapest on electricity to run. It consists of a drum which rotates on bearings by way of a motor and belt, a heating element and fan, controlled by a timer or programmer. Air enters the dryer and is heated, this blows over the clothes which are tumbling in the rotating drum, and straight out of the venting pipe to a suitable place like outside. SIMPLE, but you do need to find a position it can vent to, which could be through an outside wall or perhaps put the hose through a window, or even a cat flap (sorry Tiddles!)
A CONDENSER dryer is a little more complicated, but you have the freedom to place it where you like, as long as it’s as the manufacturer suggests and not in a bathroom – as you can see the hot air passes over the clothes, but rather than outside it recirculates over a condenser and keeps going around until the clothes dry. It takes a lot more effort, so also more time and more electricity, and if the load is too big or very absorbent like towels it will not necessarily get them bone dry. But, hey, that’s much better than the clothes I’ve been collecting from outside recently!!!
And finally… a HEAT PUMP dryer works by compressing air which heats it up, this then passes over the clothes and is then expanded at which point the air releases the moisture it has collected, without the use of a heating element. With the use of a heat
recovery heat exchanger it warms the incoming air with the hot air produced from the 
previous cycle. Sounds complicated but they work beautifully. Heat pump dryers are produced by Miele, Zannussi, Beko, Hotpoint and Samsung to name a few. They make condenser dryers more efficient and environmentally friendly, typically reducing running costs by 40%. Very appealing, although they are more expensive as an initial purchase. They are also very gentle as the heat is lower, so teddy gets a more comfortable ride.
So whatever you think suits you best, why not have a look at our range here; with nearly fifty models to choose from we have machines for every budget and need.
You can also call into your local Hughes shop for some first-hand great knowledge and advice. With rental, purchase and finance options available, there’s never been a better time to free up your washing line and radiators!
