You might be wondering if there is a difference between how electric vented and ventless dryer dry clothes. Both types of laundry appliances dry clothes, but the main difference is in how they dry them. Understanding how dryers work is beneficial, especially whenever you are shopping for a new dryer or considering a washer and dryer combo.
Electric vented dryers have several key components which are essential to getting clothes dry:
- Air Intake: There are openings in the dryer at various locations, depending on the make/model where air is drawn into the dryer and passed over the heating element.
- Heating Element: Electricity passes through coiled wires and heats them, much like a burner on a stove. The heat warms the air and dries the clothes.
- Fan: A blower fan circulates the heated air through the dryer and into the drum.
- Dryer Vent: Once the air leaves the drum, it has cooled slightly and is vented out a pipe to the exterior of the home.
This basic processes repeats until a dryness sensor determines the clothes are dry. The main drawback to electric vented drying is the majority of the heated air is lost as it exits the dryer through the dryer vent. As such, operating an electric venter dryer is not energy efficient, when compared to ventless dryers.
Electric ventless dryers have similar components with a few differences and no dryer vent. The two basic drying methods are air-to-air condensation drying, and cold water condensation drying. With air-to-air drying, the dryer has two separate air circulation systems: one for hot air and one for cold. Rather than the air leaving the dryer through a dyer vent, the heated air is constantly recycled until the clothes are dry.
As the air leaves the drum, it passes through a condenser, where it is cooled with room temperature air and moisture is extracted from the cooled air. The water is then pumped down the discharge drain. The air in the hot air circulation system is passed back over the heating element, and the process continues until the clothes are dry. With cold water condensation drying, cold water is used to cool the heated air and extract moisture in place of the cold air circulation system.
Since ventless dryers do not have a dryer vent, they are more energy-efficient than electric vented dryers. The air is constantly recycled and reheated, anywhere from 20 to 30 degrees, compared to vented dryers drawing in room temperature air and heating it 80 to 90 degrees. As a result, the biggest energy savings is due to ventless dryers only having to reheat the air a small amount.
Even though dry cycles tend to take a little longer, ventless dryers are still using less electricity than vented dryers. To learn more about ventless dryers, or washer and dryer combos, feel free to contact LG Washer Dryer FJS Distributers, Inc. today at 800-875-1533.
