Pupil concentration can be difficult to maintain, and unwanted noise can affect learning outcomes by disturbing teachers. While most schools try to avoid allowing pupils to use the toilets during lesson time to prevent distraction, sometimes it is necessary, and sudden noise from hand dryers nearby can spread into classrooms.
Choosing quieter, faster hand dryers helps to reduce unwanted noise and promote better classrooms.
The impact of loud dryers on classrooms and corridors
Older hand dryers create turbulent air that can be amplified by their placement n a bathroom and spread into nearby classrooms leading to unwanted disturbance during lessons.
Noise levels can be persistent for up to a minute as each pupil using the toilet during lesson time dries their hands. Classrooms that are adjacent to bathrooms may lose up to 10% of teaching time during a typical school day which is equivalent to twenty full days across a typical school year and is similar to the loss of education time at which the government deems a pupil to be persistently absent.
Considerations for SEN and neurodiverse pupils
The issue of unwanted noise is particularly important when considering the needs of SEN pupils and those who are neurodiverse. Extreme noise sensitivity is common among SEN pupils, and this can result in poor performance in the classroom and negatively affect mental health.
Mitsubishi Electric Wave Ultra-Quiet Performance
Jet hand dryers are quieter by design. Conventional hand dryers operate using a wide nozzle and slow-moving fan that blows warm air over the user’s hands for up to a minute to allow water to evaporate from the skin. By comparison, jet hand dryers use a narrow stream of very fast-moving air to blow the water off the surface of the skin quickly.
Decibel ratings and real-world comparisons
Slow moving air from a wide nozzle creates a substantial amount of turbulence, and when coupled with the noise of the fan inside the hand dryer leads to very loud noise across a large range of frequencies that can easily spread into other nearby rooms.
A typical warm air hand dryer emits around 83dB of noise when in use, which is the equivalent of the sound of heavy traffic nearby.
The smooth stream of air used in a jet hand dryer such as the Mitsubishi Electric Wave i01 allows for much less turbulence to be created in the nearby area. Also, the use of a narrow slot for air to pass through means that less noise can escape from the fan itself. With additional soundproofing inside the unit, the noise levels of a Mitsubishi Electric Wave jet hand dryer are just 57dB, which is the equivalent of a normal conversation making it one of the quietest hand dryers available.
This quietness is confined to a much narrower frequency range than a conventional hand dryer which also means that it is much less likely to disturb nearby classrooms and is less overwhelming to noise-sensitive pupils.
Placement tips to reduce echo
When combined with quieter hand dryer models, the design of school bathrooms can also help to reduce the spread of noise into nearby areas. Positioning the hand dryers on an external wall means that they do not back directly onto a classroom and ensuring that there is a barrier between the direction the hand dryer is facing and the entry to the toilet area means that less noise can escape through an open door.
Find out more
Peaceful schools are better for pupil learning, so choosing a quiet hand dryer to upgrade your bathrooms is highly beneficial. Speak to a member of our team by calling 01707 288780 or contact us via our web form and our specialist team can provide advice about the best solution for your school or college.
