What is a Heat Pump tumble dryer and should you buy one?
The British summer has started off with a downpour of rain, not really a shock to anyone. So what’s the best antidote to this, a tumble dryer of course.
There are normally two things that will put people off from buying a tumble dryer, one is space and the other is running costs, they are known to be energy guzzlers.
Whilst manufacturers cannot do anything about the size of your house, they are now producing more energy efficient tumble dryers, commonly known as a heat pump tumble dryer.
I don’t want to really get into the technical details of how they work, the simple explanation is that they have a lot of the same features as a fridge freezer, like a compressor, evaporator and condenser, but work in the opposite way, eg instead of cooling, it heats.
Is it worth buying a Heat Pump tumble dryer?
Pro’s
- More energy efficient than other types of tumble dryer, so will save money on your electricity bills, and of course helping to save the planet.
- Drys with a lower temperature and more gentle heat to help protect your clothes.
Con’s
- More expensive technology, so will initially cost more money to buy.
- Because they dry with a lower temperature it will take longer to dry your clothes.
Actual Costs
I’ve compared costs from two of the biggest tumble dryer brands in the UK – Beko and Hotpoint, to see if it is worth spending more money on a Heat Pump tumble dryer.
When you compare the costs over 5 years, (based on the average yearly energy consumption of the tumble dryer), you can see that even though you are initially spending more for a Heat Pump tumble dryer, in the long run it can end up saving you money on your electricity bills and maybe even preserving your clothes for longer, as the drying is carried out at a more gentle and lower temperature.
On the examples above, you would make your money back on the Hotpoint tumble dryer in under 3 years and the Beko one in under 4 years.
Summary
My advice is that if you are not concerned by longer drying times then I would opt for a Heat Pump dryer. On the products I compared, the Hotpoint Heat Pump takes 85mins longer to dry, but only 42mins for Beko. If you can purchase a Heat Pump for less than £200 compared to a standard Condenser model, then it is the better choice.
View my latest and best tumble dryer deals, specifically chosen by the Appliance Spotter.
