H2O or heat-pump dryers: Latest technology cuts costs

If mops and cleaning cloths are not needed again immediately and are to be put into storage, say over the weekend, they obviously have to be dry. This for example prevents any growth of micro-organisms. For this reason, Miele Professional offers tumble dryers with programmes for contract cleaners with various heating types: From heat-pump dryers through to H₂O dryers heated with cheap hot water.

H₂O dryers are available in eight sizes ranging from 325 to 800 l with load capacities of 10 to 32 kg. Hot water, centrally heated using solar-thermal power, district heating or waste heat from the laundry itself or as a by-product of cooling a co-generation plant, heats the process air in the heater bank of the tumble dryer. Programmes have been specially optimised to facilitate drying at lower temperatures.

If the source of hot water is a co-generation plant, H₂O dryers have virtually no consumption at all. In this case, the hot water is a by-product of cooling the generation plant and does not need to be heated separately. This approach also offers the additional benefit of cooling the water in the H₂O dryer for reuse in co-generation as cooling water.

Both heat-pump dryers, with drum volumes of 250 and 325 l, reduce electricity consumption by 60%. They do not require any vent ducting and are particularly gentle to both mops and cloths made from cotton or micro-fibres. Both dryers excel in terms of their short cycle times: 10 kg of mops and cleaning cloths are thoroughly dried in only 44 minutes.

The closed air circuit dispenses with the need for vent ducting. This, in turn, means that there are no hidden costs for expensive installation. Similarly, as there is no air discharge outside the building there is no risk of smells or sound emissions annoying neighbours. Through good dehumidification, the process air temperature can be maintained at a very low level of only 65°C. This guarantees top-class and gentle laundry care and is a boon particularly to microfibre mops.

This is achieved through SoftLift drum ribs, available only from Miele. Gently rounded edges ensure that laundry is not subjected to any harsh treatment. These also feature on models from the SlimLine range, a model series with a reduced width, allowing them to pass through standard doors with ease. With a width of only 71 cm, they require a footprint of less than 1 m². Nevertheless, their capacity is considerable: SlimLine dryers manage to dry 12 to 15 kg of laundry in a single cycle, equating to around 220 kg over an 8-hour day (presuming 16 cycles per day, each with 13.6 kg, and an initial moisture level of 50%). SlimLine models are available with electric or gas heating and with a choice of two easy-to-use sets of controls.

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Company profile: Miele is the world's leading manufacturer of premium domestic appliances including cooking, baking and steam-cooking appliances, refrigeration products, coffee makers, dishwashers and laundry and floor care products. This line-up is augmented by dishwashers, washer-extractors and tumble dryers for commercial use as well as washer-disinfectors and sterilisers for use in medical and laboratory applications (Miele Professional). The Miele company, founded in 1899, has 8 production plants in Germany as well as one plant each in Austria, the Czech Republic, China and Romania. 2014/15 turnover amounted to approx. EUR 3.49 bn with sales outside Germany accounting for around 70%. Miele is represented with its own sales subsidiaries and via importers in almost 100 countries. The Miele company, now in the fourth generation of family ownership, employs a workforce of around 17,740, 10,350 thereof in Germany. The company headquarters are located in Gütersloh/Westphalia, Germany.