Which electric hand dryer should I choose?
Choosing an electric hand dryer has become more complex today with the arrival of electric air-forced hand dryers in recent years.
The range of electric hand dryers is currently divided into two main categories:
- The electric hot air hand dryer
- The electric hand dryer with pulsed air
The choice now falls mainly on forced air models which now offer compact but powerful versions .
Electric hot air hand dryer
The electric hot air hand dryer is characterized by hand drying based on the production of hot air blown at speeds varying from 80 to 110 km/h.
This electric hand dryer is the most widespread and the most economical to purchase.
There are push button models or cell (automatic) models to avoid any contact between the user and the electric hand dryer.
Electric hand dryer with pulsed air
The electric hand dryer with pulsed air is characterized by drying hands based on air speed. It is this air speed that blows the water present on the hands towards the bottom of the device and thus dries the hands.
The water is therefore generally collected at the bottom of the device in a tank that must be emptied regularly. In fact, only some models combine this air speed with light heating. There is therefore no "evaporation" as in the case of the electric hot air hand dryer but rather "evacuation". This explains a very fast drying time of around 10 seconds.
The cost of use is low but the investment remains heavy with prices 5 to 8 times higher than an electric hot air hand dryer.
Comparative hygiene
Regarding the hygiene and bacteriological aspect, although the electric hand dryer with pulsed air represents a slight improvement compared to the electric hand dryer with hot air, the use of single-use paper towels remains the reference if your criterion is impeccable hygiene. The comparative survey can be seen here .
Electric hand dryer what standard?
An electric hand dryer is characterized by several standard features.
We first distinguish:
IP index
The IP rating consists of two numbers: the first number represents the level of protection of the hand dryer against solid objects. The second number represents the level of protection against liquid elements.How to read the IP rating.
First digit: protection against solid objects
IP0X - no protection
IP1X - protected against solid bodies >50 mm (e.g. hand contact)
IP2X - protected against solid objects >12.5 mm (e.g. finger)
IP3X - protected against solid objects >2.5 mm (e.g. tools, screws)
IP4X - protected against solid objects >1 mm (e.g. small tools, wires)
IP5X - dust protected (no harmful deposits)
IP6X - fully protected against dust
Second digit: protection against liquid bodies
IPX0 - no protection
IPX1 - protected against vertical drops of water
IPX2 - protected against water drops up to 15° from the vertical
IPX3 - protected against water drops up to 60° from the vertical
IPX4 - protected against splashes from all directions
IPX5 - protected against water jets from all directions (water lance)
IPX6 - fully protected against splashes (similar to sea water)
IPX7 - protected against the effects of immersion
IPX8 - protected against the effects of prolonged immersion
Insulation class of electric hand dryer
The device is also classified by an insulation class which must be indicated by a pictogram.
Class I: Class I devices must be connected to earth.
Class II: Class II appliances have double electrical insulation and do not require an earth connection. Only these appliances may be installed in bathrooms.