Construction
- Freestanding – The tumble dryer stands alone and is not built into any cupboards or sideboards.
- Built-in – The tumble dryer is built between your cupboards or sideboards. A full-size kitchen door is required.
- Semi-integrated – The tumble dryer is built between your cupboards or sideboards. A partial kitchen door is required and the control panel is on show.
Types
- Heat pump – transfers heat energy from a source of heat to what is called a heat sink. The heat pump moves thermal energy in the opposite direction of spontaneous heat transfer by absorbing heat from a cold space and releasing it to a warmer one.
- Condenser – removes humidity by using two separate air flows. Air re-circulates inside the machine and is heated, which causes the moisture in the air to condense into water. This is then pumped to the water tank or out through the hose.
- Vented – pumps the hot and damp air from the drum through a flexible hose and outside your home, so you will need the dryer to be next to a wall or window.
- Gas – uses gas to dry the clothes instead of electricity. Mains gas is used to heat the laundry load and expel dampness. Electricity is still used to turn the drum, but this is only around 10% of what is used in an electric tumble dryer.
Capacity
Drum capacity is measured in kilograms, which refers to the weight of the dry wash load that your tumble dryer can hold.
Energy rating
The energy efficiency of tumble dryers is rated in terms of a set of energy efficiency classes from A to G; A being the most energy efficient, G the least.