apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Ventless dryers do a terrible job -- and take twice as long per cycle. I do not recommend them -- when mine broke, I didn't replace it -- it's easier, and greener, to hang your laundry -- even inside your home.

We're putting the Bosch system in our townhouse since we don't have vents. Our neighbor has them and swears by it. It is costly though. Though if you're in the LA area, saw the pair listed on CL for $995 (usually double that for the pair new).

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/hsh/658184321.html

No no noooo!!! Ventless dryers are the devil. Dryers aren't common in Europe (people hang their clothes indoors or out to dry) so I was so excited to see a dryer in my last flat.

It was t-e-r-r-i-b-l-e. I'm not one can even call it "eco" since it takes 2 or 3 times as long to dry things. If the condensation reservoir gets full then the drier stops and you come home to stinky, moldy clothes.

No thanks!

I just bought the set for my apt and it fits my needs perfectly. While it may not bake things dry, it certainly gets the job done. It has a built in sensor that detects when things are dry. I also needed a dryer that could fit into a very narrow space and this was the only option. I use the washer at least twice as much as the dryer (usually just hang my clothes on a drying rack) but it's nice to use the dryer for large pieces like sheets.

If I could hang things outside, I would but living in a coop in nyc that unfortunately isn't an option.

I have no problem hanging my clothes to dry, but my towels must be machine dryed otherwise you get rough towels, and that's not good for my baby soft skin.

In general, not a fan of ventless dryers. They're ok if you go with the better engineered European models (which cost more and have smaller maximum load sizes), and if you don't mind the lint situation water reservoir maintenance, and if you don't mind that it takes three times as long to dry anything. I sort of object to all of those things. If you're stuck and that's the only way to get a dryer in your apartment, I guess they're still better than carting your stuff to the corner laundromat--but I wouldn't choose ventless if I had a choice.

If you don't have the ability to exhaust your dryer outdoors, these dryers are the next best thing, despite drying speeds. People who need them usually don't have the outdoor space to air dry laundry. I think the biggest issue is getting a 230v line to service them.

We are not allowed to hang clothes outdoors in our building...when we renovated the co-op was allowing units that didn't require non-standard voltage, so we went with the LG Tromm washer/dryer combo. We love it, and while the cycles are a bit long, it lives in our bedroom closet and works like a charm (with little additional humidity, although we leave the closet doors open while it's on).

We had the AEG ventless dryer for 17 years, and it was great. When it was finally time to replace it, we went with a Miele ventless. (There are now models with much larger internal capacities, btw) Never noticed an issue over the length of time it takes to dry as compared to vented models.

You don't actually need to vent any dryer outside, unless it's a gas dryer. For an electric dryer, you can buy a lint trap, which hooks up to the hose and sits next to or on top of the dryer. It works just as well as venting it, except that it does tend to increase the heat and humidity near the dryer. We use a lint trap in the winter (and we appreciate the energy we save from being able to turn off the furnace while drying) and then just put the dryer hose out the window in the warmer months.

Here are some lint traps:
http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1273083

http://heating-and-cooling.hardwarestore.com/92-587-dryer-vent-accessories/lint-trap-vent-kit-243048.aspx

p.s. emptying the water reservoir is no big deal, and our AEG and Miele dry MUCH FASTER than the North American standard dryer we were provided with here in Europe. (Ah yes, the irony...)

I have no problems whatsoever with my ventless washer dryer (dryers, btw, being VERY common in this part of Europe).

(I wrote more, then realised I was going into detail about my washing machine..)

We have a combo unit---a washer and ventless (condenser) dryer in one unit--by LG. We ordered it from Best Buy since they carry other LG appliances; we got an extended warranty and that was worth it because it's such an uncommon appliance. It solved the problem of having no vents and has paid for itself in the quarters we've saved in the basement laundry room.

That said, I do agree with the others that ventless dryers take a long time to dry. We've simply had to change our laundry routines and not expect to get as much done---just toss in a load every day when we get home and then forget for a few hours. It seems to be gentler to clothes since it's not as hot.

We have a Bosch washer/dryer combo very similar to the one pictured here (though probably a slightly older model) and both the washer and dryer work great. The washer takes a loooong time to run through, but the spin cycle is fast enough that it squeezes nearly all of the water out of the clothes allowing for a shorter spin in the dryer.

I'm glad to hear that several people are happy with their ventless models. My husband and I purchased an LG at the beginning of the year, and we love it. It's a space-saver, it runs quieter, and it's easier on our washables and the environment.

Though the longer load time seems counterintuitive to efficiency, it is the opposite: while conventional dryers constantly have to pump hot air into the drum, ventless dryers dry via condensation. Rather than exhausting each drum-load of hot air and water vapor (from the wet laundry) to the outside, ventless dryers run the air through a heat exchanger, which simultaneously cools the air and condenses the vapor; the vapor leaves via the drain hose, and the air is looped back into the dryer for another round.

Ditto, abb_brooklyn, on the spin cycle: ours spins the laundry at such high speeds that a fair amount of the water is gone before the drying even begins.

Don't do it! This washer dryer combo came with our new condo and it stinks. It takes twice as long for things to dry. It's very noisy. The dryer sounds like a plane taking off. The front-loading washer has this grey rubber ring around the door that just collects with water after every wash. If you leave it, mildew starts growing. The Bosch repair man said that mildew build-up is common with the machine and to prevent it we need to run the washer unit with 3 cups of bleach, hot water, with no clothes in it at least twice a week. It's kind of a waste of water and we go through bleach like crazy just to keep our apartment from smelling like mildew. Not very energy efficient at all. That's just us though. Maybe we have a lemon.

I have a ventless dryer that works fabulously--so much better than having an apartment full of hanging clothes. It's the washer/dryer machine in one that doesn't work at all.

We have the ventless bosch washer and dryer...As said before, mildew is a big problem with the washer. The capacity is small and the loads take forever in the dryer. I would not put the dryer just anywhere as it really heats up the room its in. This is great in the winter when you can do laundry instead of turning your heat on, but I wouldn't want it in my bedroom.

That being said, it sure beats hauling your laundry down to the basement, carrying around a million quarters and then coming down to get your load only to find it wet on the top of the dryer because you took five minutes too long to retrieve your stuff.