Different Types of Hand Dryer
When choosing new hand dryers for your building’s bathrooms, it is important to consider a variety of different factors including the people who will be using them, the long-term running costs, their energy efficiency, and the amount of noise they will generate in the surrounding areas.
In this guide we look at the different types of hand dryer available to help you decide which is right for your needs.
Method of drying hands
Hand dryers can work in one of two ways:
- Evaporative Hand Dryers
- Jet Hand Dryers
Evaporative or warm-air hand dryers are the most well-known type and have been available for decades. Hand dryers using this design work by blowing air through a fan and over a heating element to warm it. The warm air escapes through a wide nozzle and onto the user’s hands which are rubbed together in the stream of air to cause the water to evaporate from the skin.
Jet hand dryers are a more modern choice. These dryers use fast moving air to blow water droplets off the surface of the skin.
Jet hand dryers use far less energy than evaporative hand dryers as they do not need to include a heating element and are also much quicker. Jet hand dryers are also far quieter than old fashioned designs. Because the airflow is much smoother, there is far less turbulence in the surrounding areas. The combination of faster and quieter operation and the lack of needing a heating element means that they are also more efficient, using around one-third of the amount of electricity and giving noticeable savings on energy bills.