The initial outlay for a modern, energy efficient hand dryer may be higher than traditional models, but the lower energy use can add up to substantial savings over the lifetime of the appliance.  In a time when school budgets are tighter than ever, and energy costs are at record highs, it is important to consider the long-term running costs of a hand dryer in a school.

As noted above, the ultra-efficient Mitsubishi Electric Wave u02 is responsible for very little carbon dioxide compared to conventional models.  This lower energy use is reflected in the electricity consumption costs.  At around £48 per year to run, the Wave u02 is less than one third of the cost of a conventional hand dryer, and more than £1,400 lower than the equivalent amount of paper towels.

Minimising Disruption

Noise can travel quickly through a school building and cause disruption in classes.  The sound of a hand dryer being used could easily distract children from study, and as a result, many schools opt for different solutions and incur additional costs as a result.  This doesn’t need to be the case.  The jet hand dryer nozzle design and sound deadening used in the Mitsubishi Electric Wave range means that they emit much lower noise levels than conventional hand dryers.

A conventional hand dryer will normally run at between 85dB and 100dB.  This is equivalent to a truck or train passing close by and can be easily heard in nearby classrooms.  In normal use, the hands in Wave i01 model are one of the quietest hand dryers available, emitting just 56dB of sound – which is equivalent to a conversation between two people.  This much lower noise level will not transmit into other areas as easily, meaning that neighbouring classrooms will not be as easily distracted.

Time Saving

School students often have limited time to use bathrooms between lessons and during breaks, and as a result, may be tempted to forego hand drying because of the amount of time it takes to use a conventional dryer.

Older hand dryers tend to work using evaporation.  A combination of heat and slow-moving air coupled with the user rubbing their hands together dries the skin, but it can take up to a minute to fully dry the hands.  The jet towel technology used in the Mitsubishi Electric Wave range simply blows the water off the surface of the skin.  This means that hand drying is much faster – under 10 seconds in some cases – which means that less time is lost, and as a result encourages more students to wash and dry their hands properly when using the bathroom.

Better hygiene will contribute to improved health in the school and result in fewer days lost to transmissible illnesses.