I’m in that unique stage of life where most of my friends have moved out of home and into one or two-bedroom apartments where having space is a luxury.
One of the most common complaints I hear from my fellow renters is that black mould grows wildly in places like the bathroom and laundry because there is such poor ventilation in these places.
And given it has been such a cold winter season, and we’ve been drying our clothes inside more than ever, it has been a struggle to keep our walls and floors damp-free.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today 
That is, until I learned about heat pump dryers.
Category Expert at Appliances Online, Adam Duggan, describes a heat pump dryer as a type of condenser dryer that passes heated air through the drum.
“Instead of using a heat exchanger, they use smart, heat pump technology — which not only condenses the humid air into vapour, but also conserves and recycles much of its heat within the drying process, instead of releasing it into the surroundings,” he told Best Picks.
This actually makes them one of the best style of dryer on the market, not least of which because they are more energy efficient than your typical product.
“Heat pump dryers are a great option for those who are conscious about energy usage and who wish to save on their electricity bills, households that use their dryer often and for those who wish to stack the dryer on top of a front load washing machine,” he continued.
I’ve been recommending heat pump dryers to all of these friends struggling with mould and damp in their homes but I decided to put one to the test in our tiny, terribly ventilated laundry room to see whether the usual dripping wet walls would cease completely.
“Heat pump dryers are ideal for a room without great ventilation. Unlike a traditional vented dryer that expels the moisture back into the surrounding environment (think foggy windows, steamy mirrors, and a layer of moisture on surrounding walls and surfaces), the only substantial heat that is emitted from a heat pump dryer is the warmth from the dryer itself, as opposed to the hot, vaporous air used in the drying process,” Adam reiterated.
“The other benefit of not emitting moisture into the surrounding area is that you can be more flexible in where you put a heat pump dryer. If you have a laundry cavity that doesn’t have the space for stacking a dryer atop a washing machine, or an older laundry that may have been configured to wall mount a vented dryer above a top load washing machine, you can place the heat pump dryer practically anywhere.
“All it needs is to be connected to power, the lint filter regularly cleaned and the water tank emptied after every load.”
I tested out Bosch’s Series 8 8kg Heat Pump Dryer, which is currently available for $1,597 at Appliances Online, and was astounded by both the delivery process and the drying abilities themselves.
Appliances Online keeps you extremely updated on the process of your delivery from purchase, shipping and couriering directly to your door for free, where you have the option to even have your old appliance removed.
The two delivery men who arrived to install the dryer were in and out within minutes and happily installed our new dryer above the older washing machine.
One of the main differences between this Bosch dryer and our older appliance is that we now need to remove the “water” collected during the drying process at the end of each load.
But this is a small price to pay for the ability to walk into the laundry room after a load finishes drying and not be met by dampness and dripping walls.
You can choose just how dry you want your products based on the dials that sit on the front of the machine, select exactly what type of fabrics need to be dried and even “mute” the dryer to be quieter than usual.
I do find I need the dryer to run a bit longer than usual to really dry off heavier loads but other than that it has worked like a dream.
What’s more, a light even comes on inside to help you see what’s in there at night — a welcome touch when I’m getting things out late in the eve.
General Manager at Appliances Online, James Bartlett, said the business has experienced growth in dryers as a category this winter.
“We have experienced strong double-digit growth in the heat pump dryer category year on year,” he told Best Picks.
“Throughout the colder months, heating naturally has been a popular category, but we have also experienced growth in dryers, washers, dishwashers and audio-visual products.”
The website has plenty of heat pump dryers available across a broad spectrum of brands, including Bosch, Miele, Haier, Beko and Samsung.
With weeks of winter and cold weather left to come, now is the best time to invest in your laundry appliances.
To discover more, visit Appliances Online here.
