Hand dryers are used in many public restrooms and they are replacing the traditional paper towel dispenser systems.
Benefits of an Air Hand Dryer
The main benefit of using a hand dryer is that they don’t generate any waste, like paper towels do, making them a better option for the environment. Another ‘green’ benefit is that they use very few resources, as opposed to paper towels, which generates pollution in the manufacturing process.
How do they work?
The dryers are equipped with a heating element that turns on when the user presses the button, or a motion sensor gets triggered. The element is typically made of Nichrome, which is a combination of chromium and nickel. The heater generates heat that is approximately 50 degrees above air temperature. Air is warmed up as it is blown over the heating element. The air blows out of the tube and downward onto the hands (sometimes upwards if the tube is turned, but this isn’t always possible with certain models).
When the warm air blows quickly over wet hands, they are dried quickly because the water evaporates. Rubbing hands under the air flow will quicken the process even further.
Today’s hand dryers are advanced enough that they are even more environmentally-friendly, producing a higher rate of air flow, but no heat.
Newer models offer several advantages, not the least of which is efficiency. Thanks to the infrared sensor, the dryer will only run when there are hands under it. Older models ran on a timer, so if you were finished drying your hands, the dryer would still run until the timer was up. Today’s models also generate a higher pressure stream, which dries hands even quicker; thus, using less electricity.
Most business owners find that using hand dryers are much more efficient in today’s world than the traditional paper towel dispensers.
