Can you put a tumble dryer in a cupboard?

As our team at Repair Aid installs tumble dryers on a regular basis, we often work with clients who request their dryer to be in particular spots around their homes. Often people want dryers to be out of the way and believe that they can be installed anywhere, which leads to a number of people requesting that we install them in a cupboard.

While some DIY enthusiasts may have done this to save space, any good installer of appliances will tell you that this is often a big no-no. In this article, we explain why this isn’t a good idea and suggest where you should install a tumble dryer instead.

Why you shouldn’t install a tumble dryer in a cupboard

There’s a very simple answer to this question: just like us humans, tumble dryers need fresh air. While they obviously don’t need it for the same reasons that we do, tumble dryers need a supply of cool air to help manage the temperature of the condenser or the heat pump. Additionally, air needs to be expelled from the dryer – and this air will have some level of moisture in it, which isn’t good for your cupboard either.

If the tumble dryer is consistently recirculating hot air, it’ll end up heating up the dryer and its components, thus decreasing its efficiency, potentially increasing energy usage and increasing the chances that you’ll need to call Repair Aid to come in and fix your dryer.

However, it is technically possible to keep it in the cupboard with the door open – but it does really depend on the size of the cupboard and the air circulation levels. With that said, leaving the cupboard door open during the drying process would help, but it’s not going to help you if that cupboard door is in the way of getting around your home. Determining the right location for your tumble dryer is something one of our specialist engineers will be able to judge when they are installing your machine, ensuring that you’re not left with higher energy bills and costly repairs in the future.

What about the garage?

Other locations that are often requested are garages or sheds. Again, the motive is to keep the dryer out of the way and to save space around the home. However, dryers operating in environments with lower temperatures can cause all sorts of problems. As the UK is prone to many cold snaps, this doesn’t make it an ideal climate to keep dryers in.

We’re often called out to dryers not drying, condensation issues and even water leaks – and this is often as a result of the dryer being kept in such conditions. Not only that, but it can produce lacklustre drying results too. The water ends up condensing on cold surfaces, reducing the heat used to dry the clothes and thus making a drying cycle ineffective and costly.

Condenser dryers, for example, need to operate at above 5 degrees Celsius or else they won’t work correctly. As aforementioned, this is obviously a problem if the dryer is kept in a garage or outbuilding and will cause a dryer to either become faulty or totally non-operable.

Finding the right location

Conversely, the problem can also be just as bad for a dryer when it’s located somewhere too warm. Much like the problem of the dryer not having enough room to breathe, locations that are too hot can also pose a problem. The moisture in the warm air won’t get cold enough to condense in a condenser dryer. As such, dryers can end up getting too hot in garages and sheds when the summer months come around in the UK.

So finding the right location that works for you and your dryer is key. However, it can also help to know what type of dryer you want to have installed. Some dryers, such as vent dryers, may be better suited to a preferred location around your home. If you’re struggling with the best type of dryer to buy for your property, and not sure where it would be appropriate to install it, get in touch with a dryer installation specialist such as Repair Aid. One of our engineers will be able to assess where your dryer should go and install it for you – and we’ll even give you a 12-month guarantee on all of our work too.