# Dehumidifier or heat source tumble drier ?



## gbb (20 Nov 2022)

one of my abiding thoughts in life is, nothing is right nor wrong, everything we do, even for the better, has a negative consequence somewhere...hopefully small compared to the positive.
So we now have a super efficient boiler...brilliant, but theres a negative,what used to be a nice warm boiler cupboard and airing cupboard, they're now actually not even remotely warm and we're struggling to dry clothes. Dont want to use the tumble drier but don't want damp clothes hanging round either.
So, heatsource tumble drier or dehumidifier ?
Anyone any experience of either ? I am erring toward the hs tumbledrier although it will be more expensive to buy initially.

Another consequence of the new boiler...its changed the feel of the house. We often wouldn't bother having the heating on at this time of the year but the background /waste heat from the boiler made a nice difference, took the cold edge off. New boiler, upstairs is noticeable cooler when the heating is off.

Anyway, dehumidifier or HS tumble drier, experiences, opinions ?


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## Time Waster (20 Nov 2022)

I'm looking into this right now. Energy ratings are A to A++ compared to E, F or G for condenser ones. We're using radiators, airers and a donated dehumidifier. The dehumidifier doesn't work very well in a larger room than it's designed for. We've put the clothes in many smaller room with it and whilst not impressive it has an effect when used with central heating.

I think dryer might be better.


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## fossyant (20 Nov 2022)

Dehumidifier. We use an airer, load it up, and pop a dehumidifier next to it blowing air over the washing, occasionally turning the washing. We can dry 2-3 loads this way. You do need a smaller room ideally, although we're managing find in the conservatory.


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## geocycle (20 Nov 2022)

We have used a dehumidifier for years to dry clothes over the winter. Hang them on racks in a spare room with a radiator on. Ours is at least 15 years old but still pulls the water out of the air and into a reservoir of about 1-2 litres you have to empty occasionally. Costs seem less than a fridge. Not heard about the air source option But sound interesting.


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## JB052 (20 Nov 2022)

We use a dehumidifier on the days its not practical to dry the washing outside, have been for many years. Not sure how much electricity it uses but it seems to take the water out fairly effectively.


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## figbat (20 Nov 2022)

We have a heat pump tumble drier. In fact we’re on our 2nd as the first failed in a way I couldn’t fix, which is the only downside of them (the fault was in the heat pump system, which is essentially a refrigeration circuit, so not user-serviceable).

When working they are really good - no need for an outside wall/window to vent the moist air but you do need to either empty the condenser tank every so often or, like us, pipe it to a waste outlet (ours sits next to the washing machine so uses the same waste). Drying times vary but are generally quicker than a typical hot air drier. We have kids and the whole family does various sporting endeavours so it gets a lot of use, supplemented by outdoors drying in the summer.

Like you said though, a bit spendy to buy.


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## Time Waster (20 Nov 2022)

Ours isn't efficient, doesn't seem to work well and the electricity and heating needed isn't very efficient. Just my opinion with what we've got.


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## Time Waster (20 Nov 2022)

There's an A++ rated heat source dryer for £329. Is that expensive?


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## Kingfisher101 (20 Nov 2022)

I've got a dehumidifier and a tumble dryer and would always use the tumble dryer to dry clothes. Its not a heatsource tumble dryer(whatever that is?) Its a condenser. You could always hang the washing out if its a dry day for a bit or wear clothes a bit longer if thats possible? 
I got the dehumidifer to get rid of condensation and damp from a bedroom which it does. You really dont want wet clothes hanging about.


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## Sharky (20 Nov 2022)

Ours is a condenser dryer. Had a couple of cheap ones over the last 10 years or so and impressed by some of the technical advances, such as the auto sensors to switch them off when dry.

When looking for one, check where the water tank is. Some are at base level, ideal when stacked on top of another appliance, but not so good if the drier is positioned under the worktop.


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## ColinJ (20 Nov 2022)

I have been using a dehumidifier recently instead of my tumble dryer but I suspect that the former ends up using more energy. I must do the calculations to check.


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## ebikeerwidnes (20 Nov 2022)

We seem to need a new tumble dryer - old one is starting to become difficult to close and I have fixed it several times but it is getting worse

Getting a new one looks like about £230 or so whereas a Heat Pump version is around £500 - from what SWMBO has looked at

Getting the old one fixed would probably cost at leat £100 for parts and getting someone out to fix it that actually knows what they are doing

so it looks like we are getting a new one and putting the old one on Freecycle


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## CXRAndy (20 Nov 2022)

ColinJ said:


> I have been using a dehumidifier recently instead of my tumble dryer but I suspect that the former ends up using more energy. I must do the calculations to check.



You just need the Wattage and length of time to dry clothes


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## Tenkaykev (20 Nov 2022)

We purchased a dehumidifier for our daughter from Screwfix ( the identical model from their sister company B+Q was about £50 dearer, always worth checking out Screwfix )
We then dug a little deeper and saw that Ebac have been making dehumidifiers ( and washing machines ) in the UK for many years. The blurb on their website is quite interesting, they say their models are better suited to the UK weather patterns. I suppose in the colder weather the heat generated by the unit is a bonus, and dryer air tends to feek warmer. There's a three year warranty if you purchase direct.


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## Time Waster (20 Nov 2022)

ebikeerwidnes said:


> We seem to need a new tumble dryer - old one is starting to become difficult to close and I have fixed it several times but it is getting worse
> 
> Getting a new one looks like about £230 or so whereas a Heat Pump version is around £500 - from what SWMBO has looked at
> 
> ...



Currys have 3 heat pump dryers at £329 & 5 at less than £400. All energy rating A+ to A+++. Consider savings on £109 vs savings on electricity used. I've seen lifetime use figures of an A rated appliance can save £5000 over a B or C rated one over a typical m lifetime of such an appliance.


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## dan_bo (20 Nov 2022)

Washing line.


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## winjim (20 Nov 2022)

We borrowed a dehumidifier when we had loads of nappies to dry but our friend let us keep hold of it. Now it pretty much only goes on when the heating's on anyway so the heat it produces doesn't go to waste.


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## ColinJ (20 Nov 2022)

CXRAndy said:


> You just need the Wattage and length of time to dry clothes


Correct. I just haven't checked either on either!

I know that the tumble dryer is much quicker but uses lots more power. If it uses (say) 4 times the power but takes 1/6 of the time then it wins, 5 times the power for 1/4 of the time then it loses.

The other factor though...


winjim said:


> Now it pretty much only goes on when the heating's on anyway so *the heat it produces doesn't go to waste*.


... is that the dehumidifier is used in a part of the house where its heat output is useful, whereas the tumble dryer heat is wasted in my cold cellar (much of that heat probably warming up the foundations of the building rather than coming up into the house).



dan_bo said:


> Washing line.


Yes - when we don't have perma-drizzle!


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## si_c (21 Nov 2022)

fossyant said:


> Dehumidifier. We use an airer, load it up, and pop a dehumidifier next to it blowing air over the washing, occasionally turning the washing. We can dry 2-3 loads this way. You do need a smaller room ideally, although we're managing find in the conservatory.



That's what we do, we have a dehumidifier from when we lived in the old house with no DG so was useful for removing condensation. Now we put it in the back bedroom with a heated airer and the door closed. Can dry 2 or more full washing loads a day comfortably and it doesn't hit the electricity _too_ hard. Cost is about 25p per hour for the dehumidifier and 11-12p for the airer, so under 40p per hour. You've got to remember to turn them off though so they don't run longer than necessary.

An A++ rated tumble drier will cost between 75p and £1 per hour to run.


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## AlanW (21 Nov 2022)

After our car was stolen last September, I had to have a rethink about what was kept in the garage. Pre the car theft, the car was on the drive and the bench/bikes/tools etc were in the garage. I was fortunate to have a large wooden workshop in the garden so after a lot of sorting out, the steel bench the bikes and tools were subsequently relocated into the workshop and the new car is now safety tucked up in the garage every night.

However, what become apparent very quickly was the issue of damp and condensation in the workshop, which was confirmed when I put a digital humidity/thermometer in there for a few days and the shocking results it revealed. 

After much research, and it turned out to be a right rabbit hole. but there are two different types of dehumidifiers, refrigerant (compressor) or desiccant and it all depends on the temperature of the location that you intend to use your unit as to which is the best for your application.

For my application which was primary always going to be at low temperatures, the desiccant type would be the most suitable. So, I ended up with one of these in the end - https://www.meaco.com/products/meaco-dd8l-zambezi-dehumidifier

To be honest, it is quite astonishing how much water is draws from the air in just a couple of hours! I have it set on the built-in timer to come on for a couple of hours first thing in the morning, but if you set a level humidity level on the unit that you want the room (or in my case the workshop) to be at and once that level is reached, the unit will cut out.

That said, on occasions we have moved the unit indoors to help dry the washing, as it does have a separate "dry washing" mode. Hang the washing up on a clothes drier, switch the unit on and shut the door. Return a couple of hours later, all done


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## fossyant (21 Nov 2022)

Our de-humidifier runs at 200w-300w depending upon fan speed. Dryer is 3000w. Yes a dehumidifier takes longer but you'll have a bigger quantity of dry clothes !


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## CXRAndy (22 Nov 2022)

Drying clothes, heat loss and humidity are all issues which can be alleviated with MVHR system. 

They're into the 90s% range for heat recovery. 

So the energy used in creating heat is not lost, but redistributed throughout the building. Moisture is removed to keep humidity levels in check. 

Very few buildings have MVHR, but it should be standard on all newbuilds.

I fitted it to a newbuild, it worked extremely well, keeping all rooms throughout the house within 1 °C and humidity spot.


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## gbb (22 Nov 2022)

Having done some homework and taken in what you all suggest....we're back where we started 
Talked to people with heated air driers, dehumidifiers and heat pump driers and you get such a range of views, for and against, you can't unpick which way to go.
Friends wife has a heated clothes horse, she manages fine but my wife's colleagues have suggested from their experiences they're just not very good.
Same with heat pump driers.
Same with dehumidifiers.

I think based on purchase and running cost...a heat pump drier is falling from our preference. Wife seems dead set against a heated clothes horse....I dunno, I'm just going to let her mull it over, but a dehumidifier seems most likely.

Getting fed up of clothes hanging round over the house, gotta do something but it seems my wife's preferences should probably, and rightly be favoured.
Thanks all.


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## MrGrumpy (22 Nov 2022)

Interesting thread , currently got two clothes horses up. 5 of us so washing is on all the time. The issue is I’ve restricted the heating , drying clothes was not an issue in the past but it is now. Tumble dryer has been banned from use. Dehumidifier might work ?


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## winjim (22 Nov 2022)

CXRAndy said:


> Drying clothes, heat loss and humidity are all issues which can be alleviated with MVHR system.
> 
> They're into the 90s% range for heat recovery.
> 
> ...



We've got MVHR but I think the problem with it is that the downstairs loo doesn't have a radiator, which means in winter it's extracting freezing cold air so there's no heat for the heat exchanger to exchange. So it's just blowing cold air into every room.


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## AlanW (22 Nov 2022)

MrGrumpy said:


> Dehumidifier might work ?


Providing you get the correct type of dehumidifier, it would definitely work. If you go for a high capacity one, trust me, you will be gob smacked how much water it draws out of the air in a relatively short amount of time!


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## MontyVeda (22 Nov 2022)

Single bloke in a first floor flat. I get by just hanging everything off the radiators and it dries eventually. Not ideal but is the cheap option.


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## fossyant (22 Nov 2022)

A heated clothes horse will only do so much. Blooming great for drying shoes, but it can't dry lots of items quickly.


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## fossyant (22 Nov 2022)

MrGrumpy said:


> Interesting thread , currently got two clothes horses up. 5 of us so washing is on all the time. The issue is I’ve restricted the heating , drying clothes was not an issue in the past but it is now. Tumble dryer has been banned from use. Dehumidifier might work ?



It will. Its how we are drying 4 adults stuff.

It will be drying sons duvet today. Manages that well with duvet over clothes horse and dehumidifier below.


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## MrGrumpy (22 Nov 2022)

AlanW said:


> Providing you get the correct type of dehumidifier, it would definitely work. If you go for a high capacity one, trust me, you will be gob smacked how much water it draws out of the air in a relatively short amount of time!



link to one for example ?


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## AlanW (22 Nov 2022)

MrGrumpy said:


> link to one for example ?


It is the post a few posts back, but this is the one we have. I really didn't want to spend that much money on one to be honest, but now I have it I'm so glad that I did.

https://www.meaco.com/products/meac...1_1669114472_d804947e645ea05b731d44d8418e423f

But be mindful that was purchased to function in an outside workshop that is often a lot colder than a house would be. It may be that a compressor type would be more suitable for a warmer house?

That said, its perfect in the "clothes dryer" mode.


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## MrGrumpy (22 Nov 2022)

Seriously how quick should I expect to dry clothes ?


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## AlanW (22 Nov 2022)

MrGrumpy said:


> Seriously how quick should I expect to dry clothes ?



How long is a piece of string really, as it really depends on how many clothes, the type of material and the size of the room as they all play a part in the overall drying time.


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## AlanW (22 Nov 2022)

I dont know if this helps?


Room ConditionsMaximum Water ExtractionWattage20°C and 60%rh - fan speed 13.9 litres per day351 watts20°C and 60%rh - fan speed 28.0 litres per day656 watts20°C and 60%rh - fan speed 38.3 litres per day661 watts10°C and 60%rh - fan speed 13.9 litres per day351 watts10°C and 60%rh - fan speed 26.6 litres per day656 watts10°C and 60%rh - fan speed 37.5 litres per day663 watts


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## jowwy (22 Nov 2022)

Heating on low, clothes on a clothes horse in dressing room, dehumidifier on drying the clothes......running on solar power. 

before any asks, the sun doesn't go round the back this time of year to use the washing line, or it would be out there drying instead


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## CXRAndy (22 Nov 2022)

winjim said:


> We've got MVHR but I think the problem with it is that the downstairs loo doesn't have a radiator, which means in winter it's extracting freezing cold air so there's no heat for the heat exchanger to exchange. So it's just blowing cold air into every room.



Yes that wont help for sure.


Cant you install an electric towel radiator or underfloor electric kit? 


Seems a waste of a MHVR system not to make it run efficiently. I was surprised how even the temperatures were in each room north facing bedrooms to south facing living rooms. 
I added an extra fan to pull the hot air out of the hot water cylinder cupboard, which could get into the high 30C into the hall, from there the nearby bathroom extract vent would take the heat into the system. Temperature then dropped to high 20C in the cupboard. 

Im seriously considering a system on our old farmhouse. It has attics that run the whole length, allowing major ducting to run from one end of the building to the other. Then its just a case of smaller pipework into bedrooms, bathrooms, wet rooms etc.


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## Mo1959 (22 Nov 2022)

MrGrumpy said:


> link to one for example ?



I’ve got this one. Draws a huge amount of water out of the atmosphere, especially if it’s really cold outside or I’ve dried washing indoors. Bit noisy though.


https://www.meaco.com/products/meaco-20l-low-energy-dehumidifier-and-air-purifier


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## MontyVeda (22 Nov 2022)

fossyant said:


> A heated clothes horse will only do so much. Blooming great for drying shoes, but it can't dry lots of items quickly.



They have those in Aldi once in a while... and i just don't understand them. 99% of the stuff that needs to dry will be hanging below the heated rails, and heat tends not to go downwards. The whole concept seems very inefficient to me.


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## winjim (22 Nov 2022)

CXRAndy said:


> Yes that wont help for sure.
> 
> 
> Cant you install an electric towel radiator or underfloor electric kit?



We've been meaning to but other stuff keeps taking our budget. We should be able to run it on the same system as the main central heating although we hadn't considered electric. I don't know why the previous owners didn't do it when they built the extension and installed the system. I think doing it now is going to involve some ugly exposed pipework and drilling through walls because of how the floor's been built.


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## fossyant (22 Nov 2022)

MontyVeda said:


> They have those in Aldi once in a while... and i just don't understand them. 99% of the stuff that needs to dry will be hanging below the heated rails, and heat tends not to go downwards. The whole concept seems very inefficient to me.



They are OK for small loads where you put stuff on the rails and not hanging. We dont use ours much. Only used for lads MTB weekends where we've got gloves and shoes to dry overnight.


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## figbat (22 Nov 2022)

We simply don't have anywhere to hang loads of washing, so anything like that is out (bar scattering damp clothes around the house). We have no airing cupboard (the hot water tank and boiler are in the garage, which is full to the gunwales with bikes, a trailer and camping stuff and not a clean or warm place for hanging clothes). Every other room in the house has a radiator but is fully-occupied. The utility room has a washing machine, tumble drier and fridge-freezer in it and a little bit of hanging racking, usually used to dry anything that is forbidden from the drier or is a little damp and needs finishing off. Given the amount of school uniform, PE kit, cycling stuff, horse riding apparel and day-to-day clothing we have to get through, we'd need a lot of hanging space for it all. The tumble drier does it all in a neat 600x600mm footprint and can do multiple loads a day if required. Yes it costs more to run but I'd argue less that buying a house big enough to accommodate the space, or building an(other) extension. And we use the clothesline as much as possible in clement weather.


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## CXRAndy (22 Nov 2022)

winjim said:


> We've been meaning to but other stuff keeps taking our budget. We should be able to run it on the same system as the main central heating although we hadn't considered electric. I don't know why the previous owners didn't do it when they built the extension and installed the system. I think doing it now is going to involve some ugly exposed pipework and drilling through walls because of how the floor's been built.



Boxing around the pipes is an option if you connect to central heating


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## winjim (22 Nov 2022)

CXRAndy said:


> Boxing around the pipes is an option if you connect to central heating



I know but it's never going to look as good as if it had been done properly in the first place.


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## gbb (22 Nov 2022)

Despite my post above, went to the Hotpoint shop on their factory site and got a heat pump drier, basically 25% off retail.
They're brilliant in there, helpful, friendly, not intrusive,once you decide, pay, they bring it to your car and help you put it in, job done.

My wife decided she definitely didn't want a heated drier, not sure about a dehumidifier because that meant the clothes horse in the spare room...nah, get a tumble drier, its out the way, many not be the cheapest but allows her to keep rooms tidy and its just more convenient.

£279 later 
Now we will see....


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## gbb (24 Nov 2022)

First run last night, full load of washing dried on Eco mode. Program states 3hr 14 mins, its actual time was around 2 hrs maximum, odd i thought ?
It has a sensor, monitoring the dryness of the clothes so i assume modifies the program run time as it goes. It calls it 'cupboard dry' on completion of cycle, its not old style 'hot' dry, it feels different, but there are other settings to get even drier....at extra energy useage of course.
Wife always selects a 1600 spin speed on the washer so that probably impacts the result for the better.
Wife is quite happy, that's ultimately what matters.


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## ColinJ (24 Nov 2022)

I checked my dehumidifier yesterday. It is rated at 250W. I ran it for 8 hours with washing airing on and in front of a radiator which would have been on anyway. That got the washing dry. 

2 kWh doesn't seem _too_ bad!


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## figbat (24 Nov 2022)

gbb said:


> First run last night, full load of washing dried on Eco mode. Program states 3hr 14 mins, its actual time was around 2 hrs maximum, odd i thought ?
> It has a sensor, monitoring the dryness of the clothes so i assume modifies the program run time as it goes. It calls it 'cupboard dry' on completion of cycle, its not old style 'hot' dry, it feels different, but there are other settings to get even drier....at extra energy useage of course.
> Wife always selects a 1600 spin speed on the washer so that probably impacts the result for the better.
> Wife is quite happy, that's ultimately what matters.



IIRC "cupboard dry" is very slightly damp, with the expectation that you will put the clothes in an airing cupboard or similar to finish off. In other words, not arid dry and OK if you're not going to wear the clothes immediately.


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## gbb (24 Nov 2022)

figbat said:


> IIRC "cupboard dry" is very slightly damp, with the expectation that you will put the clothes in an airing cupboard or similar to finish off. In other words, not arid dry and OK if you're not going to wear the clothes immediately.



I think that explains it perfectly


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## Bromptonaut (6 Dec 2022)

We've a Bosch heat pump dryer. It's rated at 1,000watts but only draws that on the most 'aggressive' programmes like the one that's for towels. 

Although it starts off predicting near to four hours to get cotton to cupboard dry in practice it's around 90minutes. I'm OK running it on economy 7 (fire risk mitigated by location, doors etc) so 22p/unit at local capped rate. 

Quick boost on timed dry sorts out anything that still feels slightly damp/cold and stuff then most stuff goes straight to the wardrobe/drawer. 

Bamboo socks are the one thing that may need time in the airing cupboard.


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## gbb (8 Dec 2022)

As we get used to ours, eco mode is 3 hrs 14 minutes. Full'ish load of washing (spin speed 1600rpm) starts at that 3.14 but tends to finish in about 1 hour.
My wife (and me tbf) are very happy with its performance and assuming its energy consumption is anywhere near its stated levels, its going to be infinately more economical than our former drier.


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