These are the steps you’ll want to follow before installing a heat pump clothes dryer in your home:
- Learn how much this project will cost and find out what incentives are available.
- Select your product and plan your installation. Some installation professionals that may need to be involved are an electrician and/or a plumber, if you are capping a gas line.
- Prepare your home. Take preliminary measures to get your home ready for a new heat pump clothes dryer, such as upgrading your electrical service (if necessary) or—if taking advantage of the added flexibility of a ventless, compact dryer—choosing a new location for your laundry setup. If you’re replacing a conventional gas or electric dryer, remember to seal off the existing dryer vent hole to make your home more energy efficient. Replacing a gas dryer means you’ll want to cap and seal the gas line as well.
- Talk to a professional about how long installation will take. Installation is typically a simple task, depending on your electrical needs.
How do I prepare for a heat pump clothes dryer?
Determine whether your home has adequate electrical service for a heat pump clothes dryer and make an upgrade if necessary.
Most heat pump clothes dryers require a 240-volt electrical outlet. If you don’t have a 240-volt connection in an appropriate space, talk to an electrician about installing a new outlet.
Think about where you would like to place the dryer.
Flexibility is part of the appeal of a heat pump clothes dryer. You can place it virtually anywhere in your home, provided you have the right electrical outlet. Some things to consider:
- You may want to place your dryer near a drain or sink, so that the condensed water can drain automatically through a hose. But this isn’t necessary as the removable water container collects the water so you can dump it out (or use it to water your plants).
- If you place the dryer with your washing machine, you can set the dryer and washer to share the same drain.
- Under normal operation, a heat pump dryer shouldn’t be noticeably noisy. At times you may notice a faint humming or metallic sound, similar to the sound of a refrigerator or air conditioner, but that’s just the compressor doing its job.
