Drying type
— Condensing (recuperative) The general principle of
condensation drying is as follows: heated air is passed through the laundry drum, captures moisture, and then enters the refrigerator, cools down, and excess moisture condenses in a special tank. The advantage of all condensing machines over
air vented ones is that they are easy to install. They do not need to be connected to ventilation and can be installed in any room. On the other hand, the user needs to monitor the condensate tank and periodically drain the accumulated water. And such units are somewhat more complicated and more expensive than ventilated ones. However, recuperative dryers are the simplest and most inexpensive among condensing dryers. By the name, the role of a refrigerator in them is played by a recuperator: a heat exchanger that dumps excess heat into the outside air. The heating of the air inside is usually carried out using a heating element. Due to their availability, such machines are very popular, but they have serious drawbacks. Firstly, devices of this type have high electricity consumption. Secondly, the efficiency of their work is relatively low. Moreover, it directly depends on the temperature difference between the air outside and inside the dryer.
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Condensing (heat pump drying). The most advanced and most expensive type of condensing dryer. See above for more information
...on condensing drying in general. Note that in models of this type, the refrigerator operates due to a heat pump — a compressor that takes excess heat from the condensation chamber and transfers it to the heater. It provides several advantages over traditional recuperative drying. One of the most noticeable is high efficiency and economy: the heat pump allows you to reuse the accumulated thermal energy, and less electricity is spent on its operation than on the constant air heating in recuperative models. In addition, drying is easier and faster, and the work speed is practically independent of outdoor conditions. And such a machine almost does not produce excess heat. The disadvantages of models with a heat pump are traditional — complexity and high cost.
— Air vented. A kind of drying in which excess moisture is blown out of the machine into the outdoor space. Compared to condensing drying, this option allows you to create simpler, cheaper and more compact units. And such models are somewhat easier to use because they do not require monitoring the water level in the condensate tank. On the other hand, installing a ventilated machine is noticeably more difficult. So, in the room where the unit is located, there must be a powerful ventilation system, otherwise, there will always be high humidity and temperature. Such a microclimate is not only harmful to people and furniture but also significantly worsens drying efficiency. If it is impossible to organize general ventilation for the room for one reason or another, one will have to make a separate air duct to remove steam from the dryer. As a result, this type of drying is considered inconvenient and extremely rare.Number of drying programmes
The number of preset drying programmes. Such programmes are often optimized for a specific type of fabric: linen, silk, synthetics, etc. The more drying programmes, the more versatile and easier the dryer is to use. However, a specific set of modes in different models may be different, and even a large variety of programmes does not guarantee that one of them will be suitable. So before buying, it is advisable to specify not only the quantity but the list of claimed programmes.
Anti-crease function
This function of the dryer prevents the formation of the crease on the laundry as much as possible, which facilitates subsequent ironing. Of course,
anti-crease function does not give a full guarantee against creasing, but it noticeably makes life easier for the user. Especially when working with fabrics like linen or in cases where the things themselves are not particularly wrinkled but can crumple with inaccurate drying.
Drying basket
The presence
of a drying basket allows you to carefully place woollen items, as well as shoes, which contributes to delicate drying and the laundry does not “fly” around the drum like in washing machines.
Drum lighting
Lighting system for the internal volume of the device. It usually turns on automatically when the dryer door is opened - thus reducing the likelihood that some items (especially small and dark ones) will be forgotten in the drum.
Self-cleaning heat exchanger
System
for automatic cleaning of the heat exchanger from fibres and all kinds of deposits that prevent easy air circulation. The self-cleaning function is performed during each drying cycle. It extends the life span of the heat exchanger and ensures consistently low energy consumption over the life span of the dryer.
Energy class
The energy consumption class shows not the actual energy consumption but the efficiency of the dryer. In other words, what part of the electricity consumed goes directly to useful work. For dryers, this parameter is especially important because such devices have high electricity consumption. As a result, models with the same capabilities but different energy efficiency classes differ markedly in terms of operating costs (in terms of electricity bills). However, more economical units themselves are more expensive. nevertheless, this difference quickly pays off.
Initially, classes were marked in Latin letters from
A(the highest class) and further alphabetically. In the course of technology development, more economical levels of consumption than the original class A appeared — they are labelled as A+,
A++, A+++, etc. Actually, the highest efficiency class in modern dryers is exactly
A +++ ; level A —
A+ can be called good,
B — average, C — acceptable.
Noise level
The noise level generated by the dryer during operation. Usually, the specs indicate the maximum volume of the device, in the noisiest mode — when other programmes are running, this figure may be lower. We note that the noise level also depends on the features of the installation: for example, if the machine does not stand firmly on all four legs, vibration from drum rotation can create additional noise. And the tiled walls amplify the sound by creating an echo. Nevertheless, it is best to evaluate the device precisely by the noise level stated in the specifications. And here it is worth bearing in mind that the decibel used to denote loudness is a non-linear value, and it is best to evaluate the actual loudness of the unit using comparative tables. Here is the simplest such table for the volume range in which modern dryers operate:
65 dB — a person's voice in raised tones at a distance of 1 m;
70 dB — a loud conversation of several people at the same distance;
75 dB — loud laughter at a distance of 1 m;
80 dB — motorcycle engine, medium power vacuum cleaner.
The quieter the machine is, the more comfortable it will be to use and the better it will be suitable for a specific environment (for example, if there is a small child in the house or if you plan to run drying at night). At the same time, it is worth considering not only the actual noise level but also the installation location of the device. If the dryer is planned to...be installed in the basement of a private house with thick ceilings and the bedroom is located on the second floor, you can not pay much attention to the noise level: even the loudest unit is unlikely to create inconvenience.
