The Science Behind the Modern Hand Dryer

The Science Behind the Modern Hand Dryer

Modern day hand dryers have become a revolutionary facet of the sanitation industry.

Since their creation, they have been implemented into hundreds of thousands of stores, restaurants, and facilities around the world.

With sleek and inventive designs, such as seen in the RevSquared HD 350 Hand Dryer, electrical hand dryers have come a long way from where they originated.

How do Hand Dryers Sense your Hands? 

In order for a hand dryer to work, the user puts their hand into the designated sensor area where the dryer uses infrared sensors to detect motion; these sensors emit invisible rays of light.

Once the sensor has detected movement the light bounces back off the sensor, activating the motor which begins to pull in air through its intake vents. 


Are they Sanitary? 

One of the biggest concerns with automatic hand dryers is the sanitation level, since many are concerned that the bacteria particles in bathrooms could result in the spread of germs.

However, all commercial grade electric hand dryers should be equipped with filters which screen through the germs and bacteria to make sure that the air is clean and fresh.

The RevSquared HD 350 Hand Dryer was specifically designed to hold a HEPA filter which is a high efficiency particulate filter able to remove up to 99.99% of all airborne contaminants.

All air that passes through the intake vents of a hand dryer are forced to pass through a filter before they reach a person’s hands.

Old vs. New

During their initial development hand dryers could take upwards of 60 seconds to dry a user's hands resulting in minimal use in the product.

With continued technological advancements, heated hand dryers have advanced to the point where they are able to dry a person’s hands in up to 10 seconds! This is due in part to the speed that the air is pushed out of through the motor, being able to reach speeds up to 420 miles per hour.

The way that the air is heated up when it is passing through the dryer is by passing overheat conductors such as electrically heated pieces of metal.

There are primarily two different types of commercial hand dryers you will encounter.

The first being the more traditional models which blow air over a heating element to evaporate the water off a user’s hands.

The second being a more high-tech model which utilizes blades and high speeds to push the water off of the skin’s surface. 


How they Benefit the Environment 

The original purpose of the at-home hand dryer was to reduce the amount of paper towel usage. 

Thanks to their widespread use, these dryers have helped to save millions in landfill reduction, savings, and CO2 emissions. 


Today’s Modern Hand Dryer

The landscape for hand dryers continues to grow at a rapid pace. Since the creation of innovative new dryers such as the RevSquared HD 350 Hand Dryer new changes and adaptations have continued to push the boundaries of sanitation care.