Buying a dryer, especially if you are a newbie to the household appliance market, can be overwhelming. There are droves of vented and ventless dryers available and, every year, the appliance industry invents new varieties. Learning as much as possible about these essential appliances can help make your purchasing decision easier. The most important concept to understand is that there are significant differences between vented and ventless dryers.
The Difference Between Vented and Ventless Dryers
A vented dryer is more common than a ventless dryer. A vented dryer sucks air in, heats it, and then spits exhaust out through a ventilation process. The exhaust is pushed outside of your house. These dryers are convenient, but, unfortunately, they require enormous energy because the air must be heated and cooled, then thrust outside.
In the summer, if you are using an air conditioner, this process is redundant, at best; you are cooling off the air in your home, and your dryer sucks that cool air in only to heat it up before blowing it back out. Clearly, this is a waste of energy.
While a ventless dryer also heats air, it does not use a ventilation system to move exhaust outside. Let's explore how this is possible and learn "How does a ventless dryer work?"
How the Ventless Dryer Works There are two types of ventless dryers: the condenser and the heat pump. Each of these dryers has advantages and disadvantages. We will examine the benefits and drawbacks of each.
The Condenser Ventless DryerCondenser ventless dryers follow these general steps:
- The condenser dryer pulls air in from the laundry room.
- It heats the air so that it is notably hotter than room temperature.
- A component of the dryer, often referred to as a heat exchanger, absorbs and dries the moisture previously created by the heating process.
- The heat exchanger then cools the air to eliminate any leftover moisture.
- The moisture is squeezed into an external pan.
- The same air is then heated up again and sent back to the inside of the dryer, where it works its magic on the clothing.
- The owner will manually empty the tray that collected the evaporated water during the process.
Benefits and Drawbacks
There are significant benefits of using a condenser dryer. These dryers require little energy. This can save you money on energy bills, and it benefits the environment. What's more, the condenser dryer is simple to install and usually requires little professional assistance during set-up.
It's also noteworthy to consider the potential drawbacks of condenser dryers. They are more expensive than other types of dryers. Condenser dryers also require a connection to a hose. If that's not possible, then this dryer will not function properly.
The Heat Pump Ventless Dryer Heat pump ventless dryers work in the following way:
- The heat pump dryer pulls air in from the room.
- It sends that air through a pump.
- The pump heats the air.
- The heating pump condenses the moisture into a draining pump.
- The air is cycled through and reheated, over and over again.
- The dryer recycles the air it sucks in, thereby preventing the room's air from heating up.
These ventless dryers have a number of advantages. First, they use the least amount of energy of all dryers. Its energy-efficient process can help save a significant amount of money in the long run. Furthermore, these dryers are the most sustainable for the environment. An additional benefit to heat pump dryers is that they are easy to set up because they require no connection to ducts, pumps, or hoses.
Another advantage of the heat pump dryer is that it does not affect the air temperature in the room around it, which makes it ideal for small living quarters. For the fashionistas out there, there is a fantastic benefit of the heat pump dryer: It is gentle on clothes. While traditional dryers can overheat, fade, and shrink clothing, the ventless dryer goes easy on garments.
There are two disadvantages to heat pump ventless dryers. First, they are the most expensive type of dryer. They will save on energy bills over time, but the out-of-pocket amount is greater than that of vented and condenser dryers. Second, they must be used with smaller-than-average loads and, thus, require more time when drying.
The Takeaway
Ventless dryers offer a terrific alternative for people who need to save space or want to conserve energy. They are wonderfully compact appliances that you can place almost anywhere. By using a sensical system that simply loops air in, absorbs excess moisture, and expels it, the ventless dryer is gentle and energy efficient.
At Goedeker's, we have a large selection of ventless dryers in a range of colors and capacities. Many of our ventless dryers are stackable, come with rebates, special financing, energy star certification and are ADA compliant. Call Goedeker's at 1-888-768-1710 for assistance or more information.