Can You Put A Condenser Tumble Dryer In Your Bedroom?
The short answer is yes, but with some reservations. If there’s nowhere else to put your tumble dryer and you’ve gone for a condenser model, it can be put in your bedroom but there are a few things to consider.
A Brief Guide To How A Condenser Tumble Dryer Works
Condenser tumble dryers work by forcing hot air through the wet laundry and then extracting the water from the hot, moist air by way of a cold condenser that allows the extracted water to drip into the water reservoir.
The hot air is recycled around the system, having been cooled just enough to prevent the condenser heating up by fresh air that enters the machine via the air ducts at the back. If there’s no fresh air entering the machine, the condenser will almost certainly overheat which will prevent the laundry from drying.
How To Safely Put A Condenser Tumble Dryer In A Bedroom
There are 3 requisites before you can safely put the tumble dryer in your bedroom.
- Remove The Carpet
Carpets could block the air ducts on the dryer which will prevent the laundry from drying and in some cases could cause a fire. - Ensure Adequate Ventilation
As we have just seen, without adequate ventilation the machine will not be able to function correctly. This will result in the machine taking far longer to dry your washing and thus increase your energy bill as well. The recommended room size for a condenser tumble dryer is 3 metres (10ft) squared. - Ensure The Room Is At The Correct Temperature
Even if the room size is adequate, the temperature of the room should be cool. Many of us live in centrally heated homes, which means the whole home is warmed to a set temperature. This will almost certainly be too warm for the machine to function correctly. We suggest that if you must have the tumble dryer in the bedroom, you keep the bedroom window open whilst operating the machine.
It is possible to put a condenser tumble dryer in your bedroom as long as the temperature and ventilation issues are addressed.
You might want to consider getting a dehumidifier for your bedroom to help combat the moist air and maybe a fan as the room temperature is likely to increase once the tumble dryer is in use even with the window open.
What Problems Can Occur By Putting A Condenser Tumble Dryer In The Bedroom?
All condenser tumble dryers will expel some hot moist air from the vent at the back of the machine. Cheaper models are far more prone to this but almost all will expel some moist air.
Moist air can cause problems with damp that can cause mould growth. Mould can cause asthma and other respiratory problems.
As mentioned above, the washing might not dry under certain conditions and there is also the risk of fire.
Some machines will not even turn on if the temperature is too hot or too cold for the dryer to function correctly.
There’s also the noise issue that needs to be considered. Any tumble dryer makes a certain amount of noise. If you spend a lot of time in your bedroom this could well be an issue.
Where Is The Ideal Place For A Tumble Dryer?
The ideal place for a tumble dryer is in the kitchen or utility room alongside the washing machine. Not only are these rooms usually at the correct temperature for the machine to operate properly, but having the tumble dryer next to the washing machine allows easy transference of the wet washing into the tumble dryer.
Of course you probably don’t have the room for a tumble dryer in the kitchen or you wouldn’t be considering putting it in the bedroom.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can put a condenser dryer in the bedroom as long as there is adequate ventilation and the room is at the correct temperature for the machine to operate correctly. We would also recommend removing the carpet to prevent the risk of the machine overheating which could cause a fire in some cases.
A condenser tumble dryer needs an area of 3 square metres to ensure adequate ventilation.
Condenser dryers can make the room damp because they expel damp air which can accumulate on surfaces in the room.
