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I would never buy anything like that unless it was absolute must to save space. If one component breaks you effectively have two broken machines. e.g. if you buy a TV/DVD player combo and the TV breaks now you have the world's largest DVD player.
Here is my thought process - and trust I understand what you are saying as I have gone thru that before.
First, I have had really good luck (knock on wood) with washers and dryers. I also buy a 4 yr. extended warranty, since I don't buy bottom of the line. And then I get house warranties that they get to worry about fixing. So far, I go about 10-12 years for appliances. (Fridge, Dishwasher, W/D, Sink Disposal)
Here is the deal - I can do TWICE as much laundry without having to babysit it with TWO Washer/Dryer combo units rather than one washer and one dryer that I have to make sure I change the clothes out from. This makes me really 3x more efficient - and since at times I forget to move the clothes over and have to rewash I'll ave water and power.
Unfortunately where I currently live it rains almost everyday - so hanging outside is tough and the clothes gets really rough, fast. I don't like smells and fabric softeners which I need to use to do that. Instead I currently use "clear" or "free and clear" soap and nothing else. Not even static sheets. I have HE machines and the one unit does all would be HE as well...
BTW - Thecoalman - My wife is on your side.... She doesn't like it. So I hope my next place is large enough for three full size devices. One Washer, One Dryer, One W/D Combo.... Or that I can put on somewhere else for me to use. I know that might be a little wasteful, but I have a sneaky feeling she will be using that one unit.
I didn't mean Seattle--you don't even get cold winters. When I said North I meant THE North--places like Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Upper NY State, New England--places that get really cold. If there are any heat pumps in New England they are very rare. When it's 20 below zero will a heat pump work? I wish it would. Does anyone know if heat pumps will become available in places like New England anytime soon? It would be great.
They use heat pumps in Minnesota. Here is a company in Vermont.
"Most dryers generate heat using electricity or gas, and then vent that hot air out into the environment, wasting a lot of energy. A heat pump dryer recaptures that hot air, removes the moisture from it, and then pumps it back into the drum to dry more clothes."
The outside air temp has nothing to do with it.
These are nothing new. The process of heat reclamation is used all the time in industry. However, it is actually worth doing in a 10-15MM BTU heating process. Also, it is much more complicated than simple reclamation when using natural gas or propane as the exhaust from one of these dryers is mostly combustion exhaust which contains carbon monoxide. Gas dryers are already pretty efficient to begin with (90-95% AFUE). Over complicating the design to squeeze a few more BTUs into the drying process will probably cause more problems than it will solve.
If unfinished basements are dropping much below 41 degrees we'd have freezing pipes much more common.
Coming out of a frigid winter in the north east, I doubt my basement spent much if any time below 41 degrees.
I was just pointing out that the lower temp range could conceivably be reached in an enclosed but unheated space. I have seen laundry rooms here in the south that are just closets attached to a carport, too.
I sure wouldn't want to see your panties/tighty whities/bras etc. flapping around in the wind.
For as long as there has been laundry (which pre-dates tumble or other mechanical/heated drying) housewives, laundresses and anyone else doing the washing learned how to hang "unmentionables" on the lines without giving the world a show.
Back in the old days older/experienced housewives could tell which newly married girl or poor laundress/housemaid had been brought up right and or taught the proper way to do laundry by how they hung the wash.
Knickers and other undergarments are either hung inside other items, or if multiple lines used hung on the "inside" so not to be seen by those passing.
Being as this may for ages *nice* girls laundered their underthings after they were removed at night and or soon there afterwards. They would be then hung to drip dry indoors in the bath or bedroom. College dorms, sorority houses, homes with wives/daughters, in short anyplace you found females it was almost a given you'd find bathrooms at night with dripping knickers, nylons, slips, girdles, etc.... Husbands and or sons generally cursed having to use the loo under those conditions but things were what they were.
I believe the first round of this heat pump dryer technology is finally going to be making it's way to the US soon. It would be a great way to save energy, because the second largest consumer of the average household is the dryer, right after the refrigerator.
First of all unlike much of Europe electric dryers are not universal in the United States. Much depends upon the prices of natural gas vs. electric. Here in NYC it is rare to see gas dryers outside of small compact/apartment units and perhaps several other situations. Electric here just costs too much for running a dryer vs. cheaper natural gas.
In some states in an effort to cut the overall population's electric use (to delay and or prevent the need to build new power plants, take loads off strained grids, etc...) by code no new homes are being built with 220V-240V outlets. The idea is to get persons to use natural gas instead.
Third much of the energy savings from all sorts of condenser type dryers comes from the supposed savings that comes from not exhausting heated room air. By this they mean the air dryers take in that is heated to dry laundry. With vented dryers that air is simply exhausted outdoors replaced by fresh room air. This cycle continues until the machine ends. Condenser dryers OTOH use to some extent closed loop systems. By this the same air in whole or part is recirculated or exhausted back into the room. Heat generated by condenser dryers are great during the colder times of the year, but can create unbearable conditions during hot/humid weather.
Condenser dryers per se operate like an air conditioner without refrigerant. Instead they use the difference between ambient room air and the moisture laden air from laundry to "dry". However due to the laws of physics the air returned to the dryer drum is not as "dry" as say room air, this means it has a finite capacity to take on more moisture. This is why condenser dryers on average take longer to dry laundry versus vented.
Heat pump dryers add the "missing link" that is a type of "air conditioning" system to cool and get the air coming out of dryer's drum to release it's moisture and thus return dryer and ready to collect more. Quite like indoor room air conditioning systems where hot/humid air is passed through a condenser to remove heat and water, then the dryer/cooler air sent back into the room.
As another poster mentioned heat pump dryers atm can only work with electric, and not gas/combustible heat sources. As such you will never see wide adoption because for some the cost of purchase and operation simply are too great versus returns.
In some states in an effort to cut the overall population's electric use (to delay and or prevent the need to build new power plants, take loads off strained grids, etc...) by code no new homes are being built with 220V-240V outlets. The idea is to get persons to use natural gas instead.
I haven't heard anything about that and frankly that is ridiculous if that is what they are doing. We use 220 for more things than just the dryer; a compressor, mig welder and backfeeding a generator.
A dehumidifier doesn't have a ton on lint passing through it.
Don't worry. The EPA will soon ban all fabric that produces lint in order to accommodate the super efficient heat pump clothes dryer.
Never mind the fact that socks will cost $14.87 each and the new, mandated dryers will cost $1500 each. The world will be a cleaner place.
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