METHOD FOR OPERATING A DRYER WITH A HEAT PUMP AND FLUSHING OF A HEAT EXCHANGER AND DRYER

The invention relates to a method and a corresponding drier with a heat pump (4, 5, 13, 14) and internal rinsing of at least one heat exchanger (4, 5), comprising a condensate tank (7), a condensate container (8), a condensate pump (9) for conveying an aqueous liquuid (12) from the condensate tank (7) to the condensate container (8), a rinsing device (15) connected to the condensate container (8), a control device (10), and a counting device (11) for a number of drying programs carried out, wherein the counting device (11) can record at least one counter reading ni where i ≥ 1, said method comprising the following steps: (a) starting a drying program; (b) increasing the counter reading ni by a value of 1 and checking whether the obtained counter reading is mi = (n i +1) = n set i, where n set i is a pre-defined number of drying programs carried out since a last rinsing of the heat exchanger; (c) in the event that m i = n set i: (c1) determination of the quantity M of aqueous liquid (12) conveyed during the drying program from the condensate tank (7) to the condensate container (8); (c2) comparison of the determined quantity M with a quantity M se t provided for rinsing the heat exchanger; (c3) rinsing the heat exchanger (4, 5) with the rinsing device (15) when M ≥ M set; (c4) restoring the counter reading n i to zero; and (d) in the event that m i < n set i, implementing and ending the drying program without rinsing the heat exchanger.