@@joshuakim5905 I think it has to do with wiring harness length. Many newer units are like this. I should probably see if I can hack the door and change it on this or another one that alleges non-adjustability.
Hey Ben, I just purchased the DLHC5502 and one of the things I noticed is that when the unit has been ran for some time the door wont stay shut. But when the unit hasn't been ran for some time and is cold, then the door stays closed like it should be. Have you seen any fixes for this, LG just wants to throw a tech at it since its under warranty, but I was hoping you would have a better fix.
My old dryer died and I wanted to replace with a heat pump dryer so I purchased this unit a week ago. I knew it was new to the market and there were no reviews out yet, but being a week in so far, I have been pretty happy with it. as you stated, I've noticed the time estimate displayed on the screen tends to be slightly exaggerated and the clothes are dry generally before the time runs out. It has powered through loads of clothes, towels, sheets, blankets, and everything I've thrown at it so far with no issues. Clothes always come out super dry and warm and do not feel the slightest bit of "damp" or moist. The dryer is super quiet and the app connectivity is also nice. If you can stomach the price for the unit, and don't really want to go the two-in-one route, I would highly recommend this unit.
I just want to applaud you for all the effort required and the amount of detail you went to on not just this, but all of your videos. This is excellent work!
It’s so good to hear positive things about an LG dryer. We still have our very first dryer that we bought way back in 2005! It an LG Tromm with the auto sense feature. It’s still works very well, and we have twice had technician out to work on a washer and they were amazed. It is a gas unit, we are a family of 7, and I have only had to replace the igniter, the metal sensor piece, and a drum wheel. The drum does have a small indent from running too long with the bad wheel, and the belt definitely looks worn, but we have been beyond impressed with its longevity. My wife says that it’s not allowed to ever die. 😂
Winning Lottery percentage odds. Buy a replacement control board and its probably doable, only so long on those relays. Auto sense tells me its not a mechanical timer, thats what makes washers and dryers unkillable.
10 year warranty on the motor and the complete sealed system, LG openly stating 12-year expected average lifespan, some incredibly smart self-maintenance technology, and some very well thought out and serviceable design choices? This is awesome! I may wait to see if they put this design into an all-in-one, but if my dryer kicks the bucket before then, this just got bumped to the top of my list! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this review, test and teardown!
I have had the same type of unit by Electrolux; stackable washer and ventless dryer. I am not an Electrolux fan. Have had many of their appliances and always disappointed. Well.....they have surprised me. 4 years and not one issue. I wash 4 loads per day, 7 days a week. All my bedding goes in my top load washer and dryer. I ❤ my Electrolux units!! And I have determined that they honestly are easier on our clothing.
LG had easily the best refrigerators before the Linear design. Their washers & dryers are the #1 choice of technicians outside of Speed Queens. Its very possible that LG is a great company marred by one absolutely horrific choice. And even then, I've been told it wasn't their choice to make - the politicians wanted them to make a more environmentally-friendly compressor, so they tried the LC which was great for 5 years before all the problems popped up.
5 years? I have been replacing linear compressors since the year they came out. The new 600a linear compressors are even worse. The 600a compressors are all failing with open winding. The 134a compressors just ran but didnt pump. s@@bensappliancesandjunk
Still running our LG units bought over 10 years ago. Have been really impressed with their quality. If/when our current units fail this will be on my short list.
You've done an amazing job explaining the dryer thank you. I also watched your maintenance video and I'm thankful for you making the videos. I have a 31ft exhaust vent with two 90 degree bends and this dryer was my last hope.
I found an older GE heat pump dryer for $50. The couple said it was taking longer to dry and the clothes were still damp. They were going back to conventional dryer. I found a sock below the filter housing and I cleaned the dust and dirt off of the coils. I can dry a medium load in about an hour and fifteen minutes. When running it consumes about 760 watts.
The old boomers just couldn't be bothered to.... *do* anything to maintain their appliances, huh? Rather just burn through their retirement savings by blowing 6,000 watts of heat out of a 4 inch hole in the wall. lmao. 😂
We need some consumer information about cleaning of condenser coils.. people will say old fridges have worse efficiency and plug up their new small high surface area condenser in a year when the old large low density one would hardly ever clog up and stop rejecting heat.
I just bought this and a matching washing machine based in no small part on your review. Thank you. So far I am impressed. If it proves to be reliable, I'm going to love it.
Found my way here researching various heat pump dryer options and this has to be the most thoughtful, insightful commentary I've seen. Excellent work, very much appreciated.
I have been waiting weeks for this video, how exciting...and I am just a random person that enjoys your videos. Thanks for making appliances interesting.
We just got this dryer delivered today (in no small part thanks to this video!) and it has done a great job drying 2 loads so far. Just as good as our old clunky vented dryer - and at about 1 hour per load on the normal / more dry setting. So far so good!
@Texas_G_Longhorns works great. I've probably run about 8 loads through it. I have zero complaints. The app tells you that when it's done, I put it on my and the wife's phones, so we remember to unload it too.
I've had my Samsung heat pump dryer coming up on 4 years. No problems yet. After every cycle, I make sure to vacuum the filter. Every month (or earlier if the unit asks), I clean the coils and the duct. As one of the commenters stated, you absolutely need to make sure the system hasn't ingested any debris or small items. Air flow is super critical to removing the moisture. This full sized unit is just the beginning to reducing energy usage. A heat pump usually uses less than 1000 watts. A conventional dryer usually uses 2,000 watts or more if a high heat setting is used.
This was a great overview, and i look forward to hearing more about this when it has more cycles on it! This thing looks really compelling, im no expert, but fully disassembled it really didn't look like a crazy complicated mess! It appears well designed and legitimately serviceable, and that's the best we can ask for. Hopefully we see more and more designs like this, and better reliability too.
I would be sooooo happy if you chapterized your videos! Thank you so much for doing these. I think you have the only reviews of value for ventless/heat pump dryers!
Great video! This dryer just made it to the top of my list for when my electric tumble dryer finally gives in. It's had a hell of a run, 30+ years and still chugging. But eventually that'll end, and I'm expecting it. This comment will probably seal the deal, lol.
Watching this and the new heat pump water heaters that can use a 120 Volt wall socket. I use a Speed Queen washer with great water extraction so the LG is looking good and have the hookup already.
Speed queen aren't exactly known for their water extraction, the top loader only spins at 710 rpm and the front loader at 1200 rpm, the Korean brand machines tend to go up to 1400 rpm on their highest settings.
This is perhaps the only dryer where I'd be interested in some cycle videos where we can see and hear the dryer run. Id be interested to see how much it reverses during cycles, and the overall noise profile of the unit given its drastically different design. This is an extremely interesting unit to me and I plan to own one in the future thanks to this overall good review!
Wow thanks for making this video! Please follow up on LG's response to cleaning cycle additives and how hard water deposits may build up on the coil. Additionally, I would like to see how well ductless dryers handle pet hair.
Its hard to say since its a sealed system. I would assume with proper care its about the same, maybe a little better but the issue is that typically what goes out on these are rollers and control boards - rollers are identical on this, and the control board will be hard to guess since its using a board for a heat pump at a lower amperage than a higher-amp switch for resistive heat.
@ thanks for your reply. I have a 3900B drier that just had a failed Thermal Fuse (I think) after just 4.5 years. Disappointing! Do you think the new 6500B is improved in any way? Disappointed with LG quality. They really only last until just after the warranty ends.
Thank you so much for posting this!!! Based on this teardown, we will absolutely be picking this unit up. I'm building a house that approaches passive house standards, so it's air-tight. I wasn't looking forward to having a makeup air system for the laundry room and wasting conditioned air. Most other heatpump dryers are super low capacity and my wife hated them. She probably still won't love the 2 hour dry time... maybe I'll plan for two lol. Thank you!
2hrs on a big, big load. It was about 1.5 once the AI presets got the average load down. I imagine a sealed house will have great ambient temps making it even faster.
Heat pump dryers and water heaters are the go to solution for passive houses. We build high performance rental homes and put heat pumps everywhere. Surprisingly, they work great even though we are in cold Montana!
@@RustyNail600 Rent is theft. One person = one house. Imprison all landleeches in a prison colony and let them rent from each other, see how long all their contributions to society allow their economy to last!
@@dregenius pound sand man. Our tenants love renting our places. They are high performance, low energy costs, comfortable, clean and affordable. You won't find a better place to live in your life, even if you buy your own home.
As a Belgian, it amazes me that Americans are still discovering heat pump dryers these days. 'Look, that one has a drain hose like a washing machine' My Miele Softtronic T 8969 heat pump dryer from 2011 has that option, even the internal filters are almost the same. For some reason, you are the 'Bruce Wilson' of home appliances. Discovering home appliances that the world has been using for decades.
This happened to be well timed for me and I just installed this and the washer unit in my home. First couple loads went perfectly. We’ll see with prolonged use :)
Dang just missed it; I witnessed the outro though. Definitely excited to watch the whole video; but couldn't agree more with the "needed" coil cleaner!! My only worry is if it uses tap water 🤔 won't those with hard water suffer.?! Oh & bumping the algorithm 🎉
I looked at the manual a dozen times about distilled water. I agree that I'd much rather use distilled, but the manual never stipulates a requirement for it, either.
@@bensappliancesandjunkHi.., I haven't finished watching the whole video yet as it's about half an hour but I wanted to catch you soon hopefully you can answer this question since this last reply you made was only 2 hours ago 🙏🤞 I just wanted to ask if that hose for the drainage of water / humidity can simply be put into a bucket? EDIT : Nevermind I guess the answer was just a few minutes into the video 😅
@@bensappliancesandjunk Thank you Ben 🙏 You are Awesome 😎💯 if you happen to be able to answer this last question.... What is the highest wattage that this uses ? I live in a bit of older building and the connections are simple and I just kind of wanted to know if it can be used anywhere in the house?
Best appliance reviews on the internet! Question: I have read a LOT of NEGATIVE reviews about this dryer (leaks and door latch failures) and terible LG Customer Service. Since this video is now 9 months old: What has your experience been with both to date?
I have this dryer in korea. Works great. Korean drains are in the floor though. I wonder if there is impact to the dryers drain being high in the wall.
Excellent video and excellent review. I use an older, smaller heat pump dryer myself and the lint management is my biggest struggle - not enough to be annoying, but a prominent issue. Coil cleaning is something I wish it could do, and I know I'll need to address it eventually. My only gripe with the video is when you mix up and jumble the units "kW" and "kWh". A thing does not consume "kilowatts" over a period of time - it consumes an average or instantaneous number of of "kilowatts" and a cumulative number of "kilowatt hours" :) And there's no such unit as "kW*h" (or its dirty sibling in media horrors, "kW/h"). It's just kWh, kilowatt-hours. Using fewer kWh per load is a big advantage, and it's a reason I love mine! And, given the small amount of kW it uses while running, I'm also surprised they gave it a 240v supply requirement (as does mine, which uses around 600 watts). It could easily run on a 120v outlet :)
They probably made it 240v because most people changing from a “standard” dryer already have the 240v in place. If they changed to 120v it would more than likely require a dedicated circuit which for most people would mean they would need to hire an electrician to run that new circuit. That could be $800- $1,200.00 extra expense. I see this quite a bit when people change from an all electric stove (240v)to a gas stove (120v). Exception to the rule is a dual fuel or hybrid gas/electric stove.
I bought the LG heat pump dryer as part of their washtower. Eliminated the issue with vents, uses a fraction of the electricity since the heat is recycled (exhaust heat to my laundry room is pulled in again), no humidity and awesome drying. One issue is that they drying takes a bit longer - but I do find that it is easier on the clothes. Cost was similar to a high quality, full functioning dryer. Highly recommend.
@@NiranjanNanda it actually decreases moisture. The dryer pulls a bit air from the house uses heat pump to pull heat from the house to heat up. Condenses the water vapor and drains it down the plumbing via a drainage tube and releases some of the dry air back to the laundry room. So it is like a dehumidifier! And since there is no outside exhaust vent, no leakage of heat and air outside. It uses less than 1KWH for most loads with is about 10 to 20 cents of electricity depending upon your time of use rates.
Darn. When did they come out with that version? I bought the wash tower about 6 months before the GE heat pump washer/dryer came out, and now there are so many options! 😩
@@Spp235. Thank you very much for the response. :) Can I ask where did you buy it from? Costco is yet to carry this item. Is it okay to buy from LG directly?
Using acidic liquids is a bad idea on condenser coils and will cause galvanic corrosion with dissimilar metals (copper/aluminum coils) in this case. This is a known issue in the HVAC industry in corrosive environments. Looks like LG used a coating on the front condenser coil to mitigate this but it will not protect the coil from acids 100%.
Correct. Those coatings are usually for ambient air protection. They're common in areas near beaches where the saltier air destroys coils in a matter of a couple years. The coating is definitely not designed to withstand harsh chemicals used for cleaning
@@johnulcer Incorrect, this dryer has been by far the most impressive dryer I've sold in recent memory. About 40 units in and not a single problem or issue. The self-cleaning condenser has been working amazingly well for every single customer I've been able to follow up with, and now finally America can act like a grown-up country and stop blowing 6,000 watts of heat out of a 4" hole in the wall to dry clothes. Vented dryers are ancient boomer tech that lulls people into continuing to run them because they "seem reliable", when in reality they're costing several multiples of the *entire cost to buy* of this unit just in their excessive, gluttonous electricity guzzling.
Thanks for a very informative video. You did a great job and it is appreciated. I will be sharing the link. Prior to viewing this, I had only considered heat pump technology in the course of future home furnace replacement. One feature that makes me even more interested is the ductless tech - this home has a long exhaust duct that runs for about 10 feet under the house in the crawl space (nearly impossible to clean out if needed). Current drying is done with a nat gas LG dryer that I have self repaired - replaced the rollers and is nearly 20 years old. the matching LG washer had a door latch replaced (again self repaired). however, now that the front loading washer has what sounds like failing drum bearings - that are not easily replaced, DIY - the plan may be to replace the matched pair with the heat pump tech and close off the dryer vent. A tribute to LG quality in these appliance in our usage. room temp is usually around 70 F except in summer 74-78 and dry California weather making this a reasonable alternative. The appliances are inside the home near the bedroom area - not in the typical locations like a garage or a basement. the home has Tesla solar panels and a power wall that do not power the home entirely but do provide outage protection and reduced expensive electricity cost. this dryer would replace the nat gas current dryer. water heating is via a continuous gas unit as are the two furnaces and cooking appliances. Using 220 V drying is a concern when the weather is bad and solar is not producing very much. your work has refined what questions i need to answer - One question is the availability of a nat gas version. PS the cost difference of 300-400 dollars initially will be recouped over the expected life of the appliance. Excellent thought provoking video!
Thanks for the comment! I agree the ventless option is hugely beneficial because of long duct runs. Those can be a major point of failure for dryers and getting rid of that has some advantages. I don't think they will ever make a nat gas version of this.. although I wonder if they could do a 120v version.
Looks great. I’m still using our Maytag tumble dryer that was new in 1985. Still works fine. First service was this year to replace the belt. After 39 years! This idea that you’re damn lucky to get 12 years out of a major appliance is appalling. Also have a 35 year old GE fridge that’s never needed service and a 23 year old SubZero that I expect to outlive me.
The sad thing is.... 12-15 years out of this machine would put it up against basically any other dryer on the market in terms of reliability. I see a ton of dryers that are done for before the 5yr mark. Its sad.
Again, another great video from you, and thank you. When you state that this unit doesn’t have a vent, which enables it to be placed many different places, there’s one big drawback: 220 V. Good luck finding a 220 V outlet wherever you might want to put this unit.
Yeah, the original comment above doesn’t make any sense. Why would you need a dryer that you can locate “wherever you might want to put this unit”? Of course you’re going to put in your laundry room or laundry closet. Maybe even next to the washer!!
Please do a long term update video on how it performs compared to the timings reported in this initial analysis. Our experience with an lg heat pump dryer was after 2 years the drying took longer.
Great review and tear down; gives me a bit more confidence in these systems. I'm currently in the middle of replacing the rollers on my 13yo LG tumbler, so I've hopefully got a few years left.
In one of the posts he said he would do a review in a month or so. So subscribe to his channel and hang tight. I have that combo and made a few videos about it if you are interested in checking it out.
FYI, my unit is defective. The front facia is warped but no parts are available for repair. I’m interested to know if anyone else has the same problem. It was like this out of the box, so I assume it’s a manufacturing issue. There was no damage to the box or unit I can see.
@@boomerscs9193 Just got one of these yesterday. Door was fine until midway through first load, then popped itself open and wouldn't stay shut. I've already scheduled an exchange but I also noticed a (not specific to this model) page on LG's website that talks about the door gasket needing to 'settle' (or something like that) for 3 to 5 loads (but with no advice on how the hell you are supposed to run it if the door won't shut...) So as an experiment I used a strip of painters tape to hold the door shut to finish that first load and then another. (Trying to make a dent in the mountain of laundry that piled up since previous dryer died.) 3rd load I tried leaving the door untaped and it made it almost the whole cycle before popping itself open, so seems to be improving. How could you tell the fascia was warped? And what was your ultimate resolution?
@@SolonSutton An LG technician determined the warping. His plan was to replace the entire front structure of the unit. However, there were no parts available. I found that removing the bottom 2 screws surrounding the door opening that hold the front metal fascia to the frame the door would stay shut. It's been working and I haven't had another issue.
@@boomerscs9193 Well the 2nd unit showed up with the same issue. Even more so as the door wouldn't shut right out of the box. It was literally taped in the box with the door not closed all the way, so obviously LG packed it up like that at the factory. Unbelievable. Refused delivery. So back to the drawing board, sigh. Bummed as this model really would have been perfect for us, but not wanting to have to play the 'will the next one be ok' lottery. LG needs to get their crap together, apparently.
I bought one at Lowes today even before I saw your video. After watching your video I was glad I bought it. Expecting it May 9th 24. I am extremely excited. My old dryer was pulling 6K watts and was maxing out my Solar system every time. Can't wait to kick that power hungry machine to the curve. Great video and thank you!
Vented 6,000 watt electro-hogs are such boomer designs... "Burn as much electricity as you can to boil water out of clothes, then dump 100% of that energy out of a 4" hole in the wall, creating negative pressure... no matter though, out huge 5-ton air conditioner will kick in to cool the new air leaking in. Why run the dryer when it's 95 degrees outside? Why not? It's our energy to burn! Those millennials will have to pull themselves up by their bootstraps like we did!"
Awesome review. In a couple years I think I'll def get this or maybe LG's new version if they replace it. I currently have an old Bosch ventless dryer (bought from Habit Restore here in Wi) and really do like it. My only two issues is the reg monthly cleaning I need to do, to prevent lint buildup in the pump and the baby drainpipe that it uses and the fact the clothes are not "to touch dry" like a tumble dryer. (which LG has seemed to solve). Plus the fact it can do a comforter is awesome! I've been slowly updating old appliances in the house and when we re-do our main floor washer/dryer closet I'll def be getting this or a Queen (pending your battle review of course) matching setup. (I just upgraded our top loader Amana washer to a Samsung front loader (used again, but much more recent then the Bosch lol) and was considering getting a Samsung dryer but now I'll be happy to wait :)
In the UK and have a LG heat pump dryer but the model i have is self cleaning. During the drying process the dryer will divert water to a cleaning system for the condenser after cleaning it will pump the water and any other waste is pumped down the drain.
Something you forgot to bring up about energy savings and vent-less dryers---you're not pushing conditioned inside air (heated or cooled) outside, and pulling unconditioned outside air (too cold or too hot) in through gaps and cracks and by back-drafting the fireplace. throwing away conditioned air could double the cost of running a typical vented heating-element dryer. Meaning a heat pump vent-less isn't half the energy cost of the older design, it's one-quarter the energy cost.
I see your point, but also consider that heat pump systems release more heat into the house than conventional vented dryers do. That's great in the winter time, and not so great in the summer time.
@@BuilderJay heat pumps use a compressor. Compressors get hot. My all in one washer/dryer combo with a heat pump gets hot to the touch and makes my laundry room warm.
It should introduce additional heat into the room, but that of the tumble and compressor motors. We're probably talking about something like 600 watts of heat energy. Take that versus using up to 5,500 watts on heating elements and blowing 150 cfm of conditioned air out of the house, the total energy usage should be considerably lower. It would be worth noting that this should be used in a room with enough ventilation to keep temperatures from getting too high.
@@WesDuncan True, but the overall wattage converted to heat is minimal. Any vent dryer would remove conditioned air from the living space to be replaced with warm, and possibly humid, outside air anyway. Guess it depends on the climate.
I do not know whether it is interesting to a lot of people, but Iwould suggest getting a euro-style 24" ventless dryer (Bosch 5 Series or Miele). In Europe (where I lived for 5 years) they are standard for those who can afford them. For example, in UK peak electricity rate can be as high as $1 per kW/h so efficiency takes top priority. The technology is very well developed; they have been available for a very long time. Then you'll be able to make a comparison with this unit and other full size ventless dryers. I understand if the money is tight and if it is unaffordable to get a relatively less common unit for you but they are popular in apartments (Boston, NYC, etc.).
Ben I'm about to purchase this dryer because of you..but is this a 15amp or 30amp dryer? Electrician is going to install a new line for this and the manual is confusing
UPDATE and Recommendations. Finally got my replacement dryer. Yay me. Its great, works perfect now that the door stays closed. So because i was irritated at my whole process with Home Depot and LG, I decided to lighten the load for the installers when they removed the broken machine. I took out the two lint traps when you open the door to have as a back up. GREAT IDEA lol. So that leads me to my recommendations. 1) Do as suggested and get the flexible lint trap hose attachment for cleaning purposes. Works great. 2) Get a second set of lint traps. After using them for like a month and while cleaning every few loads, just remove the old ones and pop the clean ones in. Then do a nice clean job on the used ones. If you use dryer sheets the trap screens will get a bit gummy, rinse with warm water. Let dry until you swap them out again in like a month or so. 3) For cleaning, 100% get yourself a really nice soft bristle brush so you can scrub the screen down dry and while rinsing off under the faucet. This worked fantastic for me. Just dry brush it first then use under the water, I got everything off easy using that. 4) While this machine does work great, it is not for a person who doesn't like to maintain their machines. It really is a high maintenance unit. i don't mind it but i have to stay on top of it casue nobody else will do it.
I was a appliances service technician for 20 years and dryers gas or electric has been my favorite appliances to repair relatively easy to troubleshoot and fix until now even to disassemble this units you have to be very careful to don't damage any of the sealed system parts specially in the washer and dryer combo with basically not much space to work.
Thank you for the thorough review. I just realized that the diameter of the drain pipe (where my washer drains into) is only 1.5 inches (inside diameter), for some reason I thought mine was 2 inches. My washer drain hose takes up most of the space when inserted. Left over space is only about the size of a pinky finger (maybe 1/4 inch). I would much prefer to use the existing drain to hook up both the washer and dryer drain hoses (instead of using a bucket for the dryer hose OR just using one appliance at a time and switching the hoses etc.) and hoping there is a simple work around (can the dryer 5/8 inch hose be reduced to 1/4 inch?) or am I out of luck and would need to get a plumber and expect a huge bill for modifications? Is the water that is discharged from the dryer come out as a trickle throughout the drying cycle or is it somehow saved and then pushed out all at once?
Pedantic correction: the dryer used 950 watt hours of energy, not just “950 watts.” Watts are a rate of power usage, not an amount of energy. If you measured correctly, this dryer used 0.95 kWh for a load. At the national average cost of power that’s less than 15 cents worth of energy.
We purchased an Electrolux washer/dryer pair about 6 months ago, when only the GE Combo Heat Pump Washer/Dryer was on the market, I wasn't interested in the GE system at the time due to the cost, longer cycle times and the clothes still coming out damp. However, if we were in the market for a new washer/dryer pair today, I think I'd purchase the LG pair, cost is only a few hundred dollars more than we spent, but the quality looks way better with the direct drive system, than what Electrolux has, and not having a vent, that's a big maintenance item that it would be nice not having to worry about. Previously we had an LG washer/dryer pair that was still working after 14 years when we sold them, I considered LG again at the time we purchased the Electrolux, but thought the Electrolux boot gasket on the washer was better and easy to replace when it came time.
I’m a one person household and only do 1/2 loads but I have dogs… is the heat pump a good recommendation or should I stick with the traditional? As it is, I don’t trust the current lint traps, and I take apart the entire machine once a month to deep clean.
I’ve had a Siemens (Bosch) heat pump dryer since 2013, and my verdict is that it’s way gentler on clothes, due to the significantly lower temperatures. On regular, it’s barely as hot as a typical vented dryer on delicate. On delicate, it usually finishes drying with the clothes being just warm.
@@Loreality European energy efficiency regulations de-facto ban vented and conventional ventless dryers. (They’re not explicitly banned, but they cannot come close to meeting the efficiency of heat pump.) So it wouldn’t be surprising if they rebadged some other company’s product in order to offer something.
I really love Ben's channel, we have used it to purchase appliances in the past. The one thing I would ask is to keep your politics to yourself. I come here for your down to earth and insightful breakdown on appliances and how they work, however I do not need the little quips about Biden, Trump or any other politician. I do not listen to politicians when it comes to buying my appliances, I listen to you so please dump the politics. Keep up the great work and channel Ben!
The DoE just banned mechanically driven dryers. Regardless of anyone's views, politics tends to get involved when choice is taken away from consumers. The EU just banned all resistive heat and gas dryers as of the 2025 phasehout as well. I do not intend to favor any party but do understand that the government does mandate these things so I may comment or joke about them from time to time. I cant really keep politics entirely out of the channel when the government chooses to alter my job from time to time through mandates and removal of products to choose from. I will try to do it in a respectful manner but people do need informed when these things happen and I am certain the US will do exactly what the EU did in the near future with HE dryer mandates.
@@bensappliancesandjunk I understand and agree about government overreach and rules and regulations. I guess my only point would be as divisive as politics is in the United States currently, that to specifically name a person such as Biden just promotes even more divisiveness. But your point is taken and I agree with it. Thanks Ben
@@killer5846 Have to disagree with you on this one even as I agree with your main point 100%. Ben’s comment was a clever and humorous way to make reference to changing government policies and regulations in general (in my opinion), not a criticism of said policies and regulations even though the current president’s name (at time of posting) was mentioned. Oversensitivity also perpetuates divisiveness, so take it as the joke it was intended to be. Signed, a liberal democrat 😊.
@@Ikey04-ge9gy I mean if they can screw up one compressor what's to say they won't screw up another. Plus they did a terrible job handling their problems.
Excellent quantified review and teardown! I'd love to see a similar one on the competing Samsung units (dryer only; not the combo). I'm sold on the LG other than not knowing if the Samsung might be even better. I noticed Samsung has an actual heating element (1400W) in addition to the heat pump yet the efficiency is similar on paper. Either the DV53BB89**H* or DV45DG60**H*. Thanks!
I hope you are able to read this comment. Great review and teardown ! The unit is not terribly complex to open up. The condenser and evaporation coils seem well isolated as well. My only concern is the longevity of the silver control box unit, which is on the left side of the unit. I am assuming this is the unit that converts ac to dc for the direct drive motor and compressor which use DC current. It seems to have a computer fan at the bottom so that means the electronics inside it get hot enough to need a fan to push air actively. Which is not surprising as ac to dc conversion does generate heat. That fan seems to have no filter in front, therefore over time dust could build up inside of that control unit and cause failures. Would it be possible to teardown that control unit to know what's inside of it ?
Looks great but what if you live in area that has hard water? Would hard water cause mineral build up on the condensation coils or spray nozzles? Does the factory manual address this concern? So, best to have a water softener too?
You can use distilled water on the Condenser Care mode to remove the minerals. I've seen videos of people doing this, and the results are insanely good.
He stated in the video it used 1.5 kW less per load than a standard dryer would. It's also worth mentioning that if your heat source is electric too, this is ventless, so you won't be venting conditioned air, that you paid to heat, to the outside the whole time it's running. So it's probably considerably more than that.
@@jonathansage2147 Thank you. I heard him say 1.5KWH less but mine takes less than 1.5KWH to dry with my current dryer so that doesn't really help. I vent outside in the summer and inside in the winter. Just trying to find ways to make my battery bank last longer! Currently I just run the dryer when the sun is out and use just solar.
If you have any interest it buying the DLHC5502, you can buy it from LG Direct (and support our channel) using this link: howl.link/2n3azlfk6hwfu
I bought it and love the dryer.... But WHY OH WHY can you not reverse the dryer door?
@@joshuakim5905 I think it has to do with wiring harness length. Many newer units are like this. I should probably see if I can hack the door and change it on this or another one that alleges non-adjustability.
It isn't work $1300. Wait for sales around Memorial Day, Labor Day or Black Friday
Hey Ben, I just purchased the DLHC5502 and one of the things I noticed is that when the unit has been ran for some time the door wont stay shut. But when the unit hasn't been ran for some time and is cold, then the door stays closed like it should be. Have you seen any fixes for this, LG just wants to throw a tech at it since its under warranty, but I was hoping you would have a better fix.
@dragonspy91 i haven't heard of that issue at all. I wonder what part makes it not latch, if it could be leveled or something in regards to the latch
THIS is how you review an appliance! Thanks for showing us "the goods" and your opinion. Excellent work.
Thanks for watching!
My old dryer died and I wanted to replace with a heat pump dryer so I purchased this unit a week ago. I knew it was new to the market and there were no reviews out yet, but being a week in so far, I have been pretty happy with it. as you stated, I've noticed the time estimate displayed on the screen tends to be slightly exaggerated and the clothes are dry generally before the time runs out. It has powered through loads of clothes, towels, sheets, blankets, and everything I've thrown at it so far with no issues. Clothes always come out super dry and warm and do not feel the slightest bit of "damp" or moist. The dryer is super quiet and the app connectivity is also nice. If you can stomach the price for the unit, and don't really want to go the two-in-one route, I would highly recommend this unit.
I really want to go the two-in-one route.
@@DietBajaBlastCool
I just want to applaud you for all the effort required and the amount of detail you went to on not just this, but all of your videos. This is excellent work!
Happy to see more heat pump dryers coming to market. Thanks for the amazing videos and tear downs.
It’s so good to hear positive things about an LG dryer. We still have our very first dryer that we bought way back in 2005! It an LG Tromm with the auto sense feature. It’s still works very well, and we have twice had technician out to work on a washer and they were amazed. It is a gas unit, we are a family of 7, and I have only had to replace the igniter, the metal sensor piece, and a drum wheel. The drum does have a small indent from running too long with the bad wheel, and the belt definitely looks worn, but we have been beyond impressed with its longevity. My wife says that it’s not allowed to ever die. 😂
Winning Lottery percentage odds. Buy a replacement control board and its probably doable, only so long on those relays. Auto sense tells me its not a mechanical timer, thats what makes washers and dryers unkillable.
10 year warranty on the motor and the complete sealed system, LG openly stating 12-year expected average lifespan, some incredibly smart self-maintenance technology, and some very well thought out and serviceable design choices? This is awesome! I may wait to see if they put this design into an all-in-one, but if my dryer kicks the bucket before then, this just got bumped to the top of my list!
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this review, test and teardown!
I have had the same type of unit by Electrolux; stackable washer and ventless dryer. I am not an Electrolux fan. Have had many of their appliances and always disappointed. Well.....they have surprised me. 4 years and not one issue. I wash 4 loads per day, 7 days a week. All my bedding goes in my top load washer and dryer. I ❤ my Electrolux units!! And I have determined that they honestly are easier on our clothing.
@Packhorse-bh8qn The fridge uses a liner compressor which is trash, the heat pump systems use a rotary compressor. Not the same compressors.
LG had easily the best refrigerators before the Linear design. Their washers & dryers are the #1 choice of technicians outside of Speed Queens. Its very possible that LG is a great company marred by one absolutely horrific choice. And even then, I've been told it wasn't their choice to make - the politicians wanted them to make a more environmentally-friendly compressor, so they tried the LC which was great for 5 years before all the problems popped up.
5 years? I have been replacing linear compressors since the year they came out. The new 600a linear compressors are even worse. The 600a compressors are all failing with open winding. The 134a compressors just ran but didnt pump. s@@bensappliancesandjunk
LG only lies. Check their fridges. You won't get anything fixed.
Still running our LG units bought over 10 years ago. Have been really impressed with their quality. If/when our current units fail this will be on my short list.
You've done an amazing job explaining the dryer thank you. I also watched your maintenance video and I'm thankful for you making the videos. I have a 31ft exhaust vent with two 90 degree bends and this dryer was my last hope.
I found an older GE heat pump dryer for $50. The couple said it was taking longer to dry and the clothes were still damp. They were going back to conventional dryer. I found a sock below the filter housing and I cleaned the dust and dirt off of the coils. I can dry a medium load in about an hour and fifteen minutes. When running it consumes about 760 watts.
The old boomers just couldn't be bothered to.... *do* anything to maintain their appliances, huh? Rather just burn through their retirement savings by blowing 6,000 watts of heat out of a 4 inch hole in the wall. lmao. 😂
@@dregeniusProbably had terrible directions about cleaning the coil.
@@dregenius Bitter much?
We need some consumer information about cleaning of condenser coils.. people will say old fridges have worse efficiency and plug up their new small high surface area condenser in a year when the old large low density one would hardly ever clog up and stop rejecting heat.
I just bought this and a matching washing machine based in no small part on your review. Thank you. So far I am impressed. If it proves to be reliable, I'm going to love it.
Did u like it ? Please let us know!
Found my way here researching various heat pump dryer options and this has to be the most thoughtful, insightful commentary I've seen. Excellent work, very much appreciated.
Glad it was helpful!
I have been waiting weeks for this video, how exciting...and I am just a random person that enjoys your videos. Thanks for making appliances interesting.
You are so welcome! I was so excited to do this because of the number of people asking!
Really appreciate your reviews and your candid kindness.
We just got this dryer delivered today (in no small part thanks to this video!) and it has done a great job drying 2 loads so far. Just as good as our old clunky vented dryer - and at about 1 hour per load on the normal / more dry setting. So far so good!
Man, thanks for digging into this. I love your content.
Technology Connections would approve
that is some VERY high praise!
Crossover episode when :D
@@bensappliancesandjunkand well deserved! 🍻
He's quite the little commie
You have no idea what communism even means. @@matt697845
Here in the Netherlands we have ventless heat pump dryers for over 15 yeas. My Zanussi model is now almost 10 years old and still working great.
I've been waiting so long!! I could not wait and already have mine and LOVE it!!
Hope you enjoy it!
Dang! Mine is scheduled to be delivered in a few weeks. Enjoy
Mine comes in on the 6th and honestly I’m a little nervous…..lol how has yours been working out
@Texas_G_Longhorns works great. I've probably run about 8 loads through it. I have zero complaints. The app tells you that when it's done, I put it on my and the wife's phones, so we remember to unload it too.
Man, you invested a lot of time and money in that review. Nice job. Well done.
Thanks!
I've had my Samsung heat pump dryer coming up on 4 years. No problems yet. After every cycle, I make sure to vacuum the filter. Every month (or earlier if the unit asks), I clean the coils and the duct. As one of the commenters stated, you absolutely need to make sure the system hasn't ingested any debris or small items. Air flow is super critical to removing the moisture.
This full sized unit is just the beginning to reducing energy usage. A heat pump usually uses less than 1000 watts. A conventional dryer usually uses 2,000 watts or more if a high heat setting is used.
The coils and lint filter look just like the LG Compact units coming from Europe.
This was a great overview, and i look forward to hearing more about this when it has more cycles on it! This thing looks really compelling, im no expert, but fully disassembled it really didn't look like a crazy complicated mess! It appears well designed and legitimately serviceable, and that's the best we can ask for.
Hopefully we see more and more designs like this, and better reliability too.
Thank you for the great video! I think I am sold on this one for the "clothes come out dry" alone!
Wanted this dryer, but there's so little info out about it that I was on the fence. Thanks to this in-depth review, I'm all in!! Thanks for sharing!
So glad it helped you!
You are the Albert Einstein of appliances.
Awww, thanks!
Hahaha such a true comment!
Einstein was a crooked patent clerk who liked to keep it in the family... basically a fraud. Ben is definitely a legend and not a fraud.
I'd say he's more like the Julius Sumner Miller of appliances
He is so very attentive to details and as a appliance tech I look forward to Bens extensive uploads of totalitarian awesomeness.
Thanks!
Welcome!
I would be sooooo happy if you chapterized your videos! Thank you so much for doing these. I think you have the only reviews of value for ventless/heat pump dryers!
Great video! This dryer just made it to the top of my list for when my electric tumble dryer finally gives in. It's had a hell of a run, 30+ years and still chugging. But eventually that'll end, and I'm expecting it. This comment will probably seal the deal, lol.
Watching this and the new heat pump water heaters that can use a 120 Volt wall socket. I use a Speed Queen washer with great water extraction so the LG is looking good and have the hookup already.
Speed queen aren't exactly known for their water extraction, the top loader only spins at 710 rpm and the front loader at 1200 rpm, the Korean brand machines tend to go up to 1400 rpm on their highest settings.
This is perhaps the only dryer where I'd be interested in some cycle videos where we can see and hear the dryer run. Id be interested to see how much it reverses during cycles, and the overall noise profile of the unit given its drastically different design.
This is an extremely interesting unit to me and I plan to own one in the future thanks to this overall good review!
This video and your work is incredible the detail and the guidance is amazing. Thank you for doing these. 🙏
Thank you for making this video. LG appears to have made a very good unit. I would buy it at about 1000 even. 😊
Give it time, I think it'll drop to $1,000. I've seen comments from some that its $1,100 in their area already as a promo prise.
Fantastic teardown video!
Looks like a good design. Also looks well-made… Can the new king beat the queen?
Wow thanks for making this video!
Please follow up on LG's response to cleaning cycle additives and how hard water deposits may build up on the coil.
Additionally, I would like to see how well ductless dryers handle pet hair.
Great review! Would you say it’s more reliable than a traditional LG front load?
Its hard to say since its a sealed system. I would assume with proper care its about the same, maybe a little better but the issue is that typically what goes out on these are rollers and control boards - rollers are identical on this, and the control board will be hard to guess since its using a board for a heat pump at a lower amperage than a higher-amp switch for resistive heat.
@ thanks for your reply. I have a 3900B drier that just had a failed Thermal Fuse (I think) after just 4.5 years. Disappointing! Do you think the new 6500B is improved in any way? Disappointed with LG quality. They really only last until just after the warranty ends.
@Fluterra failed thermal fuse is usually due to maintenance or vent clog issues... rarely the dryer.
@ not here. Vent is cleared annually, last time a few months ago, and I never got error codes D80, etc indicating a restriction
This review was beyond helpful! Thank you for your efforts and thoroughness
Thank you for bringing up the ambient temperature and requiemente for a heat pump to work.
Thank you so much for posting this!!! Based on this teardown, we will absolutely be picking this unit up. I'm building a house that approaches passive house standards, so it's air-tight. I wasn't looking forward to having a makeup air system for the laundry room and wasting conditioned air. Most other heatpump dryers are super low capacity and my wife hated them. She probably still won't love the 2 hour dry time... maybe I'll plan for two lol. Thank you!
2hrs on a big, big load. It was about 1.5 once the AI presets got the average load down. I imagine a sealed house will have great ambient temps making it even faster.
Heat pump dryers and water heaters are the go to solution for passive houses. We build high performance rental homes and put heat pumps everywhere. Surprisingly, they work great even though we are in cold Montana!
@@RustyNail600 Rent is theft. One person = one house. Imprison all landleeches in a prison colony and let them rent from each other, see how long all their contributions to society allow their economy to last!
@@dregenius pound sand man. Our tenants love renting our places. They are high performance, low energy costs, comfortable, clean and affordable. You won't find a better place to live in your life, even if you buy your own home.
Ok KAREN
As a Belgian, it amazes me that Americans are still discovering heat pump dryers these days.
'Look, that one has a drain hose like a washing machine'
My Miele Softtronic T 8969 heat pump dryer from 2011 has that option, even the internal filters are almost the same.
For some reason, you are the 'Bruce Wilson' of home appliances.
Discovering home appliances that the world has been using for decades.
This happened to be well timed for me and I just installed this and the washer unit in my home. First couple loads went perfectly. We’ll see with prolonged use :)
Dang just missed it; I witnessed the outro though. Definitely excited to watch the whole video; but couldn't agree more with the "needed" coil cleaner!! My only worry is if it uses tap water 🤔 won't those with hard water suffer.?!
Oh & bumping the algorithm 🎉
I looked at the manual a dozen times about distilled water. I agree that I'd much rather use distilled, but the manual never stipulates a requirement for it, either.
@@bensappliancesandjunkHi.., I haven't finished watching the whole video yet as it's about half an hour but I wanted to catch you soon hopefully you can answer this question since this last reply you made was only 2 hours ago 🙏🤞 I just wanted to ask if that hose for the drainage of water / humidity can simply be put into a bucket?
EDIT : Nevermind I guess the answer was just a few minutes into the video 😅
I went back and re-filmed this scene JUST before I uploaded is so you could have that exact situation answered!
@@bensappliancesandjunk Thank you Ben 🙏 You are Awesome 😎💯 if you happen to be able to answer this last question.... What is the highest wattage that this uses ?
I live in a bit of older building and the connections are simple and I just kind of wanted to know if it can be used anywhere in the house?
@wiseforce7045 it runs on 220V, that's going to be a huge factor in where you can put it unless you plan on running new electrical lines.
I wonder how this will do with dog hair...looks great and I'm seriously interested. Really appreciate the video!
did i see a curled/twisted extraction hose there ? one of the 3 🤔, will that be an issue down the line?
The detailed review and tear-down is much appreciated!
What an amazing video and experiment/test. I subscribed instantly to get advice on what to buy. Thank you
Best appliance reviews on the internet!
Question: I have read a LOT of NEGATIVE reviews about this dryer (leaks and door latch failures) and terible LG Customer Service.
Since this video is now 9 months old: What has your experience been with both to date?
Leaks are 100% install related. I haven't had any door issues but it's hard to guess why those are an issue
I have this dryer in korea. Works great. Korean drains are in the floor though. I wonder if there is impact to the dryers drain being high in the wall.
Excellent video and excellent review. I use an older, smaller heat pump dryer myself and the lint management is my biggest struggle - not enough to be annoying, but a prominent issue. Coil cleaning is something I wish it could do, and I know I'll need to address it eventually. My only gripe with the video is when you mix up and jumble the units "kW" and "kWh". A thing does not consume "kilowatts" over a period of time - it consumes an average or instantaneous number of of "kilowatts" and a cumulative number of "kilowatt hours" :) And there's no such unit as "kW*h" (or its dirty sibling in media horrors, "kW/h"). It's just kWh, kilowatt-hours. Using fewer kWh per load is a big advantage, and it's a reason I love mine! And, given the small amount of kW it uses while running, I'm also surprised they gave it a 240v supply requirement (as does mine, which uses around 600 watts). It could easily run on a 120v outlet :)
They probably made it 240v because most people changing from a “standard” dryer already have the 240v in place.
If they changed to 120v it would more than likely require a dedicated circuit which for most people would mean they would need to hire an electrician to run that new circuit. That could be $800- $1,200.00 extra expense. I see this quite a bit when people change from an all electric stove (240v)to a gas stove (120v). Exception to the rule is a dual fuel or hybrid gas/electric stove.
You had me at "no lint on the coils". Time to go shopping!
I bought the LG heat pump dryer as part of their washtower. Eliminated the issue with vents, uses a fraction of the electricity since the heat is recycled (exhaust heat to my laundry room is pulled in again), no humidity and awesome drying. One issue is that they drying takes a bit longer - but I do find that it is easier on the clothes. Cost was similar to a high quality, full functioning dryer. Highly recommend.
Does it increase moisture level of laundry room or entire house?
@@NiranjanNanda it actually decreases moisture. The dryer pulls a bit air from the house uses heat pump to pull heat from the house to heat up. Condenses the water vapor and drains it down the plumbing via a drainage tube and releases some of the dry air back to the laundry room. So it is like a dehumidifier! And since there is no outside exhaust vent, no leakage of heat and air outside. It uses less than 1KWH for most loads with is about 10 to 20 cents of electricity depending upon your time of use rates.
Darn. When did they come out with that version? I bought the wash tower about 6 months before the GE heat pump washer/dryer came out, and now there are so many options! 😩
@@Spp235. Thank you very much for the response. :)
Can I ask where did you buy it from? Costco is yet to carry this item. Is it okay to buy from LG directly?
Using acidic liquids is a bad idea on condenser coils and will cause galvanic corrosion with dissimilar metals (copper/aluminum coils) in this case. This is a known issue in the HVAC industry in corrosive environments. Looks like LG used a coating on the front condenser coil to mitigate this but it will not protect the coil from acids 100%.
Correct. Those coatings are usually for ambient air protection. They're common in areas near beaches where the saltier air destroys coils in a matter of a couple years.
The coating is definitely not designed to withstand harsh chemicals used for cleaning
I'd never trust LG. They really suck.
Does this mean it would be a bad idea to purchase?
@@Moose1207so not worth purchasing then?
@@johnulcer Incorrect, this dryer has been by far the most impressive dryer I've sold in recent memory. About 40 units in and not a single problem or issue. The self-cleaning condenser has been working amazingly well for every single customer I've been able to follow up with, and now finally America can act like a grown-up country and stop blowing 6,000 watts of heat out of a 4" hole in the wall to dry clothes. Vented dryers are ancient boomer tech that lulls people into continuing to run them because they "seem reliable", when in reality they're costing several multiples of the *entire cost to buy* of this unit just in their excessive, gluttonous electricity guzzling.
Thanks for a very informative video. You did a great job and it is appreciated. I will be sharing the link. Prior to viewing this, I had only considered heat pump technology in the course of future home furnace replacement. One feature that makes me even more interested is the ductless tech - this home has a long exhaust duct that runs for about 10 feet under the house in the crawl space (nearly impossible to clean out if needed). Current drying is done with a nat gas LG dryer that I have self repaired - replaced the rollers and is nearly 20 years old. the matching LG washer had a door latch replaced (again self repaired). however, now that the front loading washer has what sounds like failing drum bearings - that are not easily replaced, DIY - the plan may be to replace the matched pair with the heat pump tech and close off the dryer vent. A tribute to LG quality in these appliance in our usage. room temp is usually around 70 F except in summer 74-78 and dry California weather making this a reasonable alternative. The appliances are inside the home near the bedroom area - not in the typical locations like a garage or a basement. the home has Tesla solar panels and a power wall that do not power the home entirely but do provide outage protection and reduced expensive electricity cost. this dryer would replace the nat gas current dryer. water heating is via a continuous gas unit as are the two furnaces and cooking appliances. Using 220 V drying is a concern when the weather is bad and solar is not producing very much. your work has refined what questions i need to answer - One question is the availability of a nat gas version. PS the cost difference of 300-400 dollars initially will be recouped over the expected life of the appliance. Excellent thought provoking video!
Thanks for the comment! I agree the ventless option is hugely beneficial because of long duct runs. Those can be a major point of failure for dryers and getting rid of that has some advantages. I don't think they will ever make a nat gas version of this.. although I wonder if they could do a 120v version.
Amazing teardown and video! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Looks great. I’m still using our Maytag tumble dryer that was new in 1985. Still works fine. First service was this year to replace the belt. After 39 years! This idea that you’re damn lucky to get 12 years out of a major appliance is appalling.
Also have a 35 year old GE fridge that’s never needed service and a 23 year old SubZero that I expect to outlive me.
The sad thing is.... 12-15 years out of this machine would put it up against basically any other dryer on the market in terms of reliability. I see a ton of dryers that are done for before the 5yr mark. Its sad.
Again, another great video from you, and thank you. When you state that this unit doesn’t have a vent, which enables it to be placed many different places, there’s one big drawback: 220 V. Good luck finding a 220 V outlet wherever you might want to put this unit.
The problem is that this is a larger unit for Heat Pump dryers (7.8 Cu Ft).
Smaller ones in the 4-5 Cu Ft range can run on 110v.
You would put this unit in the same place the “old” dryer was, which is already 240v.
Yeah, the original comment above doesn’t make any sense. Why would you need a dryer that you can locate “wherever you might want to put this unit”? Of course you’re going to put in your laundry room or laundry closet. Maybe even next to the washer!!
Please do a long term update video on how it performs compared to the timings reported in this initial analysis. Our experience with an lg heat pump dryer was after 2 years the drying took longer.
Thanks for sharing this Ben🥰
Great review and tear down; gives me a bit more confidence in these systems. I'm currently in the middle of replacing the rollers on my 13yo LG tumbler, so I've hopefully got a few years left.
will you do a review for Samsung Bespoke AI Laundry Combo All-in-One? good price right now at Costco with their additional $300 discount
In one of the posts he said he would do a review in a month or so. So subscribe to his channel and hang tight. I have that combo and made a few videos about it if you are interested in checking it out.
My unit was delivered today. I haven't installed or powered it up yet, but the door doesn't latch. Is there a trick to it?
FYI, my unit is defective. The front facia is warped but no parts are available for repair. I’m interested to know if anyone else has the same problem. It was like this out of the box, so I assume it’s a manufacturing issue. There was no damage to the box or unit I can see.
@@boomerscs9193 Just got one of these yesterday. Door was fine until midway through first load, then popped itself open and wouldn't stay shut. I've already scheduled an exchange but I also noticed a (not specific to this model) page on LG's website that talks about the door gasket needing to 'settle' (or something like that) for 3 to 5 loads (but with no advice on how the hell you are supposed to run it if the door won't shut...) So as an experiment I used a strip of painters tape to hold the door shut to finish that first load and then another. (Trying to make a dent in the mountain of laundry that piled up since previous dryer died.) 3rd load I tried leaving the door untaped and it made it almost the whole cycle before popping itself open, so seems to be improving.
How could you tell the fascia was warped? And what was your ultimate resolution?
@@SolonSutton An LG technician determined the warping. His plan was to replace the entire front structure of the unit. However, there were no parts available. I found that removing the bottom 2 screws surrounding the door opening that hold the front metal fascia to the frame the door would stay shut. It's been working and I haven't had another issue.
@@boomerscs9193 Well the 2nd unit showed up with the same issue. Even more so as the door wouldn't shut right out of the box. It was literally taped in the box with the door not closed all the way, so obviously LG packed it up like that at the factory. Unbelievable. Refused delivery. So back to the drawing board, sigh. Bummed as this model really would have been perfect for us, but not wanting to have to play the 'will the next one be ok' lottery. LG needs to get their crap together, apparently.
@@SolonSutton Samsung just came out with a similar unit, but it's more expensive last I checked and I haven't seen any reviews of it.
would u get a heat pump dyer over a natural gas dryer?
I bought one at Lowes today even before I saw your video. After watching your video I was glad I bought it. Expecting it May 9th 24. I am extremely excited. My old dryer was pulling 6K watts and was maxing out my Solar system every time. Can't wait to kick that power hungry machine to the curve. Great video and thank you!
Vented 6,000 watt electro-hogs are such boomer designs... "Burn as much electricity as you can to boil water out of clothes, then dump 100% of that energy out of a 4" hole in the wall, creating negative pressure... no matter though, out huge 5-ton air conditioner will kick in to cool the new air leaking in. Why run the dryer when it's 95 degrees outside? Why not? It's our energy to burn! Those millennials will have to pull themselves up by their bootstraps like we did!"
Kick to CURB
Awesome review. In a couple years I think I'll def get this or maybe LG's new version if they replace it.
I currently have an old Bosch ventless dryer (bought from Habit Restore here in Wi) and really do like it. My only two issues is the reg monthly cleaning I need to do, to prevent lint buildup in the pump and the baby drainpipe that it uses and the fact the clothes are not "to touch dry" like a tumble dryer. (which LG has seemed to solve). Plus the fact it can do a comforter is awesome!
I've been slowly updating old appliances in the house and when we re-do our main floor washer/dryer closet I'll def be getting this or a Queen (pending your battle review of course) matching setup. (I just upgraded our top loader Amana washer to a Samsung front loader (used again, but much more recent then the Bosch lol) and was considering getting a Samsung dryer but now I'll be happy to wait :)
In the UK and have a LG heat pump dryer but the model i have is self cleaning. During the drying process the dryer will divert water to a cleaning system for the condenser after cleaning it will pump the water and any other waste is pumped down the drain.
Something you forgot to bring up about energy savings and vent-less dryers---you're not pushing conditioned inside air (heated or cooled) outside, and pulling unconditioned outside air (too cold or too hot) in through gaps and cracks and by back-drafting the fireplace.
throwing away conditioned air could double the cost of running a typical vented heating-element dryer. Meaning a heat pump vent-less isn't half the energy cost of the older design, it's one-quarter the energy cost.
I see your point, but also consider that heat pump systems release more heat into the house than conventional vented dryers do. That's great in the winter time, and not so great in the summer time.
@@WesDuncan It's not adding or taking away heat from the room/house on a HP dryer.
@@BuilderJay heat pumps use a compressor. Compressors get hot. My all in one washer/dryer combo with a heat pump gets hot to the touch and makes my laundry room warm.
It should introduce additional heat into the room, but that of the tumble and compressor motors. We're probably talking about something like 600 watts of heat energy. Take that versus using up to 5,500 watts on heating elements and blowing 150 cfm of conditioned air out of the house, the total energy usage should be considerably lower. It would be worth noting that this should be used in a room with enough ventilation to keep temperatures from getting too high.
@@WesDuncan
True, but the overall wattage converted to heat is minimal. Any vent dryer would remove conditioned air from the living space to be replaced with warm, and possibly humid, outside air anyway. Guess it depends on the climate.
I see even compressor coils crave Brawndo! The wonder drink!
What are those gadgets you have at the water line connection?
I do not know whether it is interesting to a lot of people, but Iwould suggest getting a euro-style 24" ventless dryer (Bosch 5 Series or Miele). In Europe (where I lived for 5 years) they are standard for those who can afford them. For example, in UK peak electricity rate can be as high as $1 per kW/h so efficiency takes top priority. The technology is very well developed; they have been available for a very long time. Then you'll be able to make a comparison with this unit and other full size ventless dryers. I understand if the money is tight and if it is unaffordable to get a relatively less common unit for you but they are popular in apartments (Boston, NYC, etc.).
But those are compact! People looking at this LG have families of 5+ people, so it's advantageous to do multiple loads at a time.
@@MadLadsAnonymousexactly correct
I've had a few requests for 24's. I will get one eventually.
Ben I'm about to purchase this dryer because of you..but is this a 15amp or 30amp dryer? Electrician is going to install a new line for this and the manual is confusing
UPDATE and Recommendations.
Finally got my replacement dryer. Yay me. Its great, works perfect now that the door stays closed. So because i was irritated at my whole process with Home Depot and LG, I decided to lighten the load for the installers when they removed the broken machine. I took out the two lint traps when you open the door to have as a back up. GREAT IDEA lol.
So that leads me to my recommendations.
1) Do as suggested and get the flexible lint trap hose attachment for cleaning purposes. Works great.
2) Get a second set of lint traps. After using them for like a month and while cleaning every few loads, just remove the old ones and pop the clean ones in. Then do a nice clean job on the used ones. If you use dryer sheets the trap screens will get a bit gummy, rinse with warm water. Let dry until you swap them out again in like a month or so.
3) For cleaning, 100% get yourself a really nice soft bristle brush so you can scrub the screen down dry and while rinsing off under the faucet. This worked fantastic for me. Just dry brush it first then use under the water, I got everything off easy using that.
4) While this machine does work great, it is not for a person who doesn't like to maintain their machines. It really is a high maintenance unit. i don't mind it but i have to stay on top of it casue nobody else will do it.
I'm looking for an apartment washer with an agitator but can't find any. Any suggestions 🤔 please 🙏
My Kenmore 80 series stopped producing heat. Looking forward to this review !
Make sure to fix it, because 80 series are AMAZING!
@@bensappliancesandjunk yeah
I was a appliances service technician for 20 years and dryers gas or electric has been my favorite appliances to repair relatively easy to troubleshoot and fix until now even to disassemble this units you have to be very careful to don't damage any of the sealed system parts specially in the washer and dryer combo with basically not much space to work.
I'm tempted to grab this LG and pair it with an Electrolux washer.
I wish that new Electrolux Laundry Tower had a HP dryer!
Thank you for the thorough review. I just realized that the diameter of the drain pipe (where my washer drains into) is only 1.5 inches (inside diameter), for some reason I thought mine was 2 inches. My washer drain hose takes up most of the space when inserted. Left over space is only about the size of a pinky finger (maybe 1/4 inch). I would much prefer to use the existing drain to hook up both the washer and dryer drain hoses (instead of using a bucket for the dryer hose OR just using one appliance at a time and switching the hoses etc.) and hoping there is a simple work around (can the dryer 5/8 inch hose be reduced to 1/4 inch?) or am I out of luck and would need to get a plumber and expect a huge bill for modifications? Is the water that is discharged from the dryer come out as a trickle throughout the drying cycle or is it somehow saved and then pushed out all at once?
Do you have a direct compare of the WKHC252HBA?
Finally someone engineered a proper dehumidifier/dryer instead of just a heat pump dryer:) This unit is not strictly drying with heat, but it is:))
Did LG tell you if you can or should use a cleaner in the flush cycle? Thanks for what you do!
The manual just says distilled water
What info are they scraping by making this unit app compatible?
Would an excessive amount of pet hair be an issue for the dryer condenser?
Does the combo washer/dryer need the back facing 5 inch clearance same as the dryer only?
Pedantic correction: the dryer used 950 watt hours of energy, not just “950 watts.” Watts are a rate of power usage, not an amount of energy.
If you measured correctly, this dryer used 0.95 kWh for a load. At the national average cost of power that’s less than 15 cents worth of energy.
We purchased an Electrolux washer/dryer pair about 6 months ago, when only the GE Combo Heat Pump Washer/Dryer was on the market, I wasn't interested in the GE system at the time due to the cost, longer cycle times and the clothes still coming out damp. However, if we were in the market for a new washer/dryer pair today, I think I'd purchase the LG pair, cost is only a few hundred dollars more than we spent, but the quality looks way better with the direct drive system, than what Electrolux has, and not having a vent, that's a big maintenance item that it would be nice not having to worry about. Previously we had an LG washer/dryer pair that was still working after 14 years when we sold them, I considered LG again at the time we purchased the Electrolux, but thought the Electrolux boot gasket on the washer was better and easy to replace when it came time.
I’m a one person household and only do 1/2 loads but I have dogs… is the heat pump a good recommendation or should I stick with the traditional? As it is, I don’t trust the current lint traps, and I take apart the entire machine once a month to deep clean.
Fabric care would be interesting comparison. A longer but cooler LG cycle or a shorter but (allegedly blisteringly) hot Speed Queen cycle?
I’ve had a Siemens (Bosch) heat pump dryer since 2013, and my verdict is that it’s way gentler on clothes, due to the significantly lower temperatures. On regular, it’s barely as hot as a typical vented dryer on delicate. On delicate, it usually finishes drying with the clothes being just warm.
does speed queen make heat pump dryers?
No. They have zero work with compressors.
There is a compact heat pump dryer by them in Europe. However, it looks 100% identical to the one by Asko.
@@Loreality European energy efficiency regulations de-facto ban vented and conventional ventless dryers. (They’re not explicitly banned, but they cannot come close to meeting the efficiency of heat pump.) So it wouldn’t be surprising if they rebadged some other company’s product in order to offer something.
I really love Ben's channel, we have used it to purchase appliances in the past.
The one thing I would ask is to keep your politics to yourself.
I come here for your down to earth and insightful breakdown on appliances and how they work, however I do not need the little quips about Biden, Trump or any other politician.
I do not listen to politicians when it comes to buying my appliances, I listen to you so please dump the politics.
Keep up the great work and channel Ben!
The DoE just banned mechanically driven dryers. Regardless of anyone's views, politics tends to get involved when choice is taken away from consumers.
The EU just banned all resistive heat and gas dryers as of the 2025 phasehout as well. I do not intend to favor any party but do understand that the government does mandate these things so I may comment or joke about them from time to time.
I cant really keep politics entirely out of the channel when the government chooses to alter my job from time to time through mandates and removal of products to choose from. I will try to do it in a respectful manner but people do need informed when these things happen and I am certain the US will do exactly what the EU did in the near future with HE dryer mandates.
@@bensappliancesandjunk I understand and agree about government overreach and rules and regulations.
I guess my only point would be as divisive as politics is in the United States currently, that to specifically name a person such as Biden just promotes even more divisiveness.
But your point is taken and I agree with it.
Thanks Ben
@@killer5846 Have to disagree with you on this one even as I agree with your main point 100%. Ben’s comment was a clever and humorous way to make reference to changing government policies and regulations in general (in my opinion), not a criticism of said policies and regulations even though the current president’s name (at time of posting) was mentioned. Oversensitivity also perpetuates divisiveness, so take it as the joke it was intended to be.
Signed, a liberal democrat 😊.
Looks neat. With the recent LG scandals I'd be nervous to buy one.
All of LGs issues are related to their fridges. Not their laundry units or any other of their products
@@Ikey04-ge9gy I mean if they can screw up one compressor what's to say they won't screw up another. Plus they did a terrible job handling their problems.
Apples to oranges …
Excellent quantified review and teardown! I'd love to see a similar one on the competing Samsung units (dryer only; not the combo). I'm sold on the LG other than not knowing if the Samsung might be even better. I noticed Samsung has an actual heating element (1400W) in addition to the heat pump yet the efficiency is similar on paper. Either the DV53BB89**H* or DV45DG60**H*. Thanks!
I hope you are able to read this comment.
Great review and teardown ! The unit is not terribly complex to open up. The condenser and evaporation coils seem well isolated as well.
My only concern is the longevity of the silver control box unit, which is on the left side of the unit.
I am assuming this is the unit that converts ac to dc for the direct drive motor and compressor which use DC current.
It seems to have a computer fan at the bottom so that means the electronics inside it get hot enough to need a fan to push air actively. Which is not surprising as ac to dc conversion does generate heat.
That fan seems to have no filter in front, therefore over time dust could build up inside of that control unit and cause failures.
Would it be possible to teardown that control unit to know what's inside of it ?
Would really like to see a review of the heatpump washtower WKHC252HBA
if u hv a mini split in basement and hv heat mode on will it help the heat pump drier
Looks great but what if you live in area that has hard water? Would hard water cause mineral build up on the condensation coils or spray nozzles? Does the factory manual address this concern? So, best to have a water softener too?
You can use distilled water on the Condenser Care mode to remove the minerals. I've seen videos of people doing this, and the results are insanely good.
Are you supposed to remove the rubber cap on the rear lower right when you install this dryer? Thank you!
Not that I know of. I think that may be for steam
Thank you! 👍
What exactly does ventless mean?
Is there a dryer you can use in a closed room with no windows, that wouldn't affect humidity "much"?
Ben, do you have any recommendations on safe coil attachments for a vacuum?
Vs the 2 in one?
Did you pour Monster energy drink into the condenser cleaning cycle at 19m30s??? Is that a technician's trick or from directions in the manual?!?!
Its a joke. - it had water in it
How much energy did it save compared to a standard dryer? That is what I'm interested in being off-grid.
He stated in the video it used 1.5 kW less per load than a standard dryer would. It's also worth mentioning that if your heat source is electric too, this is ventless, so you won't be venting conditioned air, that you paid to heat, to the outside the whole time it's running. So it's probably considerably more than that.
@@jonathansage2147 Thank you. I heard him say 1.5KWH less but mine takes less than 1.5KWH to dry with my current dryer so that doesn't really help. I vent outside in the summer and inside in the winter. Just trying to find ways to make my battery bank last longer! Currently I just run the dryer when the sun is out and use just solar.
@@MyWasteOfTime are you already using a heatpump dryer? Most are not that efficient.