So, you are probably tired of walking upstairs and downstairs for your laundry. You have that spare closet next to your bedroom and you may want to place your stackable laundry units there. Traditionally, with stackable laundry, the problem has been where to vent your new dryer. Water and power for the washer is not a problem in terms of location but what do you with the heat and humidity from the dryer? Until 10-15 years ago, there wasn’t a solution.
In this article, we will talk about the three ways of drying, compact dyers, as well as the two best full-size stackable models for you to consider.
Vented dryers are connected to an aluminum duct so the used air travels outside of the house. It draws in cool, dry air which is then heated before passing it through to the dryer to tumble your clothes.
Thus, hot, humid air is created, and it must be vented outside to make room for more dry air to continue the drying process. This method does not create nor hold any residual heat into the load, and thus, is considered environmentally wasteful. It's simple, reliable, and cheap. One of your biggest concerns with this method is it will wear down your fabrics and create lint, which is passed into your venting system.
Condenser and heat pump drying are two ways to place a dryer in any closet without venting. Let me briefly describe both.
The condenser actively turns the heat and steam used to dry your clothes into water. Then the water can be emptied out of the machine directly (we hook up a line to flush the water out through the washer upon delivery).
A heat pump is the newest and most efficient way of drying your clothes. It uses a compressor that recirculates heat instead of using room air (check out the diagram below).
Whirlpool Heat Pump Dryer Diagram
Before we talk about full-size laundry you should look at the compact laundry units if you haven't already. They are smaller but there are more brands and options than full-size laundry.
Compact laundry originated in Europe. It was designed to fit Europe's smaller homes. With a width and depth of 24 inches, compact laundry can almost fit anywhere. Brands include Blomberg, Miele, Asko, LG, Samsung, Bosch, and Electrolux.
The downside of a compact laundry is size. You will see many different capacities, but they are similar at 2.5 cubic foot versus 4.3 to 5 cubic in a full size for a washer and 7-8 cubic for the dryer. However, many of the top load washers have similar usable capacity when removing the agitator.
Now for full-size stackable dryers, you have two real options: Whirlpool and LG.
Whirlpool owned a huge share of the laundry business, especially with their production of the Sears Kenmore units (partnership based on a handshake in the 1920s). Whirlpool Corp is an American company based in Michigan. Whirlpool Corp. owns Amana, Maytag, KitchenAid, and Jenn-Air.
Whirlpool DUET stackable laundry line has vented, and ventless dryers. The vented model WED92HEFW comes in at 7.4 cu ft. At this size, it can handle any king-size comforter and plus more.
Whirlpool created one of the first full-size ventless dryers by using a heated pump system. A closed-cycle heat pump (a compressor) dryer uses a heat pump to dehumidify the processing air.
Then the “condenser” releases the heated air by heat exchange with the refrigerant. A heater then raises the heat of the air that comes from the condensing.
Then the heated air goes back through the drying load until the clothes get dry. The leftover water gets pumped out. This process saves energy. Heat pump dryers can use up to 50% less energy than traditional dryers.
LG is based in South Korea. It is a conglomerate company. They pretty much get involved in all aspects of Korea’s economy. LG strived in high volume stores. They are a technology company first, then everything else.
You really get a mixed bag of reviews about LG because of their customer service support. To their credit, they have the ability to create, design, and release appliances to the market faster.
LG DLHX4072W - $1,339
It is to no surprise that LG released a ventless heat pump dryer. What's unique about this dryer is the option to be vented or not vented with the heat pump mode.
I think full-size heat pump dryers will be the future of dryers. You will see the results from energy savings. As we are moving more into renewable energy, the heat pump dryer is the answer because it uses 50% less energy than traditional dryers.
Heat pump dryers are LESS aggressive on clothing as well; therefore, it will prevent shrinkage and less "wear and tear" from fabric loss. Best of all - they are SAFER, as there is no need for a dryer duct.
Price would be a concern, but it will certainly come down as more brands will be available.
Remember, compact laundry has more options. You can also fit more than you think. It is a viable solution as it fits more closets than the full-size units.
In full size, LG can go vented or ventless, but you are probably looking at ventless reading this article. LG and Whirlpool are 1-2 in reliability with Whirlpool being the most reliable washer in the market as of this writing.
Whirlpool will be better at handling any issues, but LG will probably be priced better in the future and during holidays.
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