Condenser tumble dryer causes condensation

Condenser tumble dryers don’t use a vent hose, and should turn all the steam into water. But because they create heat when running, a condenser dryer will heat the air around it and the moisture in the air will condense on any cold surface such as tiles or even other appliances near by – especially if used in a garage near a freezer as mine is.

If it’s not a high quality dryer it may also allow some moist air from the drying process into the room too. The only answer is to create more ventilation or make the room warmer.

We have a condenser dryer installed in our garage and even though it doesn’t need venting, we always have to open the garage door a little in cold weather to prevent condensation collecting on the freezer doors.

If the dryer has suddenly started to create a lot of steam and condensation where it previously worked ok then make sure the filters are all clean. There are sometimes filters that aren’t so obvious and may be hidden behind a panel or door – check the instruction book.

A condenser dryer needs to deposit the water it’s extracted (usually) into a drawer which needs emptying regularly.

If water is no longer going into this drawer there is a fault that needs fixing. Possibly a blockage or a fault on a pump responsible for pumping this water.

I’ve now had a commercial grade extractor fan installed in our garage and we set it going whenever we use our tumble dryer. It seems to help.