Call for expert advice: 0114 3540047 or 0203 3270448

Hand Dryer FAQs

Below we have provided answers to some commonly asked questions about commercial hand dryers, we hope you find them useful. 

Don't forget you can also call our friendly experts on 0114 3540047 or 0203 3270448 with any questions or use the live chat. 

You can also email us at support@ihdryers.co.uk

Hand Dryer FAQs

How much is a hand dryer? 

Hand dryer price can vary quite a bit, our prices start from £59 and go up to over £2000 inclusive of VAT. If you’re looking for a cheap hand dryer then we have units available for all budgets. A popular question is 'how much is a Dyson hand dryer?' As you will see from our selection they can range from approximately £550 ex VAT with just under £1000 ex VAT. But there are some great alternatives out there with just as good a performance for a fraction of the price. If you are looking for the best prices we guarantee to match any competing offer.

How do Electric Hand Dryers Work?

Traditionally, electric hand dryer machines worked by activating a motor, either by a push button or sensor, then blowing air across a heater element to evaporate water from the hands. Modern, commercial hand dryers are touch-free and generate high airspeeds that strip or blow water from the hands. These dryers are 3 x faster and more economical to run as much of the heat is generated as a by-product of the motor, allowing more efficient heaters or no heaters to be used.

Hand dryers vs paper towels, which is best?

There are a few things to take into consideration when asking which method is best. Running costs, environmental impact, efficacy style and hygiene. Which is why we wrote a full bog article about this subject which you can read here.

How should I use a hand dryer to get the best results?

Not many people know how to use a hand dryer correctly to get the best performance. To help you get out the bathroom quicker with fully dry hands use the following guide.


“Hands under” hand dryers
Keep your hands flat approximately 5mm from the blade / air aperture, drawing your hands through the airflow from your wrists to finger tips. Move your hands slowly through the airflow, keeping a consistent speed, alternating between front and back each time. Close the gaps between your fingers and keep your thumbs tucked in, so the whole of your hand is drawn through the airflow.


“Hands In” hand dryer
Mitsubishi recommend the Jidō Kansō movement. This consists of inserting the hands from the sides of the drying area with the hands drawn through the air so that water on the hands is stripped off away from the user in a controlled manner.


For more information read the article 4 ways to dry your hands – our guide to doing it properly.

Why are hand dryers so loud?

Modern hand dryers use faster rotating motors whip up rapid air speeds to drive water off the hands, reducing dry time, but the trade-off is a louder noise.

Old-fashioned hand dryers may have been quieter, but they used evaporation of the water from the heat to give dry hands, leading to long queues at the dryer. Not only did demands call for low energy, people also wanted faster dry times.

There are now some fantastic units like the Mitsubishi models that have managed high speed airflows at a fraction of the noise level. Dryflow have low noise hand dryers in their range with great dry times. At present, there is no silent hand dryer with exceptionally fast dry times and low energy consumption, but a lot are very close! Watch this space.

Is a HEPA filter necessary in a hand dryer?

The importance of a HEPA filter in an electric air hand dryer is still up for debate. The paper industry and Dyson want you to be scared that unless you have a HEPA filter, dirty air is drying your hands.

While this might be true, it is not of concern as aerosolised bacteria and viruses will not attach to the skin, they will pass over hands and remain in the air. Therefore, an electric hand dryer without a HEPA filter itself poses no further risk than entering the bathroom does.

What is really important is good ventilation, the addition of additional air sterilisation and most importantly good hand washing and thorough drying.

HEPA filters may be beneficial in reducing the overall viral and bacterial load as particularly the faster units may be pulling 3-5% of the washroom air through the filter every dry and returning cleaner air to the environment. The best way to view a HEPA filter in a hand dryer is probably largely irrelevant to hand hygiene but may improve overall air hygiene which can only be a good thing!

Why do hand dryers have blue lights?

The blue light does not serve the purpose that most people think it does, being more of a fashion feature than a practical one. It can be used as a guide to where the airflow is, so does have its advantages in speeding up dry times, giving focus to where to place the hands. It has been said that the blue light coming from a hand dryer is UV, there to kill germs on the hands. This is false. UV is in fact invisible and would be dangerous to have it exposed in this way. Learn more about UV in hand dryers.

Why do some commercial hand dryers have hot air and others cold?

In years gone by, all commercial hand dryers used hot air, then airflows became faster and more dynamic meaning the water was forced from the hands rather than evaporated. Both types still exist and it's very much down to preference. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both in this blog article.

Should I buy a hand dryer splashback?

These are a very shrewd purchase to protect your walls. Over time, if excess water isn't removed, walls can be subject to wear and tear. A hand dryer wall guard / splashback will prevent this. We recommend you check out the evapor8 splashback, which instantly absorbs and evaporates the water, and in turn keeps water from going on the floor.

What is a fused spur?

Fused spurs are commonly used as an alternative to a conventional socket, for the installation of powerful electrical appliances that can be installed without a plug, such as ovens, washing machines, electric heaters, dishwashers, fridges, and so on. For safety and maintenance purposes, these sorts of appliances may require installation on a separate cable from the ring main. All hand dryers in the UK have to be installed into a dedicated fused spur.

Will the heater element make a difference?

It only makes fractional differences in speed of dry. The modern high speed models don't need to rely on a heater element to evaporate the water, the speed of the air flow does the job a lot more efficiently. The heat is primarily a psychological / comfort feature. One of the main reasons hand dryers don't include a heater element or they have the ability to switch it off is without the heater on they are so much more energy efficient. This means better for the environment but also cheaper to run. The heat generated from the motor usually does enough to heat the airflow to a comfortable level anyway and as already said the pros of not having one certainly out way the cons of a seconds quicker dry time.

General maintenance advice

A well-maintained dryer will increase its lifespan! We’ve created a helpful maintenance guide to make sure you get the very best performance from your new dryer. See full guide here.

What does the IP Rating mean?

The IP rating (Ingress Protection) is separated into 2 – the first number and the second.  The higher the first number, the better the intrusion resistance from solids or protection from people being able to make contact with moving parts.  The higher the second number – the higher the moisture resistance. For more information about this please read this blog article What Does The IP Rating of a Hand Dryer Mean? here.

Compare Your Items(3 Items)

Compare Product image

+ Add Product

Performance

Welcome to Shopify Store

I act like: