Use the links below to find out the most important points to consider when buying a tumble dryer:
There are two types of dryers that are available, the best choice for you will depend on where you intend to site the tumble dryer.
Condenser Dryers
Condenses the moisture back in to water and fills a large self sealed water container that can be poured down the sink. This can be located anywhere in the home. Selected dryers can be plumbed out if they are sited next to a drain, so there is no need to empy the water container.
Vented Dryers
Warm moist air is expelled from the machine via a venting kit. The appliance must be located near an outside wall, so that the air can be vented outside.
All machines are graded A+ to G on energy effiiciency with A+ grade being the most economical. An A+ grade energy efficient machine will save you money by using less electricity.
Many tumble dryers feature a variety of different drying programmes, here are some of the key programmes to look out for:
Crease care (pre and post drying) - the machine periodically tumbles the load before and after drying to prevent heavy creasing
Airing Programme - cool tumble to refresh the load.
Delicates - low heat programme tailor made for delicate items
Wool Programme - a delicate drying programme to protect woollens
Sports Programme - recommended for synthetic gym clothes
Final Cool Tumble - occurs at the end of the cycle, this lowers the temperature of the clothes to a suitable level for handlingSensor Dryers
Sensor technology measures the humidity inside the drum and switches off when the clothes are dry. So there is no need to worry about wasting technology and no need to worry about over drying. More sophisticated machines can offer different levels of drying:
Iron Drys - clothes retain a small amount of moisture for easy ironing
Clothes hanger dry - for storage with limited creasing
Cupboard Dry - extra dry for immediate wear
Display
The more sophisticated the tumble dryer the more informed you will be on what is happening to your laundry. The following display options are available on selected tumble dryers:
LED Display
This may feature:
Dry programme status indicators
Time remaining
Time delay countdown
LCD Display
Provides feedback on the current drying programme, what stage it is at, time delay, time to end, heat settings and fabric type.Build quality - tumble dryers in the Premier Collection benefit from superior build quality. Miele tumble dryers are tested for 5,000 cycles and are built to last for 20 years. So you won’t need to replace your tumble dryer very often.
Drum technology - Selected Premier Collection brands feature superior drum technology designed to optimise drying results whilst delivering effective fabric care. The Miele Honeycombe Drum protects your laundry throughout the drying programs while delivering faster drying times.
Drying basket - Designed for drying textiles and garments which do not tolerate excessive tumbling action such as sports shoes, teddy bears, sequinned garments and woollen jumpers.
Fuzzy logic - Advanced electronic sensors automatically monitor your laundry. By measuring temperature differences, moisture levels and selected drying programmes, they can help reduce energy wastage and prevent overheating.Tumble dryers are also available as integrated or semi-integrated. An integrated tumble dryer fits neatly in to your kitchen, with the door covered by a panel that matches your kitchen cupboards. When closed, the tumble dryer is completely hidden and looks like just another kitchen unit. The controls for an integrated tumble dryer are hidden somewhere on the inside of the appliance.
A semi integrated tumble dryer is exactly the same but the control panel is visible over the top of the kitchen unit panel. All the other features found in a normal tumble dryer also apply to integrated and semi integrated tumble dryer
Your kitchen may need to be specially adapted to accept a integrated appliance if it already isn't.