How does a dryer work?
Structurally, the drying machine consists of several parts:
- chambers for things - usually in the form of a steel drum, in some models with backlight;
- an electric motor that drives the device and a belt drive connecting the motor to the tank;
- a heat exchanger consisting of two channels through which cold and hot air moves;
- heating element providing the desired flow temperature;
- a fan that picks up air masses and gives them the right direction;
- air intakes - they absorb dust and debris from clothing;
- containers for collecting condensate that forms during the drying process; the container is not provided in all models; exhaust hoods are not equipped with it.
On the outside of the housing of the household appliance there is a control panel with buttons for selecting the operating mode and an electronic display.
Important! Sometimes the design of a clothes dryer provides only direct rotation of the drum. But some models have a reverse function, which provides faster and better processing.
How does a drying cabinet work?
The space inside such a dryer is organized according to the same principle as in a regular wardrobe for storing clothes. Such a device is a fairly large metal chamber with a heating element, which is responsible for heating the air, and a fan, which sets the direction of the air masses.
For the device to start working, you need to put things inside the closet on shelves or hang them on hangers, and then select one of the programs on the control panel and click on “Start”. The machine then operates in this order:
- Inside the cabinet, the air is heated by the heating element.
- The fan directs circulating air onto the items, creating the airflow necessary for drying.
- Things dry out under the influence of warm air, and moisture comes out along with the exhaust air masses. If the drying cabinet is located in a living room, it is worth either ventilating it or ensuring that humid air is removed from the room.
Drying cabinets are much cheaper than drum dryers, but they are larger and less convenient to use, and therefore are in less demand.
Types of dryer
Any dryer works on the same principle: they process things with a stream of hot air, and thanks to this, moisture quickly evaporates from the fabric. But the implementation of this scheme varies depending on the model.
Drum dryers
Videos about the operation of clothes dryers show that in appearance and design, units of this type are similar to washing machines. Things are in a rotating drum, but they are not affected by water, but by hot air, which ensures the evaporation of moisture. Within a minute, the internal tank is capable of making more than a hundred revolutions, drying is fast and high-quality. The advantages of drum models include their compact size.
In the fast drying mode, it takes about 20 minutes to process items in the drum
Drying cabinets
In apartments and private houses, such units are rare - they are too large in size and represent a spacious and tall metal chamber. Drying things in a special cabinet occurs slowly. But the device is ideal for processing outerwear, shoes and fabrics for which mechanical stress is undesirable.
The drying cabinet does not wrinkle things and provides the most gentle treatment
Condensation
Dryers with a condensing operating principle are the most popular. As the name implies, the moisture evaporated from clothing settles in tiny particles inside a special reservoir. After completing the operating cycle, the water from the tray is simply drained and the filter is washed.
The condenser dryer can be placed anywhere in the house
Exhaust
These types of dryers are less popular. The moisture in them, along with the air flow, is removed into ventilation or into the environment - for example, out a window. Exhaust models are cheaper, but their installation is associated with certain difficulties; when positioning the unit, you need to think about where the massive hose will go.
Exhaust dryers take up more space and rarely fit into the interior
Washing machines with drying function
Conventionally, drying units also include washing machines with a built-in moisture evaporation mode. When this function is activated, after rinsing and spinning, the device heats the air using a heating element and supplies it to the empty drum. The main advantage of the units is obvious - there is no need to install two separate devices for washing and drying in the apartment.
The disadvantages of a washing machine with a built-in dryer are low power and high energy consumption
Operating principle and types of machines
To draw the right conclusions, you need to understand how a clothes dryer works. It evaporates moisture naturally, only speeding up the process.
Today there are two types of such units on the market:
- Drying cabinet. It is a box with shelves where stacks of laundry should be placed. After switching on, dry hot air is supplied to the chamber; due to this contact, the moisture evaporates. Such machines are relatively inexpensive, but they are bulky and therefore are practically not in demand.
- Drum machine. Externally, such a unit resembles an ordinary washing machine: the same hatch, the same control panel. The laundry also dries under the influence of steam, but in a rotating drum. Due to this, evaporation occurs much faster. Some models are equipped with blades that prevent textiles from bunching up, thereby ensuring uniform drying.
There are 2 types of drum type machines:
- Ventilation. Moist air from them is removed outside during the drying process. They must be installed near a window or hood. Such restrictions are due to low demand.
- Condensation. In such machines, hot air is supplied to the drum, and moist air is discharged into a special compartment. There, the condensate settles in a container, the air is heated again using a heating element and fed into the drum. This ensures continuity of the process.
The most popular are drum-type machines with condensation removal of moisture. They are the most convenient to operate and maintain.
Washing machine functions
Regardless of the principle of operation, clothes dryers usually support several operating modes:
- easy drying “under the iron”, in this case most of the water evaporates from the items, but they remain slightly damp, which is convenient for subsequent ironing;
- processing “in the closet” - after removal from the unit, clothes remain completely dry, they can be immediately put on or folded and stored;
- extra drying - takes the least time, but is usually used only for multi-layer fabrics that are resistant to high temperatures;
- delicate drying - processing of things occurs more slowly, but even the thinnest and most sensitive clothes can be loaded into the machine;
- “anti-crease” mode, after completion of the main operating cycle, the drum continues rhythmic rotation for several seconds until the door opens, the fabrics ultimately require almost no ironing;
- steam smoothing, when processing easily wrinkled laundry, the drying unit first sprays water inside the chamber, which then turns into steam and helps smooth out folds and creases on the clothes;
- ventilation, you can even load dry things into the machine that have been lying in the closet for too long, in which case the device will simply refresh them and remove dust, wool and unpleasant odors.
The more built-in modes a drying unit supports, the wider its functionality. Modern models process both delicate natural fabrics and jeans, outerwear and thick duvets.
How does a clothes dryer work?
There are two types of drying machines based on their design features. Their operating principles are different.
Drying cabinet
From the inside, the device looks like a regular wardrobe; it has shelves or hangers for clothes. When put into operation, a powerful heating element mounted in the floor or ceiling heats the air, and the fan distributes it evenly inside the chamber, creating a directed flow for drying things. At the end of the cycle, the moisture comes out through the ventilation hose or directly through the cabinet doors.
The drying cabinet must be ventilated after each use.
Drum type machines
Such devices also heat the air using a heating element, after which the fan directs it into a rotating drum. Passing through the fabric, the hot stream picks up moisture and falls to the heat exchanger, where it releases condensate and cools, and then returns to the heating element. In exhaust models, the air is immediately removed to the outside. In both cases, high-quality, uniform drying is ensured by rotating the drum.
The air circulating in drum machines warms up to 70 °C depending on the mode
Who needs a dryer?
Many people are familiar with the problem of high-quality drying of clothes. High humidity, limited apartment space, and frequent washing make it difficult to care for things and textile accessories. You have to hang them in the house or on the balcony, and make sure that a sudden downpour does not disrupt your plans.
After this, clean items must be ironed, and this process also takes a lot of time and effort. A clothes dryer will help solve some of the problems, if not all. It will make life much easier if one of the following factors prevents you from using natural drying:
- Small apartment area. Owners of the unit will no longer have to lay out wet duvet covers and sheets in the house or hang them in the bathroom or on the balcony. Literally an hour of work and all textiles will be dried to an optimal condition, ensuring easy ironing.
- No balcony. Sometimes you come across amazing layouts of residential multi-storey buildings that do not have a balcony. A drying machine will save the owners of such apartments from the need to install a bulky dryer in the bedroom or kitchen.
- Frequent washing. Many housewives complain that the laundry does not have time to dry and because of this they have to postpone the next wash. A modern model will dry 3-8 kg of laundry in just an hour. A dryer will become an indispensable piece of equipment in large families.
Such a useful unit will allow you to forget forever about all the difficulties associated with drying clothes. Your favorite outfits and textile accessories will always be at hand.
What is a drying cabinet?
The drying cabinet is a fairly large box with a double bottom or ceiling, where the heating element and electric fan are located. After switching on, dry hot air is supplied to the cabinet. The moisture gradually evaporates and leaves the chamber into the supplied ventilation pipe or into the room where the cabinet is located.
drying cabinet
Inside, the closet is equipped with shelves on which everything that needs drying is placed (including stacks of washed laundry). It also has hangers for large items (the ability to hang coats, jackets, etc. to dry), accessories for shoes and hats. The drying process occurs statically and the items in it are not subject to any mechanical stress (unlike drying in a drum dryer). Thus, the drying cabinet is more suitable for drying clothes that do not require washing, but are simply wet or damp and therefore need to be dried.
Drum dryers
Drum dryers are very similar in size, design and even operating principle to washing machines. The difference is that the dryer drum will circulate hot air rather than water. The drum in the dryer is much larger, because drying requires space, and its rotation is much less. Drum dryers are:
- ventilation;
- condensation
The operating principle of the first type is that moist exhaust air is blown into the ventilation system through a supplied hose. Similar models appear on sale less and less often. They are being replaced by more convenient condensing machines, despite the fact that their cost is higher. These machines do not require special outlet pipes. They are capable of collecting moisture in a specially built reservoir and after each use of the machine, the water from it is poured either directly into the sewer, or you remove the container yourself and pour out the water.
Models of drying machines may differ in modes and types of drying. Some dry by time: you choose the operating time, and after it ends, the machine turns off. Others - up to a certain residual humidity, which is much more convenient. You sort things into those that you plan to iron and those that you plan to immediately put in the closet. Choose the right program and get the desired result. However, you can find a model that combines these two types of drying.
How to use a clothes dryer
Since household appliances differ in design, be sure to read the documents for a specific model before using it for the first time. But the general operating instructions for the dryer will look like this:
- laundry is loaded into the unit, damp, but not excessively wet, but slightly wrung out after washing;
- close the camera of the device and select a mode in accordance with the desired degree of drying and type of fabric;
- press the start button and wait until the machine completes the cycle;
- The laundry is removed from the chamber and sent to the closet or for ironing, depending on the selected degree of humidity.
After each use of the dryer, it is recommended to carry out basic maintenance of the unit. First of all, it is necessary to immediately remove debris from the fluff filters, which collect dust, pet hair, hairs and small threads. These elements become clogged very quickly, which immediately affects the quality of drying.
After the drying cycle, the unit must be left open for at least half an hour.
If the machine operates on the condensation principle, you must also remove the special tray and drain the water from it, even if it is not yet completely filled. The empty container is rinsed under the tap and placed in place.
Advice! If you need to process a large batch of laundry, it is better to put a new batch of clothes in the dryer after an hour break. This will extend the life of the unit.
