If you’re in the market for a new tumble dryer, you’re probably trying to figure out which is the best type to buy. You might have also seen the news reports of tumble dryers catching fire and wonder how safe these types are.

In this article, you’ll find the answer to these questions. You’ll also discover how they compare to the other types such as vented tumble dryers and condenser dryers.

How Do Heat Pump Dryers Work?

Heat pump dryers work by recycling the hot air that’s pumped into the drum to create a more energy-efficient way of drying clothes.

There are effectively 2 cycles: 

1. A closed-air circuit where hot, dry air enters the drum and absorbs moisture from clothes
2. A coolant circuit which extracts the heat and reheats the processed air.
   
   In the middle of these two cycles , the hot, damp air passes through several filters. After this, it reaches an evaporator that removes the water and stores it in a reservoir.
   
   This process is repeated several times until your laundry is dry. They work almost exactly in reverse to how your refrigerator does!
   
   Here is a quick video from Miele explaining how heat pump technology works:

5 Benefits of Heat Pump Dryers

1. Reduced Fire Risk

As we covered in this blog post, many tumble dryer fires were caused by lint catching fire in the vent pipe. Heat pump dryers don’t have this problem as they are ventless.

2. Energy-Efficiency

Heat pump tumble dryers are the most energy-efficient type of tumble dryers. They use 25% to 70% less energy than other types to dry your clothes.

3. Better For Your Clothes

Due to the way the heating process works, the temperature inside the drum is cooler than other types of dryers. This prevents fabric damage and clothes fading due to overdrying.

4. Less Humidity

Heat pump dryers don’t vent the excess moisture out into your home like condenser dryers do. This means there is less humidity and makes them more attractive for people living in flats and apartments.

5. Easy Installation

As these dryers don't need a vent, you don't have to install them near an external wall or make a hole for exhaust hoses to fit through.

3 Drawbacks of Heat Pump Dryers

1. Longer Drying Time

Due to using a lower heating temperature (as explained here), they have longer drying cycles than vented or condenser tumble dryers. However, the difference can only be 5 - 10 minutes.

2. You need to empty the water tank often.

Unlike vented tumble dryers, the hot air evaporates and fills up a water reservoir. This needs to be emptied regularly (unless you plumb in your tumble dryer).

3. More Expensive

Heat pump tumble dryers start at around £350 while vented tumble dryers can be found for £200 and up. However, you will save on electricity and benefit from more installation options.