Hand Dryers are too loud?

In the past, some have claimed hand dryers are too loud. Let’s hear the other side of the story from ProDryers, the hand dryer guru, a top trusted national master distributor for all major brand hand dryers. We'll educate you on new, modern hand dryer technology such as noise reduction nozzles, adjustable motors for noise control, and new acoustically designed hand dryers like the Dyson Airblade. First of all, even the loudest noises like jet engines and jack hammers at about 100 dB could potentially be a problem to unprotected ears after several (8+) hours of intense, constant noise exposure. The loudest of super-fast, high speed hand dryers sold at ProDryers only hit around 85 dB on the high end. And at that level, you only get exposure for 10-15 seconds while drying hands. They kind of sound like vacuum cleaners. We would never suggest to sit under a high speed hand dryer for 8 hours! One of the few concerns with our customers is often noise levels. Honestly, it’s a very rare concern, but it does come up in conversation at times. In those cases where noise could be an issue, we explain the several outstanding options with current hand dryer technology. For example, the Xlerator is installed at the factory with the 1.1 noise reduction nozzle. We have been selling the Xlerator this way for years because the dry time is still 10-15 seconds while the noise level is reduced by 10 dB. The Xlerator also comes with an add-on motor adjustment kit (or you could order it installed).This allows for the dryer’s power to be reduced to a quieter level. Future models of the Xlerator are expected to have the motor adjustment feature built into it. However, we always suggest not to buy the motor adjustment kit and suggest to call us back later if you need it. We’ve had 1 call in several years. The ExtremeAir is another example of a hand dryer where sound and speed control is built in allowing motor adjustment. Yes, people have complained about the high speed hand dryers being too loud in the past when high speed units were first introduced, but the manufacturers have been listening. Dyson for example replaced the Dyson Airblade AB04 and AB02 models with the new and acoustically redesigned AB14 which is faster at 420 MPH, yet it reduces noise levels by 50%. Hand Dryer manufacturers are adapting to customer concerns. Most high speed hand dryers today run in the low 80’s or high 70 decibel range. There’s always a trade-off with performance when reducing power, but even at the lowest setting, the ExtremeAir hand dryer still dries hands in 25 seconds and only measures at about 69 dB. That’s only 4 decibels above a normal conversation!

In America, for years restroom users hated hand dryers because they took too long to dry hands. We all remember the days when we had to dry hands on our pants. So manufacturers came up with high speed, turbo air restroom dryers. The first designs were on the loud side but it did fix the slow drying problems. Once people voiced dissatisfaction with noise levels, that issue was fixed too. There is a clear pattern of evolving technology here. Manufacturers have improved the speed of restroom air dryers which led to a noise issue. They have since resolved the noise issue with acoustics (like the Dyson Airblade where unpleasant tones were stripped out), and noise reduction nozzles (like the Xlerator 1.1) and adjustable motors (like the ExtremeAir). And hand dryers keep evolving to tackle further debates like hygiene and sanitation. Both Dyson and Excel Dryer have HEPA filter capabilities to eliminate bacteria, while American Dryer has invented the revolutionary new ExtremeAir CPC that uses cold plasma to literally kill nearly all bacteria. There is a clear movement in America to reduce our carbon footprint, conserve energy and precious resources all while protecting the environment. Hand dryers make that possible.

In summary, hand dryers may have been too loud at one point, just like they didn’t work properly at one point in time either. Technology has evolved and hand dryers not only work, they work fast and noise levels are no longer spiking over 90 dB. In fact, adjustable motors make hand dryers like the ExtremeAir perfect for stadiums to office buildings. Call us at 888-503-7937 to learn more on how we can solve the “hand dryers are too loud” claims.