How Often Should Hand Dryers Be Replaced?

For many business owners and operators of commercial facilities, it should come as no surprise that automatic hand dryers cost less to operate and maintain than paper towel dispensers. However, many owners and maintenance workers may wonder: how often should hand dryers be replaced to uphold a hygienic and accessible environment?

The first step in determining whether your public restroom is due for an upgrade is by calculating the environmental impact and cost of operating your current hand dryers. In his article comparing the environmental costs associated with electric hand dryers versus paper towels, Brendan Koerner argues that a fair amount of energy goes into manufacturing metal goods with mechanical parts, but the average hand dryer life cycle of approximately seven to 10 years accounts for a negligible part of the hardware’s total energy consumption. Calculating the impact of your electric dryers requires that you know how many watts of power it uses when switched on and in standby mode. If your hand dryer electricity usage translates to a high degree of carbon dioxide emissions, you may consider replacing your hand dryers with more efficient, environmentally sound hand drying technology.

As we examine the subject of how often should hand dryers be replaced, it is important to note that maintaining or repairing an appliance is an alternative to purchasing new. If your hand dryers are more than halfway through their useful life cycles and the cost of repair outweighs a new investment, it is time to replace your hand dryers. Routine inspection for hand dryers should occur once every 12 months for light- to medium-duty bathroom traffic and regularly for heavy-duty traffic, according to CleanLink, an information resource for sanitary supply distributors and cleaning professionals. Daily maintenance may occur with hand dryers that foster bacterial buildup. Determining how often hand dryers should be replaced should always place health and sanitation above all else. Improvements in technology and manufacturing provide updated methods of making commercial restrooms more accessible and inviting.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), janitorial or maintenance workers should not be exposed to more than 90 A-weighted decibels (dB A) in the period of an eight-hour shift. Otherwise, employees meet what the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) refers to as excess risk, or the risk of developing material hearing impairments based on exposure levels and frequency. Quiet hand dryers are an ideal replacement option that will help your facility remain compliant and safe.

If you have any questions about how often should hand dryers be replaced or our article, contact a member of the PandaProducts.com team for further assistance.