How to Choose the Best Tumble Dryer for Use in Garage
Tumble dryers are noisy, big and not very pretty to look at.
Because of these unappealing factors, a lot of us choose to store tumble dryers in our garages.
This is especially true when deciding where to put the tumble dryer in a small house.
Unfortunately for us folk in the UK, winters can get very very cold.
And, unless your garage is heated through the winter, this might lead to your garage dryer not performing at it’s best.
A tumble dryer in outhouse or garage might even have bad cases of condensation, or at worst the water drawer and pipes will freeze up.
We’ve put together a list of our top 4 recommendations for the best tumble dryer for a cold garage in the UK.
What’s the best tumble dryer for a cold garage UK?
For small households, we think the best garage dryer is the Hoover HLEV9LF. If 9kg isn’t enough for your household, or you just prefer a bigger load capacity, then the Hoover Link HLV10LG is our top recommendation for a cold garage because of its 10kg capacity and high standard of performance.
You’ll find more details on these dryers, including our thoughts on these machines and 2 more garage dryers further down the post.
Can You Put a Tumble Dryer in the Garage?
With all this in mind, can we put tumble dryers in a garage? In short, yes.
As long as you buy a tumble dryer that’s vented and can work at lower temperatures, then it’s absolutely fine to put a tumble dryer in a garage.
Vented Tumble Dryer
If you have a hole in the garage wall (or outbuilding), or can have one put in, then a vented tumble dryer is the best option for a garage.
Sometimes even sticking the end of the pipe out of a window or door can work just fine in a garage.
Condenser dryers aren’t supposed to be used in temperatures under 5°C and a heat pump tumble dryer shouldn’t go below 10°C.
This rules out most UK garages and outbuildings unless they’re heated over the winter which would be an extra cost on normal winter bills.
Condenser Dryer
If your garage or outbuilding has proper ventilation then a condenser tumble dryer could be more convenient.
A condenser dryer doesn’t need to be physically vented like a vented tumble dryer, but it won’t work in a non-ventilated room.
Keeping the door between a garage and house open will improve the ventilation, but it will then be more costly to keep your house warm and heated.
Which Is Better Vented or Condenser Tumble Dryer?
Clean and Tidy Living recommends using a vented tumble dryer in a UK garage so that you’re less susceptible to problems in the winter months.
Even with a vented tumble dryer, keeping the garage above 5°C helps your tumble dryer perform at its best and avoid costly repairs or replacements.
Try and avoid brands that state keeping the tumble dryer in the garage will void the warranty.
This will also suggest that the tumble dryer in question is fit for use in a cold garage.
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Best Tumble Dryer for a Cold Garage UK
1. Hoover HLEV9LF 9Kg Vented Tumble Dryer – Overall Best Tumble Dryer for a Cold Garage
Overall we think the Hoover HLEV9LF is the best vented tumble dryer for a cold garage in the UK.
This Hoover HLEV9LF Vented Tumble Dryer comes with a vent hose and offers versatile and thorough drying options.
These drying options include 15 programmes including cycles for cotton, synthetics, acrylics, and refresh to optimise the drying style for each load and to be gentler with delicate fabrics.
The 9kg may be too small for large households, depending on how often you like to use your tumble dryer.
| Best vented tumble dryer for small to medium families with no room for a tumble dryer in the house, such as with most new builds. |
Type: Vented, Freestanding
Capacity: 9kg
Dimensions: 585mm x 596mm x 850mm; 33.5 Kilograms
Energy Rating: C
Pros
Cons
Overall after researching and reviewing this Hoover HLEV9LF we think its the best value for money and has the highest performance out of our vented tumble dryers.
We recommend this vented dryer for small to medium families that don’t want to keep the tumble dryer inside the home.
We wouldn’t recommend this tumble dryer for larger households as 9kg may not be enough depending on how often drying clothes is required.
For more details on the Hoover HLEV9LF, click on the button below.
2. Montpellier MVSD7W Freestanding Vented Tumble Dryer – Overall Best Quick Drying Tumble Dryer
The Montpellier MVSD7W dryer is ideal for garages where there’s room to ventilate the machine through a wall or window ventilation hole, or through an open door or window.
This dryer performs very well and can dry clothes in as little as an hour.
We also like how simple this tumble dryer is to use.
Since this tumble dryer has no water stored inside the machine, there’s no risk of the water freezing in the winter which makes it ideal as a garage dryer or in an outhouse.
| The Montpellier MVSD7W Tumble Dryer can manage a quick dry in just an hour, perfect for busy families who are always rushing out the door. |
Type: Vented, Freestanding
Capacity: 7kg
Dimensions: 840mm x 595mm x 550 mm; 33 Kilograms
Energy Rating: C
Pros
Cons
Overall after researching and reviewing this Montpellier MVSD7W we think it’s a great choice for a small to medium household who are looking for a tumble dryer that will dry fast and with no fuss.
The settings and cycles are easy to use and understand, and clothes can be dry in as little as an hour.
We wouldn’t recommend this dryer to a medium to large family as large loads of laundry won’t dry as well in this tumble dryer.
For more details on the Montpellier MVSD7W tumble dryer, click on the button below.
3. Hoover Link HLV10LG 10Kg Vented Tumble Dryer – White – Best garage dryer for large families
This Hoover Link vented tumble dryer has a 10kg load capacity and comes with 14 different drying programmes to choose from.
Its sensor dry function allows you to choose the level of dryness you require from four options. The machine will automatically switch off when it senses that this level has been reached, saving you time and energy.
You can also use its timed drying function, which will let you set the cycle for a specific amount of time.
| Best vented tumble dryer for large families that get through a lot of laundry and need a high-performance appliance. |
Type: Vented, Freestanding
Capacity: 10kg
Dimensions: 58.5cm x 60cm x 85 cm; 29.5 Kilograms
Energy Rating: C
Pros
Cons
Overall after researching and reviewing this Hoover Link HLV10LG we think it’s the best value for money dryer in it’s price range.
For a 10kg tumble dryer this machine is high performing but also well priced amongst competitors.
Since the load is 10kg, we recommend this tumble dryer to medium to large families. We wouldn’t recommend this tumble dryer to smaller families as under-filling a dryer can lead to poor performance or damage to the machine.
For more details on the Hoover Link HLV10LG, click on the button below.
4. Beko DTGV7000W 7kg Freestanding Vented Tumble Dryer – White – Best value for money garage dryer for small families
This Beko DTGV7000W vented tumble dryer comes with 15 pre-set programmes including a cotton eco dry, jeans and a refresh cycle.
There is also a humidity sensor so the dryer doesn’t over-dry your fabrics and damage them, which is ideal for a dryer that’s located outside of the normal living areas.
7kg probably isn’t enough for large families but for small to medium households it should be enough.
| Easy to install and has sufficient programs for a small to medium-sized family. |
Type: Vented, Freestanding
Capacity: 7kg
Dimensions: 840mm x 600mm x 440mm
Energy Rating: C
Pros
Cons
Overall after researching and reviewing this Beko DTGV7000W we think it’s great value for money and performs well as a tumble dryer in a home, garage or outbuilding.
Aesthetically, we prefer tumble dryers that have a glass or plastic window into the machine but that’s a personal preference and doesn’t really matter if the dryer isn’t situated in the main living areas.
This dryer will perform well in a cold garage so clothes are adequately dried even in the winter months.
For more details on the Beko DTGV7000W, click on the button below.
To learn about maintaining and cleaning a washing machine, read our post How To Clean A Front Loading Washing Machine With Vinegar And Baking Soda
Summary of Can You Put a Tumble Dryer in the Garage?
To summarise our recommendations – for small households, we think the best cold garage tumble dryer is the Hoover HLEV9LF.
If 7kg isn’t enough for your household, or you just prefer a bigger load capacity, then the Hoover Link HLV10LG is our top recommendation for a cold garage because of its 10kg capacity and high standard of performance.
Cold garages are usually used as storage in the UK, for everything that doesn’t fit in the house.
Tumble dryers aren’t normally used every single day so there’s no need for it to be easy to reach like a fridge or oven.
If there’s spare space in the garage to shove some of our stuff, then we might as well make good use of it.
Some manufacturers advise against storing their tumble dryers in an outbuilding or garage in winter, but we think it’s perfectly fine with regular use and occasional check-ups to ensure there’s no mould or rusting from poor ventilation.
FAQs About Tumble Dryers
It’s best not to use tumble dryers below 5⁰c as the cold temperatures can stop them from working properly. Putting a tumble dryer in a well-insulated room shouldn’t cause any issues.
In short, yes. As long as you buy a tumble dryer that’s vented and can work at lower temperatures, then there should be no problem with putting a tumble dryer in a garage. Most manufacturers recommend that the room temperature does not get below 5⁰c as this could cause the tumble dryer to stop working properly.
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