If you mean a combo as in a (frontloader) unit that washes and then dries the load in a single tub, some people have had success with them, but there are some drawbacks. There aren't many choices on the market. Machines of that ilk nowadays are of somewhat small size. They can typically effectively dry a load that's no more than half of the available capacity ... so either wash half-size loads for unattended operation, or if a full-size load is washed then half of it is dried at a time. The drying mechanism is usually a condensor (non-vented) system that sends the collected moisture to the drain ... which is a slower method of drying. I've run across complaints of an LG model needing recurring service to clear lint clogs.

dadoes! I mean by combos the laundry centers for example GE or Whirlpool washer and dryer. Not a single appliance, but the washer is located below the dryer. This appliances are like small towers :)
You wrote about condensor dryer systems. Could you tell me more about them. I wanted to replace my old vented dryer to a new bosch condensor dryer. In Europe these dryers are used most of the time. I studied European web pages of some dryer manufacturer like Siemens, bosch, miele, AEG and 25 out of 27 are condenser dryer. I checked the energy efficiency guide and the dryers were marked as A or AA rate which means the lowest energy use, therefore I thought they are very worth to buy. :)

Stack sets to which you refer are no different in use than separate units, other than typically being smaller capacity.

I've never used a condensor dryer, so other than understanding how they work, I can't give an opinion on how well they may work. They were in fact available on the US market years ago. Maytag and Frigidaire offered them as stand-alone dryers. Frigidaire (General Motors Frigidaire, not the WCI/Electrolux Frigidaire of today) was famous for their Filtrator condensor dryers. Bendix/Philco and GE, possibly others, had the combo units with condensor drying.

One of my washers is W/D combo. Supra model which is no longer available-I know now why. It was made in Japan-supposedly but I had nothing but trouble w/it. Luckily I had extended warranty.Anyway, I still use it for washing b/c it heats water to 194 degrees and laundry does come out spotless.However I don't use the condensing dryer anymore b/c it takes looong time to dry things, specially towels- up to 3 hours.And if you wash full load, you should dry only half at the time. The drum is not big enough for the full load to expand as it dries you end up with very wrinkly clothes. But you can take some pices out when damp and finish it drying on hangers etc.w/ much less wrinkling.
I must say, I do like the convenience of one unit and having my laundry done overnite in one shot. I used it when I lived alone and it was fine. Mine is 1.75 cf and it is very small. They do have bigger sizes too. In my first 15 months of using it I had 3 pumps replaced, one hose inside and one of the heaters(for drying). I don't know if other w/d combos have that many problems. It is cheap to operate and mine is 220 too.The other thing , the unit is "walking" little. It is pretty light for washer and when it goes in spin, sometimes it just moves,leveling didn't help. I have plenty room around it so couple of inches either way don't bother me.I always push it in its spot again.
I would buy one again in future but would find the biggest size possible, I would make sure it is 220 again and make sure it has several years optional extended warranty. Repairs are expensive.
The other option is to buy regular washer and matching condensing dryer that sits on top of it. Europeans use them a lot.The drum in the dryer will be bigger so no bad wrinkling. One thing I really loved about the condensing dryer, my laundry smelled like it was dried in sunshine and it was so soft.
Buy only something that has reputation and make sure you have repair company in your area that will fix it if necessary.

My neighbor has a condensor washer/dryer and has disliked it from the beginning. She would get rid of it if she could afford to.
The cycles take a very long time- about 3 hours- her electricity bill has gone up sifnificantly.
She has had repair people out 3 times in the first month-I'm not certain the exact reasons.

I have an Asko set- you can either stack them or put them side by side. You do not need a special 'rack' for stacking them as most other brands do. Asko is veryy quiet and gets my clothes MUCH cleaner. I live on several acres with animals/dirt and my clothes have never been so clean, yet they have not been ruined at all.
The down side of stackables is that they hold smaller loads- do NOT believe the seller when he tells you that you can wash a queen sized comforter! They also take a long time- 1 1/2 hours to wash- there is no 'short' cycle.
I would like to look at larger FL- I will not go back to a top loader, but want bigger/faster machines.

When I used the condensing dryer, I used little fabric softener. Maybe that contributed to that fresh outdoor like smell. Definatelly it didn't have perfumy smell. I don't know. One more thing I did, when the dryer was on, it got warm all over, it was perfect way to dry towel over it after a bath.
ilmbg, I have 3 cycles on the washer and each has option to add or shorten the washing time. The longest w/prewash all the way to 194 degree heat and extra rinse is less than two hours. I can also choose slower spin speed.
When it comes to stackables, it depends on size. I also have stacked LG TROMM laundry center that takes king size comforter, but the dryer is not condensing one. I have no idea what is the biggest condensing dryer available but I went to lok around and found info on eurotech. It was ineresting and worth to take a look. It is large size too.

http://oasisappliance.com/products/index.html

When I'm ready to buy another second washer, I will do some research on this one myself. If they still make it few years from now.

vackeer, here is web site for more info too
http://www.eurotechappliances.com/products/washers.htm
Good luck and post some experience w/ whatever model you choose. I would appreciated. It would help me in future.

I dunno what to do. I talked to some people from the UK, Germany, Austria and Hungary. They advised me to buy a condenser dryer but not the plain condenser one but the very new high tech so called heat-pump dryer. They advised me to watch the AD via Youtube.
Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scNlVoMrRzk#

and this is a Siemens one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRXKyeWwjts&feature=related

I got theses links too: (some of them are very interesting :P )
http://www.topten.info/uploads/File/Efficient%20Heat%20Pump%20Dryers%20-%20EEDAL%2009.pdf

http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20090113740

http://www.miele.com.au/media/haushalt/VG_AUS/HeatPumpDryer_brochure_09.pdf

I love this dryer (the bosch one) Fortunately I learnt Germany at the University :P so I can understand what they say in the commercial.

OMG what should I do..

What do you think about them?

I will check all your info but from what you posted I think Miele might be the top choice even thou I feel that more money will not guarantee anything. But Mieles have good reputation in Europe.I would do research on reliability of each product, warranties and possible service availability in your area.I know nothing about heat pum dryer but I got little info here
on them.

http://solarhomenews.wordpress.com/2009/01/01/electric-heat-pump-dryer/

Definatelly worth the search, it says it saves lots of energy and dries faster, that along would get my interest.

vackeer, ton of info here....
http://www.topten.info/uploads/File/Efficient%20Heat%20Pump%20Dryers%20-%20EEDAL%2009.pdf

czechchick2, You mentioned above that using little fabric softener in condenser dryers may results in sundried-smell clothing. Im big fun of heavy, perfumy smells. I love working out and hangin around the Gym therefore I like my sport wear smelling great. When I lived in the campus of the university, I used a lot dryer sheets to make my room smell great, because I played football in the team therefore I really needed it. I used to it and I dont wanna give up this fad. Therefore its really important to me to get a dryer that makes my laundry smell great and strongly scented :). The other reason I would purchase a condenser heat pump dryer to reduce my energy bill. I hope condenser dryer will do the same (same scent intensity as normal dryers).
Getting back, czechick2 youve just written that you used your condenser dryer in many way. You put your wet laundry into your condenser dryer and started it, and the dryers generated heat dried your towels outside the dryer e.g.: hanged up ? Its great :)

vackeer, the machine got warm to touch on top and sides-not hot, that's why I used to lay towel over it to dry it after shower. Few times a laid t-shirts over that were damp. 2-3 at same time and flipped them couple of times. It finished them too. But it is not hot enough to heat the entire laundry room.
About the smell. I used to use literaly gallons of fabric softener but someone told me not to use it in the condenser dryer since it could build up in there somewhere. I don't know if it is truth. I stopped pooring it in and used just a splash. I think that the hot drying temperature somehow "baked" my laundry and after 2 hours it just smelled so fresh. Again, I don't know anybody w/condensing dryer so I speak about my experience and my machine.When I used fabric softener, I used more detergents to wash it out properly too. Also I only wash at 150 degree cycle for color and 175-194 for whites and off whites and extra rinse always.Never cold cycles.I never use any bleach.
Doing laundry is a personal thing and every machine is different . I see it in my two washers.I like my LG b/c it takes king size comforter and it does good job but the small washer extracts better and rinses better too.
If you like stronger perfum scent, get Persil. It is expensive but IMO worth it. You can also get their softener.
Other thing I do for some of my clothes sometimes, poor little bit of your perfume in the last rinse. It tend to be expensive but it works . I used lay slightly damp softener sheets in between my clothes or in drawers,I sprayed cologne on my pillows but after I met my BF, I had to stop, he has dermatitis and allergies.
I hope you'll get good dependable machine and w/ few tricks uoi should be able to keep your scent lingering.....

I didn't even know GE and Whirlpool sells laundry stacks to Hungary.

Anyways, I also love to smell of softener (only use P&G Lenor) and it works very well in our condenser dryer - an Electrolux one. I have found that dryer sheets leave almost no scent behind. The only exception being Bounce dryer sheets which I used years back when visiting my aunt in California.

Yes, our European dryers are about half the size of the American ones but they do fairly well at preventing wrinkles due to the reversing drum. However, I loved using the big dryer at my aunts house or the Speed Queen and Maytag units I used when I studied in the UK - huge drums and super fast drying. The Bosch/Siemens drums are 112 liters or 4 cu ft.

These heat-pump dryers aren't a new thing: AEG sold one years ago. Now, that everyone is going "green", the other manufacturers have also launched heat-pump dryers. The most efficient one is the newly introduced one by Bosch/Siemens - but it's also very expensive. It was just launched at the home appliances expo in Berlin. The older models, which only use like 5 to 10 % more energy will probably become cheaper now and one can always get them at a discount off of eBay.

BWT: the videos you liked to I uploaded. There is an English translation given if you click on "More Info" ;-)

A regular drying cycles takes about 90 minutes for a full load spun at 1400 rpm in our washer.

Alex

Alex, you must know a lot about condenser dryers. Please tell me more! What the difference, how do I have to care the dryer. I know that I have to clean the venting and the lint trap etc. on my dryer but what about these condenser dryers.

Anyway I dont know whether GE sells laundry appliances in Hungary and in Europe or not :P . I know that Whirlpool must sell some appliances because in Vienna when I visited my sister and my brother in law they used Whirlpool dishwasher :) with my Cascade that I brought with me from the states :D (My sister thinks that in Europe the quality of some products like dishwasher detergent is not the same as in the states)

You mentioned that the your condenser dryer works well with Bounce (with my favorite brand) so if I bought a heat-pump dryer my laundry ought to smell the same as using a traditional US dryer. Anyway Im a big fan of fabric softeners, but I dont know Lenor fabric softener. This is a P&G product as I understood. I checked Wal-Mart.com and drugstore.com but I didnt find this FS.
Which dryer should I buy? Here in the US, I think, theres no heat pump dryer. Theres a condenser dryer that I found great, this is a Bosch product, heres the link:
http://www.bosch-home.com/us/products/laundry/dryers/compact/WTE86300US.html

According to some studies the heat pump dryer are better because they use less energy. But what about the drying time? Will it be extended if they use less energy?
Actually they dont need ducting so I can place them virtually everywhere? I think they do need good ventilation of air in the room they installed. You use condenser dryer, am I right? :) And fortunately, you used traditional dryers in CA, so please tell me you experiences. If you compared the two dryers, the vented and the condenser, which would be the best?

FWIW, Bosch dryers have the largest capacity of any condensation dryers currently available in the U.S. The accompanying washer (which the dryer can be stacked above) runs on 208/240v which is an advantage since it heats water faster than 120v washers. It's still not as quite as roomy as most vented dryers. LG has a large-capacity single-tub washer/dryer, but unfortunately it's a 120V/15A unit and thus takes hours per load.

The aforementioned Frigidaire Filtrators were large-capacity 240v ventless condenser dryers. The last ones made are decades old now, but still sell for new-appliance prices the few times they show up on eBay - there's alot of pent-up demand from potential buyers like you, which evidently are plentiful.

Vackeer,

I'll get back to you tomorrow to answer all your questions - am right in the middle of exams at my University.

Alex

Sorry it took me so long to get back - been a very busy week! I'll try to answer your questions now:

"What the difference, how do I have to care the dryer."

Condenser dryers need a little more care than vented ones: you have to clean the lint filter, obviously, but you also have to empty the water reservoir after each cycle. But that's not big deal and you can use the water for other things like watering plants or ironing - it's demineralized water. The condenser unit itself, which sits near the bottom of the dryer, only needs to be cleaned once a month or even less. You just have to remove it (pull it out) from the dryer, rinse the lint off and put it back. It's not much lint at all - maybe 1/4 of what usually accumulates in the lint filter. No risk of clogging you plumbing.

"Anyway I dont know whether GE sells laundry appliances in Hungary and in Europe or not :P"

I thought you were in Hungary because your My Page says so ("I live in: Hungary"). Okay...

"You mentioned that the your condenser dryer works well with Bounce (with my favorite brand) so if I bought a heat-pump dryer my laundry ought to smell the same as using a traditional US dryer. Anyway Im a big fan of fabric softeners, but I dont know Lenor fabric softener."

No, the Bounce dryer sheets I used in the US when visiting my aunt - never used them in our dryer. I can't get dryer sheets to work in our German dryer - never leaves any trace of scent behind. :( But that's not the fault of the dryer: the dryer sheets P&G sells in Europe seem to be pretty weak. I also used them in Speed Queen vented dryers in the UK and there was no fragrance left behind either. However, liquid softener yields to much better results. Since you said you loved scented laundry, which I also do, I'd say you should maybe try to use detergent and softener which have the same scent. They don't sells this in Germany but I know Tide and Downy are available with the same scents in the US. Lenor softener is only sold in Europe, I think. But yeah, it's one of P&G's many brands.

"Which dryer should I buy?"

Good question! ;) I think there's not a lot to choose from when it comes to condenser dryers in the US. Bosch is a good choice and so is Miele. Of course, Miele is perceived as the premium brand but it also comes with a price tag to match! Bosch is cheaper ...more affordable... and will dry your clothes just as well. Both brands make good, reliable and quiet dryers.

"According to some studies the heat pump dryer are better because they use less energy. But what about the drying time? Will it be extended if they use less energy?"

Yes, heat-pump dryers use quite a bit less energy and yes, the drying time also increases a bit. I suggest you best go to siemens-home.co.uk or miele.co.uk and download user manuals for both traditional dryers and heat-pump versions. There you can find all the cycle times.

"Actually they dont need ducting so I can place them virtually everywhere? I think they do need good ventilation of air in the room they installed."

Yes, you can place them anywhere as long as the ambient room temperature does not exceed a certain level - I think it's about 95°F. The cooler, the better.

"You use condenser dryer, am I right?"

Yes, an Electrolux.

"And fortunately, you used traditional dryers in CA, so please tell me you experiences. If you compared the two dryers, the vented and the condenser, which would be the best? "

American dryers rule! *lol* But seriously, European dryers are the norm over here and it's what we adjusted to: a max. of 4 cu.ft. drum size, drying times of more than an hour etc. Then again, condenser dryers can be placed absolutely anywhere: kitchen, bath room, under a counter, on top of the washer... There's no need for venting and it'll even heat your house in the winter months.

Nevertheless, if I had a choice I'd get one of those large and fast American dryer in a heart beat. I'm just amazed at the capacity and speed of them! The only drawback is that, as I find, if you dry thin and thick fabrics together the thin items tend to over-dry with a vented dryer. This does not happen in a condenser as everything dries at the same pace.

Since you said you understand German: I have scanned some pages from a German consumer magazine and uploaded them. If you want to, you can send me an e-Mail via my profile page and I'll send you the download link.

Alex

Alex, thanks for the info :) :) it helped a lot As you said the maintenance of a condenser dryer is easy, that's great.
My girlfriend originally lives in Hungary, she studies in the states. From Jun to Sept. I spent the vacation with her in Hungary, when I registered here, I just gave Hungary for my location XD . Thanks for mentioning it, I'm gonna correct it now XD :)
The dryer sheets in the US are stronger scented as the sheets you can buy in Europe... So the quality is not the same...
As I studied the links you gave me, I realized that there are more condenser dryers in Europe, so they use them more frequently than traditional vented dryers or not? :P So the tendency in Europe is to use condenser dryers. The other thing I realized is that the condenser dryer Bosch Axxis doesn't have any heat setting knob. Every condenser dryer are the same and they don't have heat setting knob? This is not a big problem, I don't use all the offered heat setting just the regular and sometimes permanent press setting.
Anyway I've read somewhere or heard I don't know exactly... So the heat pump dryers or just one particular brand... I don't remember :P have a self cleaning mechanism, so you don't need to clean the condenser because it cleans itself with water I think. Is it right?

Okay, so I'm back from my vacation... :)

Yes, the tendency in Europe is to use condenser dryers - they're just more flexible. Many people have their laundry appliances in the bathroom or in the kitchen under the counter.

RE: temperature control. Well, most European dryers only have a High and Low setting. Some more advanced models have Extra Low or the option to reduce the temperature toward the end of the cycle. High is usually about 158 °F and Low is 122 °F. Heat-pump dryers generally have lower temperatures due to their technology.

Bosch/Siemens have a selfCleaning condenser: Bosch video Siemens video. These particular dryers were also top-rated in last month's issue of our consumer magazine. They tested cloths dryers - condenser dryers with and without heat-pump - and the B/S/H models were the best. They also had the lowest energy consumption.

And check out my YouTube account in the next days: I made a FULL maintenance video of our condenser dryer.

Alex

Im lookin forward the maintenance video!!! Actually Ive seen a condenser dryer just once in my life during this summer in Europe. It was a whirlpool I think and it had a very trendy silver rotary knob, I guess this was the only knob to set the program the others were maybe the wrinkle guard, buzzer and other options
Every condenser dryer has a container according to their manuals. What can you do with the collected water after the cycle if you do not drain the dryer?
I keep on studying web pages but I havent found gas dryer in Europe. are these dryers, the gas dryers I mean, not available on the continent? I guess if its so many families cant afford using a dryer if the electricity is high priced in their area.
The dryer that Id like to have is the following:
http://www.boschappliances.com/appliances-laundry_dryers_axxis_axxis-condensation-dryers_WTE86300US.html

I dont know whether it is a heat pump dryer or not Could you help me?

Vackeer,I checked the web and this dryer is available at
fotoconnection.com for 905 bucks after some savings and at applianceconnection.com for 950 or so w/free shipping
I Checked manual for this dryer and (unless I read about different model(,it states that it needs to be drained either in sink or washer drain. I don't know exactly how this dryer is working or how much water is using per cycle but mine takes several gallons and it is draining in the same pipe as my washers so it does not have a any container.
Anyway, I like this dryer ,except for the size but these condensing are pretty small anyway. It seems to have bunch of options and settings, looks like it will do good job.
If you get it, please post more info on how it works. Thanks.

Well, Miele sold gas dryer in Germany for some time. But the demand for it probably too low so it disappeared - much like the 240V washing machines by Miele in the US.

The dryer in your post is a regular Bosch condenser dyrer. The condensed water can either be drained straight into a sink or is collected in the water tray - this dryer does not consume water during the cycle.

Here you go!

A bit off topic but....
Want to purchase the 448 model Samsung washer and dryer (39" high each) but have only 80" height-wise to stack them, little access to the back of machines once in place... or at least wouldn't be able to get back there often. Outlet= 220V and exit for a dryer is about 10 feet upwards and out through roof that CAN be accessed. They'd be in a 4th floor bathroom on top of a 100+ wood floor that's finely-tiled. Our first machine in a home, a 6 year old Maytag Neptune Combo Washer-Dryer (71" high) was in an 80" space designed for it and finally blew forever last week after 4 years multiple repairs (mildew on both washer and dryer doors, lint trapped in place, dryer shutting down a few times...had to be set on "delicate" past 2 years now, etc), takeovers, class actions suits... Would anyone not recommend this move or have any advice for us? Haven't heard any really terrible news about Samsung repairs as with other brands and love the idea of having the capacity for larger loads-- Advice?