The routine of drying your hands is often a thoughtless everyday occurrence, but how does it all work? The last hand dryer you used is a clever little box, that does more than you think!
The brains of the operation: How do they work?
Although it would be more fun to imagine that a little hamster runs in a wheel when it sees your hands traverse below the dryer, it’s sadly not the case. They actually use the same technology that’s in modern automatic doors. They use optical sensors that bounce light back from your skin to the receiver. This helps to cut down on energy bills, as well. The hand dryer will not run unless an object is underneath it.
That’s just the start – how does it actually dry your hands?
How hot do hand dryers get?
They’re more complex than simply blowing out hot air. Most hand dryers kick into gear after they’re triggered (be it a button or an optical sensor) and get to work on drying your hands using a heating element. This is usually made up of Nichrome, which is also used in the explosives and firework industry with a melting point of 1400 Degrees Celsius. Don’t worry, you’re safe as it only generates heat of up to 50 degrees above ambient air temperature. Then, air is blown over this heating element, onto your hands and the water is evaporated off
Why not go ECO?
Other hand dryers (often the more economically friendly kind) scrap the heat element altogether. These are probably the ones you avoid in the toilet, thinking that they’re broken. In fact, they’re just as good, if not better for your hands and the environment.
Whereas heated hand dryers use the temperature to evaporate the water off your hands, some hand dryers like the Dyson Airblade go for an arguably cooler approach – blasting the water off. Water is forced through tiny slits in the hand dryer, sometimes as thin as a human eyelash, so that the air seemingly scrapes the water off your hands.
Can they be germ free?
Certain hand dryers are a static death machine for germs and bacteria. The Warner Howard Airforce, for example, is coated with an antimicrobial powder coat, which doesn’t allow germs to stay on it’s surface for longer than 10 minutes.
PHS Airstream Vitesse High Speed Hand Dryer
So much more…
Hand dryers are much more than just boxes of hot air. Their clever innards and environmentally friendly charm make for an appealing and pleasant looking addition to any washroom.
Now you know how they work.
Buy one through us today! See our extensive range of commercial and electric hand dryers, here.