Tumble Dryer Guide - How It Works
How your Tumble Dryer functions step by step
Much like a combination of a washing machine and a hairdryer, a tumble dryer rotates wet laundry inside a drum while blowing hot air through it to dry it. The resulting damp hot air is piped outside or vented into the room.
| 1 |
Clean, washed and spun clothes are placed in the drum and the heat setting selected. The dryer will not start until the door is shut and the door catch engaged. |
| 2 |
Turning the timer knob starts the electric motor. This powers a drive belt to turn the drum, and directly drives the blower. |
| 3 |
After a few revolutions to allow the damp clothes to separate around the drum, the heating element is turned on. |
| 4 |
A thermostat turns the heating element off once the temperature reaches the selected level. As soon as the temperature drops several degrees the element is turned back on again. |
| 5 |
Hot air is blown through the rotating clothes, evaporating the moisture. It then passes out of the drum through the lint filter to the exhaust vent. |
Flow of Air
| 1 |
Cold air is drawn in at the top rear of the unit |
| 2 |
This air then passes over the drum |
| 3 |
And over the motor |
| 4 |
Before being blown by the fan over the heating elements. |
| 5 |
The hot air then flows through the drum and rotating clothes |
| 6 |
Out through a filter |
| 7 |
And into a vent hose. |
On some models, the user can choose for the air to exit from the front or the rear of the vent pipe depending on the location of the tumble dryer.
Alternative Design
Condenser dryers blow the evaporated moisture from your laundry over a cool surface, causing the moisture to condense to water. This is either collected in a container that must be emptied, or is pumped away through the waste water system.
If no external ventilation is available, try using an indoor condenser kit.