To clarify, it's the combo units--not condenser dryers in general--whose drums are too small for efficient drying. The LG takes forever to do a cycle, apparently. The Fagor works much faster, so I've heard, because it runs on 220v instead of regular American 120v. Of course, that means you have to have a 220v outlet installed, but I doubt that's an expense you would regret later, if it cuts your washing/drying time in half. I'm putting a link below to the five different washer-dryer combos sold on AJ Madison. I think there used to be an Asko, and perhaps another couple of brands, but they're discontinued. I was looking into this myself and ultimately decided that while a combo unit didn't make sense, what did make sense for us was a stackable combo of 24" (compact) front-loading washer and dryer, with the dryer being either a normal vented one (if possible) or a condenser dryer. Stacking a compact washer and condenser dryer gives you almost all the advantages of a combo unit (you can put it anywhere, no need for a vent) without the disadvantages (you can do two loads at once in a normal amount of time). The only downside is that it costs you some vertical space. Asko makes compact condenser dryers designed to stack on their compact front-loading washers. Bosch does too, and maybe Miele. Buying the two units costs you more than a single combo unit, obviously. Here is a link that might be useful: 5 different washer-dryer combos on AJ Madison

I said previously, "1. The LG combo unit is an excellent solution for those with no other option." Let me qualify that statement a bit. Yes, if you have no other option, you can have a compact, all-in-one unit that doesn't require 240VAC or a vent. However, it's perhaps better stated, that, while it's a good-looking machine which otherwise functions very well, you should definitely expect 2-6 hour drying times--but, typically, 4-6 if you're a "normal" person. Reviewers which commented, "Most of my loads are done in 2.5 hours," must be washing extremely small loads. Perhaps, a few blouses, and some socks. Certainly no jeans or towels. Add a single pair of jeans to the mix, or a hoodie--and, bam--you're at 4-6 hours drying time. Previous to our purchase, I read every review on the unit I could find. As I said earlier, positive reviews seemed to outnumber negative reviews by about 10:1. I had assumed the few negative reviewers simply overloaded the dryer, which is basically probably true. Knowing this, we thought we were willing to endure longer drying times in exchange for a much expanded pantry/linen closet. But having a gas dryer still connected made the comparison glaringly clear. A vented gas dryer is not only far less expensive in energy costs, it dries clothes 10-30 times faster than an un-vented condenser dryer. For example, something that took only 8 minutes to dry in the gas dryer, took about 4 hours to dry in the LG unit--that's 30x longer. It's these kinds of numbers which are completely lacking in any of the reviews. If drying a pair of jeans, a towel, and a few shirts takes 4-6 hours to dry, it's simply not practical for most people for two reasons: a.) energy costs; b.) the dryer makes its "drain-spin" noise at 20-second intervals, continuously for several hours. Again, we thought the "set-it-and-go-to-work," or "set-it-and-go-to-sleep" approach would greatly lessen the impact of the extended drying times. But, "set-it-and-go-to-sleep" simply doesn't work in a small house--it's too disruptive. My recommendation? Buy this unit if: a.) You have absolutely no other option. b.) Your kWh rates are affordable (e.g., c.) You prefer line-drying some of your clothes. d.) You're single, and wash extremely small loads. This post was edited by studio460 on Mon, Jun 24, 13 at 16:41

If my research is correct, the control board is part number 6871ER1003E. Google search finds a seller on Amazon.com (if legitimate) that has a small supply of them. There are also two board repair services that may (or may not) handle them. Neither one lists the board by number but both of them may handle boards that they don't list. FixYourBoard.com CorecentricSolutions.com

We are on the cusp of placing orders for our appliances. So I wandered back by this thread and noticed the new responses. Mikelock, I love your "after" photo. We're about the finalize our layout, and I keep considering going under-counter instead of stacked. It's a lot of fun to see another real life installation. That extra run of counter must be so nice. Chris Park, thanks for your perspective on how the condensing dryer is performing for you. I was scared off initially by the many negative comments about condensing dryers, but I later became more hopeful when I noticed that many comments note that clothes come out with only an initial dampness - if that makes sense. We're finally going to place our order this week, after much heel dragging from me. The plan for a long time has been Blomberg units (the heat pump dryer sounds like a good idea), although in the 11th hour there is some temptation to order Asko units (condensing dryer) that would match the SS appliances. I guess we'll panic and select one soon!