[Smart Electronics Story] From Dormitories, Laundromats, and Military to Homes... The Dryer Craze

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] ‘Agile Electronics Stories’ is a column that keenly examines small details about electronic and mechanical products and devices. From hot new products frequently appearing in advertisements and news, to nostalgic items, and puzzling product and industry terms and news, we will kindly cover them with the heart of a beginner.

Do you remember carrying a basket of laundry along with several 500-won coins? Those who have used dormitory laundry rooms, laundromats, or military clothing dryers have likely experienced using clothes dryers in those facilities.

Due to changes in housing and fine dust pollution, it is not easy to dry laundry outside in the sunlight, and in busy daily life, hanging and taking in laundry is also difficult. Because of these lifestyle and environmental changes, dryers, once considered “nice to have but not essential,” have become essential home appliances.

In this edition of ‘Agile Electronics Stories,’ we will look into the types and functions of dryer technologies and the dryer craze sweeping South Korea.

Three ways to dry laundry... Air Vent, Condensing, Heat Pump

[Photo by Samsung Electronics Newsroom]

Dryers basically use heat to evaporate moisture. The energy source for generating heat is divided into electricity or city gas. Gas dryers have the advantage of being cheaper in price and drying laundry quickly. However, they require separate piping installation for the dryer, which means additional installation costs every time you move. Also, because they dry quickly using high temperatures from gas, fabric damage is a noted disadvantage.

There are three main drying methods: air vent (air vent, hot air exhaust drying), condensing (condensing, hot air dehumidification), and heat pump (heat pump, low-temperature dehumidification). The air vent method heats air to about 100 degrees Celsius with a heater to dry clothes and exhausts moisture and dust outside the product. Condensing heats air to dry clothes and handles moisture and dust inside the product. Because it uses high temperatures, it has low power efficiency and can damage fabrics, making it unsuitable for drying various types of laundry.

The heat pump method, which is installed in recently released dryers, was developed to improve these issues. Instead of a condenser-type heater, the heat pump method uses refrigerant as the heat source. Warm refrigerant heats the inside of the drum to turn moisture in clothes into steam, and the steam is condensed into water (condensate) on the low-temperature side and expelled outside. Therefore, compressors that circulate refrigerant and condensers that expel moisture and exchange heat are important components in dryers.

100 years of dryer history in the U.S.... 80% of households own one

The history of dryers is longer than we think. During the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century in Western countries like France and the UK, laundry was dried quickly by placing clothes in a drum with an exhaust vent and heating it from below while rotating. This method is considered the origin of the dryer. The electric dryer was developed in the early to mid-20th century by J. Ross Moore in the U.S. Initially, it was a building constructed for drying laundry with a stove inside. After decades of research, Ross Moore developed the drum-type dryer.

From the mid-20th century, major U.S. home appliance companies entered the dryer market. Since then, dryers have become essential household items in the U.S. and Canada. Especially after the 1990s, the perception that drying laundry outside spoils the appearance spread in the U.S., leading to disputes among neighbors and even proposals in some states to ban outdoor laundry drying. Environmental movements advocating the “right to dry laundry outdoors” also emerged. Currently, the dryer ownership rate in U.S. households is about 80%.

Domestic market growth since 2016... Samsung and LG competing for first place

Samsung Grande AI Dryer

In South Korea, Rinnai was the first to sell clothes dryers in the 1990s, and LG Electronics entered the dryer market in 2004. The household dryer market in South Korea has grown since 2016. According to industry sources, 600,000 dryers were sold in 2017, 1.5 million in 2018, and 2 million last year. This year, sales are expected to exceed 2 million units again.

The growth of the dryer market is mainly attributed to changes in family structures such as an increase in dual-income households and single-person households, changes in residential environments like the rise of sealed air-conditioned apartments, and environmental changes due to yellow dust and fine dust. In particular, the industry analyzes that the easing of the electricity rate progressive system in 2016 played a decisive role. The progressive rate system implemented since December 2005 had six tiers (with a rate difference of 11.7 times), but the system implemented since December 2016 has three tiers (3 times).

The domestic dryer market is currently dominated by Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics. LG Electronics held the top spot after launching heat pump dryers in 2016. However, in the second half of last year, some products faced controversies related to condensers and other functions, leading to voluntary recalls. As consumer attention shifted to Samsung Electronics, the competition between LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics in the domestic dryer market intensified.

LG Tromm Dryer Steam ThinQ

[Photo by LG Electronics]

The competition between the two companies in the domestic dryer market is heating up again this year. First, Samsung Electronics released the new dryer model ‘Grande AI’ equipped with AI functions in January. Grande AI automatically adjusts drying courses according to washing courses and learns consumer usage habits. The dryer and washing machine can be purchased separately, and if both are purchased and connected via Wi-Fi, the washing machine panel can control the dryer. It also features nine precision sensors, the largest capacity compressor and condenser in Korea for ultra-fast drying, and a micro safety filter to minimize dust going to the condenser. According to Samsung Electronics, it took four weeks to sell 10,000 units of Grande AI after its launch.

LG Electronics started selling the ‘Tromm Dryer Steam ThinQ’ on the 5th of this month. LG Electronics equipped the patented ‘TrueSteam’ technology with three specialized steam courses to clean clothes and bedding. Especially, to address hygiene issues, the new product features an automatic condenser cleaning system. Like Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics also incorporated AI functions into the dryer. Through the LG ThinQ app, it can be linked with the AI DD (DirectDrive) washing machine to be launched next month or any LG washing machine equipped with Wi-Fi via the ‘Smart Pairing’ function. Also, any LG washing machine with Wi-Fi can be linked with the dryer.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.